The Itching Palm: A Study of the Habit of Tipping in AmericaScott, William R. (William Rufus)
Philosophy
The Itching Palm: A Study of the Habit of Tipping in America
Scott, William R. (William Rufus)
Tipping
Second, the promptings of pride must be recognized frankly and mastered
by democratic ideals. When a tip is given, not only is an individual
wrong done, but a blow is struck at republican government and the ideals
upon which it is founded. Patriotism, as well as faithfulness to
self-respect requires that all customs which promote class distinctions
shall be held in check. In entertaining a democratic attitude toward all
Americans you are strengthening the government under which you live. You
will not become less of a gentleman or lady if the socially submerged
classes rise to a normal plane of self-respect. In declining to place a
false valuation upon them you are promoting the true mission of
Americanism.
"To thine own self be true,
And it must follow as the night the day
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
Third, the fear of violating a social custom is overcome when you
understand its pernicious nature. The general observance of it gives the
custom neither rightness nor authority. With full assurance that the
custom is wrong and with a measure of the courage Decatur showed before
Tripoli, an apparently formidable, but really vulnerable, custom can be
destroyed.
VIII
THE LITERATURE OF TIPPING
Writers of books on etiquette uniformly accept tipping as the correct
social usage. They state just the amount that it is proper to give on
various occasions and thus do their utmost to rivet the custom upon the
people.
A few extracts from such books will be given here to show how the custom
is strengthened by the arbiters of etiquette. Those masses of Americans
who are aspiring to a broader culture naturally turn to these books, and
have their Americanism poisoned at the very start. They are educated to
believe that tipping is essential to social grace. The feature
departments of newspapers in answering queries about tipping usually
confirm this impression, though now and then a side-swipe is delivered
at the extortionate attitude of the serving persons.
HOTEL FEES
Taking up the hotel first, the following advice is from "Everyday
Etiquette":
"A porter carries a bag and he must be tipped; another carries
up a trunk, he must be tipped; one rings for ice water and the
boy bringing it expects his ten cents; one wants hot water every
morning and in notifying the chambermaid of this fact, must slip
a bit of silver into her palm. The waiter at one's table must be
frequently remembered, and the head waiter will give one better
attention if he finds something in his hand after he shows the
new arrival to a table, and, of course, on leaving one will give
a fee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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