The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-09-22
4 From the Memphis (Tea-l Araiosche.
Snobbish High Life. ~

The country is running wild. Extrava-
gance, folly aud fraud, are the great prevail
ing vices of the times-the grand charac-
teristics of the age. 1t is manifestly more
or less in our cities, and its influence is seen
in the debasement of men and women, and
the complete ruin of children. Every sue
cessful speculator or fortunate operator must
initiate, and if possible excel, his neighbor,
the lucky banker or the money making gro
Ger and to do this, without regard to ex-
pense, away they 60 into the marble and
satin, the rosewood and silver, keep extrav-
agsnt carriages with horses to match, and
give parties where Brussels and Wilton out
vie in their color, the silks and the wine
which make up the chief part of the enter
tainment. Up it goes into the air, huge
pile, or a fantastic residence but not a roon
in it for the comfort of the owner or family
all of it for show and the public gaze.
The women haunt about in lace and lazi-
ness, or recline upon soft cushions in fine
carriages, neither knowing whether the
money that keeps them up be stolen or hon
estly- gained. They are happy in the tact
that they dash as much as the richest of
their neighbors. .-.f
For an American of fortune-real, solid
fortune-to dash into all this extravaganza,
is folly but that man is guilty OF down.
right wickedness who, upon little money,
goes TO vast and foolish expense; for he
must rob somebody to carry out his plans
or if he has enough to warrant it all, his
children, when his fortune is divided among
them, will have all the silly and extravagant
notions of their father, without his money to
give them reality. Out Of all this miserable
life there springs evils worse than bankrupt
cy. The sins of the father are visited upon
the children TO the third generation Of
what use to society are the children of such
people? Sons who have been educated to
believe all the splendor constitutes the best
of life, and that fast horses and champagne
are emblematic of high life. Daughters
brought up by a silly, ridiculous mother,
who glories in her curtains and carpets, her
carriage and her parties, and the fashionable
training of her children.
Nice creatures, these, for life b,ittle in a
world where energy and industry and en-
durance are worth to them more than all
the airs, graces, and style that they learned
in the paterual drawing Of foreign masters.
! Out Of this struggle to excel in this sort Of
life there spring, too, fraud and chicanery,
and all manner of crime; for in the contest,
gold, gold, is the end and aim of ALL the
means are not regarded. The sensible part
of the community laugh at this folly, and
laugh loudly, too, at coarse yulgarity para
ding itself in gay equipages, and moving
about with all the airs and affectations OF
snobbish high life-people elevated above
their fellows by stock operation or rise
in. town lots, and rejoicing thereafter in
fisshy and in gaudy houses.
4 If they made fools of themselves alone, il
would all be proper enough. But the effec,
upon their families and upon society is mos,
~ be dreaded. ff,5 "a
In a country where the law divides among
mans heirs all his estate after death, un.
less disposed of by will, and where the
chances are that the property will not re.
main in the family beyond the second gene
ration, it is utter folly to build palaces to
live in; far better would it be to expend tn,
same money in building schools or founding
asylums, the benefit of which the rich man
heirs may need. On, on, goes our Ameri
can life Helter skelter-hurly burly-oI
! it goes! Dash--make sensation-ge
money-honestly if you can-but get mon
! ey-educaie children after the same fashion
aud then die and be forgotten.