The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-11-13
From the New York Herald.
The Age of Shoddy.

This civil war has entirely changed
the American character. The lavish
profusion in which the old Southern
cotton aristocracy used to indulge is en-
tirely eclipsed by the dash, parade,
and magnifcenee of the new Northern
| shOddy aristocracy of this PERIOD
Ideas of cheapness and economy are
thrown to the winds. The individual
who makes the most money-no matter
how-aud spends the most moley-no
matter for what's considered the great
est man. To be extraEagant is to be
fashionable. These facts sufficiently &C.
count for the immense and brilliant aud.
fences at the opera aud theaters; and
until the final crash comes such audienc.
eS will undoubtedly continue.
The world has seen its iron age, its
silver age, its golden age, and its brazen
age. This is the age of shoddy. The
new brown stone palaces ou Fifth ave.
uue, the new equipages at the Park, the
new diamonds which dazzle unaccus~
toned eyes, the new silks and satins
which rustic oyer.loudly, as if to demand
attention, the new people WHO live in the
palaces, aud ride in the carriages, and
wear the diamonds and silks-all are
shoddy. From DEVILS dust they sprang,
and uEio DEVILS dust they shall return,
They live in shoddy houses. They ride
in shoddy carriages, drawn by shoddy
horses, and driven by shoddy coachmen,
who wear Shoddy liveries. They lie up.
on shoddy beds, which have just come
from the upholsters, and still smell of
shOddy varuish. They wear shoddy
clothes, purchased from shoddy mer-
ehauts, who have erected mammoth
stores, which appear to be marble, but
are really shoddy. They set or follow
the shodjy fashions, aud tonGly imagine
themselves a Ia mode de Paris, when
they are only a Ia made de shoddy.-
Their professions and occupations are
purely shoddy, They are shoddy bro.
kers in Wall street, or shol1ay manuiac.
tu7ers Of shod4J goods, or shoddy con.
tTaetGrs for shoddy articles for shoddy
government. Six days in the week they
2Te shoddy business men. On the sew
enlh day they are shoddy ChriStiaus.-
They ride luXuriantly to shoddy church,
where shoddy clergyman reads to them
from shOddy Bible, and breaches
shoddy sermon written on shoddy paper;
and daring the appropriate passages,
this shoddy successor to the old Apos-
ties wipes his weak eyes with shoddy
lace handkerchief as he Shoddily pleads
With his hearers, who are sleeping sound
ly upon their shoddy cushions, and begs
of them to believe that the Savior was
cruciied with intolerable torments in or
der that the shoddy ariStocracy might be
gently waited upon the wings Of shoddy
angels to q shVddy heaven. Nor are
their politics less shoddy than their re.
ligion. They belong to the shoddy par.
ty, which is always loyal to shoddy, and
they vote shoddy ticket, and support
the shoddy administration which is con-
Quoting this shoddy war, not for the OBJ.
solete idea Of the restoration of the Uni
on, but for the profit and perpetuation Of
shoddv dynasty. Oh, for some shoddy
Junius, with pen as keen as sboddy
steel and words that burn like shoddy
"Greek fire." to write the history Of this
shoddy age, and propkesy that downfall
of shoddy which is to come Already
shrewd Daniels scent a storm in the
Babylonish air; but still the days are
. golden, and King Shoddy marches on
r triumphantly. Let US, then, enjoy the
present, the park, the theaterS and the
f opera, and leave the future to take care
Of itself. That is the sum of shoddy
wisdom, and we shall not question such
high authority.