The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-03


duction Csfo), but wl1ich will reduce the
profits Of those who speculate in the result
Of labor" The man who could put together
farrago of absurdities like this, is clearly
incapable of conoeiving or reasoning out any
intelligible scheme of social readiustment.
That he is equally impotent as destructive
force is not quite so clear. Our artisan class
is of too composite character to admit of a
very decided estimate of what they might or
might not be induced to believe. In the in
terests of the future relations between capital
and labor, and of the social stability which is
bound up with them, let us hope that working
men have learned to estimate Mr.. Phillips and
his theories at their proper value.
REPUBLICAN sNoBBERY.
Prom the NJ y Tribune
4 With the first warm days began the usual sur
felt of announcements of summer plans of all
our notabilitios, from Grant to Train. So-called
society papers hurry out their bulletins re-
garding the movements of fashionable gro
GERS and shopkeepers' wives, or young misses
from the country spending week or two at
New York hotels. Train and his kind regard
this gossip as SO many advertisements, aud
the peripatetio young ladies are innocent
enough in their desire 10 catch glimpse of
the fashions" in street cars or hotels parlors
But what impression does foreigner receive
from the columns in leading papers devoted
to the dazzling grandeur of ball at o lucky
fish-dealers, or the announcement that 'tIiss
Caddie Smith is visiting the Brevoort, or
''Miss Imogene Jones is fayoring the Fifth
avenue?"
Our English cousins are lust now hotly de-
batting the question whether the removal of
the royal family and court will rid the coun-
try of its tendsncy towards toadyism. Mr..
Auberon Herbert champion of a republic
that is to be, donouncss the court system as q
fountain of folly in their midst The Spectator,
in answer, points to America, where there is
no court. "The American journals, it says,
''are full of elaboraas descriptions of dresses
worn at Washington bsll, differing only in
two points from those of the Times describ-
ing any court ceremonial. The American
reporters descend to details which in
England would be declared impudent and
nauseous; and they invariably mark the
cost of the dresses with a sort of awe,
as though the price were the highest critic
rion of excellence. Is there any improve
ment here upon English frivolities? p it
demands triumphantly, and tken proceeds
to deduce the conclusion that their social
hierarchy restTains the worship, of wealth
which corrupts and deIbases American society.
This reasoning would be sound enough if So
ciety in America (by which we mean the laws
and habits of the highest clsss--highest by
right Of birth, breeding, or culture9 had any
central point which controlled and represented
them as the Court does the like grade in Eng
land. There is no such point. The Spectator
must surely be aware that our Presidents are
out the slightest reference to the social stand-
ing of their families. The wives of professional
men, tanners, farmers, tailors, take their turn
| in the Whiee House, and play their part with
whatever tact or grace Nature has given to
their share. With how much or little, is to
Americans usually matter OF utter indiffe-
renee. Fashionable society in the large cities
is in like manner made up OF the families of
lucky speculators and rich tradesmen, who
naturally delight in the display of their
wealth, and cluster about any titled foreigner
| who apparently is possessed of that breeding
of which they feel the need. These two
classes have of necessity their outer rings OF
toadiss and fatterers. Beyond these,but few
foreigners penetrate and hence come Eng
lish pictures of American social life. Human
nature, the Spe3tat0r should know, will differ
little in any people or under any Govern
| ment. Money will hold its factitious power
over vulgar minds In London as we'll as in
Washington. The man of cultured tastes
and noble aiEas will seek simplicity in out
ward forms, whether he be We're de We're Of
an American backwoodsman.
The difference between our social system
and that which the English are striving tt
throw of, we believe to be thst in ours mai
is sure to take proper rank il, his own guile
and with his like. The man of intellectua
power or real breeding is as certain of hi
place and consideration among his peers as il
the millionaire of his fatserers; but in Eng
land, law and custom force every man a
birth on false and fictitious graduation o
rank, from which no effort of his own car
free him. We are quite willing to admit tina
the model of the "grave, simple, and slightl
stern Commonwealth" after which that san
guine journal pines is rot here, nor will il b
found anywhere while men are men. Spartan
women, no doubt, eyed their neighbors
head-gear enviously, and before the gres
Romans could found their republic the
accused each other of an itching palm, an
''did sell and mart their Offices for gold"