Morris tribune., 1880-12-23
SNOBBERY IN ENGLAND.
The Chief Business of Society To Look At A
tnoodouts Rofkar T1,ar

The Chief Business of Society To Look At An
tecedents Rather Than Personal Merit.
London Letter to Providence Journal.
1t is almost incomprehensible to an Amer
lean. Nothing in London so disg1lsts one
who has ever been brought up among re-
publican institutions. A man in great Brit
ain is not what he is, nor what he may have
made of himself but what his ancestors
have been. A friend of ours, one of an old
and rich family, told me of q new conner
into his section Of the country, who had be-
come wealthy during many years of honora-
BILE and successful business in London. He
was able to retire and to put up for his fam
lily palatial home on his large landed es-
tate. But" said our friend exclusively and
approvingly, ''all the towns people courtesy
to us on the streets, but not to him and his
family" ''The trouble is they never knew
his grandfather, but our people have lived
in the country for several generations. :"
I must tell you Of the late settlement of a
rector. Many of the clergy of the establish
ed church are of the very bluest of the old
blue blood. The law Of primogeniture has
given the eldest brother the ancestral wealth,
and some position must be furnished the
other sons to comport with the family dig
nifty. 1t is wickedly reported that the
smarter boys are appointed to positions in
the army and navy, while those who are
good for nothing else, the family nobodys,
inducted into the priesthood. There must
be little truth in this, for the most stupid
sermons I ever heard have been from English
Established Church pulpits. Still it
must be acknowledged that some of
the best ever spoken have been from such
as Dean Stanley, Cannon Lyddon and their
compeers in heartand thought. One of these
established rectors received an appointment
to a living, and proceeded to settle. The
wealthiest family Of his parish possessing
the handsomest residence, calledafter few
days. This courtesy they followed up with
formal invitation to dinner, which was po-
litely declined. Thinking the reason must
be simply over-work in house settling, the
parishioner invited, after few days waiting,
his new rector again. There was a delay
in the acceptance, when the parishioner
learned that search was being made as to
the Ind of blood he represented, and that
when the rector should have satisfied him
self that the antecedents were all right, he
would accept the invitation to dinner. A
few Sundays ago we attended service in a
small half filled chapel. The congregation
was all made up of working people. The
minister, dissenter, spoke dolefully of his
want of success. We felt like saying few
cheering words to him at the close. But
being of blue blood, he rebuffed us at once
with inquiry as to a suitable letter Of intro
duction. An Englishman asked us the 9TH
er day if Joseph Cook was "a real gentle
man" Yes! indeed" we assured him. Il
shall enjoy hearing him, then" he
added, "but some one said his father
was tradesman, or something of
the sort, and, of course, if his family are
low, he cannot please our best English
TASTE" A son, whose father may be mil
lionaire, cannot associate at Eton school
with the young sprigs of arristocacy who
may be deeply in debt at home and at
school, but whose blood is very blue, even
though the clothing is seedy. One who
lives over his store. however elegantly, can
not associate with another whose place OF
residence is apart from his store. Between
merchants and mere shopkeepers there is
an impossible barrier. In all the profes.
sions there are grades not so much of in
telligence or success, as of antecedents. II
makes great deal of difference here to O
| mans social standing whether his wealth is
in personal property or real estate. The
Argyle family considers itself above that Of
the Queen in having older and really bluel
blood "Abas!" as the French say, to al
this. 1t is a shame that our elder sister in.
dulges in such nonsense. The social life
Of America is a century in advance OF
England.