The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-12-23
SNOBBERY IN ENGLAND.
The Chief Business Of Society To Look At An.
tecedents Rather Than Personal Merit.

The Chief Business Of Society To Look At An.
tecedents Rather Than Personal Merit.
London Letter to Providence Journal
1t il almost incomprehensiblet to nm Amer
lean. Nothing in London 30 disgnsts 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 al old
and rich family, told mo of newcomer
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 mp 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"
must tell you of the late settlement Of
rector. Many Of the clergy Of the establish
ed church are Of tho very bluest Of the old
blue blood. The law of primogeniture has
given tho eldest brother the ancestral wealth,
and some position must be furnished the
other sons TO comport with the family dig
nifty. It is wickedly reported that the
smarter boys are appointed TO positions in
good for nothing else, tho family nobodys,
indicted into the priesthood. There must
DO a little ruth in this, for the most stupid
sermons ever heard hive 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 heart and thought One Of these
established rectors received an appointment
to living, and proceeded to settle. The
wealthiest family Of his parish possessing
tho handsomest residence, calledafter few
days. This courtesy they followed up with
formal invitation to dinner, which was po-
litely declined. Thinking the reason must
DO simply over in house settling the
parishioner invited, after a few days waiting,
his new rector again. There was O delay
in the acceptance, when the parishioner
learned that search was being made as to
tho kind of blood he represented and that
when the rector should have satisfied HIM
self that the antecedents were all right, ho
would accept the invitation to dinner. A
few Sundays ago we attended service in u
small half -iilled chapel. The congregation
was all made mp of working people. The
minister, a dissenter, spoke dolefully Of his
want Of success. We felt like saying few
cheering words to him ut the close. But
being Of blue blood, no rebuffed w ut once
with inquiry as to suitable letter of intro
duction. An Englishman asked us the 9TH
err day IL Joseph Cook was u real gentle
man." ''Yesl indeed" We assured him. Il
shall enjoy hearing him, them" he
added, "but some one said his father
was tladesman, or something OF
the sort, and, of course, il 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 arristocracy who
may be deeply in debt at home and at
school, but whose blood is very blue, even