The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-12-22
Respectable Society.

W. heard Il man. otherwise iniclli-
gent enough, laicl. sneer III another
"becallse" suii liz. conc never meets
lin In respectable society," The
speaker did hot mean. however that
the person H. affected 10 look down
upon WAS immoral Int merely thai
his circle Of intimutcs were not com.
posed Of the fashionable and rich.
This notion CT what constitutes re-
spectacle society, II quito i favoritc
uae with that elias. I'll individuals
whom Thne!,e.ay has - significantly
called "shoba.' Empty prctense Ill
ways makes its own characteristic.
il standard hy which Il strives to
measure the responsibility Of per-
sons ut lurse. III Il community or
mere money. gettrrs wealth II the
test IL responsibility. Among he
proud. narrow minded. cil'cte nnbil-
ity Of the Fauhurg st. Germain re-
speetahiiity depends upon being de-
Sceniants from ancestors who have
married their cousins for - many
centuries that neither muscles nor
brains are left any longer 10 le-cn-
crate descendants. With tho dandy
officers Who constitute Il cons!lcra.
bic portion OF The American navy
responsibility consists In having.
apongoa Oh Uncle sam IN wearing
gilt buttons. and III jiltirg tallors.
Every conccited fool thinks himself
In like way the only person who Is
respectable.
Bn, true responsibility depends on
no such adventurous circumstances
To be respectable Is TO lee worthy OF
respect. and he deserves respect u hp'
has most virtue. The hnmhleSt man
who bravely docs hi- duty, Is more
worthy OF respect, Is moro trul; re.
spectacle. then the ceyetnns million-
airc among his money bags. OF the
arrogant monarch upon his throne.
The fine lady who hackhites her
ncighbor Ii less worthy OF respect
than TN honest wash.Moman. The
prolligatc noble. though he may
wear Il dozen orders. is often not
really as respectable Us the shoe
black who cleans boots. That which
eSalts "the world eSaits the one
and despises the other, hut It docs
not make them respectable accord
ing % the real meaning IL that word.
Their responsibility is but Il hollow
sham, IL they themselves frequent
~ feel. and those who worship them
bow down to u Fetish. Il thing pf
feathers and tinscl. The selfish.
idle urone. who wastes life. i'm his
own qualification. and dissipatcs The
fortune or his progeny. i not and
cannot be respectable. but the hard
working, self-denying father, who
wears ont his life to bring up his
children, Is. even though H. DC bnt
II y-lahorer. Nothing can make
Dives tit To lie upon Ahraham's hos
ON, while Lazarus is welcomed there.
even With the sores the dogs have
licked
This false view Of life. which would
measure responsibility 10y conven-
tional standard, is totally Ut variance
with our republican institutions. 1t
creates an Emporium in inlperio,'
for. while tic law declares all eiti-
zens equal, il eleets Il social stand
ard which endcavors to ignore that
great truth. The coarse, british.
knayish. rronigatc. criminal-;n
short. all who fail short Of their duty
u themselves and their fellow men
ARE those Who are not respectable:
anl this whether they are rich or
poor. While those who live honest
II. ana stliye to 10 what they can.
constitute in reality the respectable
class. irrespective Of the fact wheth-
CT they cat with silver forks or steel
ones Philadelphia Ledger.