The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-05-08
THE INCONSISTENCIES OF SOCIETY.

The false and the truo are TO he found in
everything and everywhere, but no where
more so than in the society Of to-day. SO
ciety's Inconsistencies are more glsrng now
than in the earlier days Of our republic, but
II is because tina, which is false and nlmsy
and time serving, is now so much moro pre-.
dominant. In the days of our great grand
fathers and great grandmother, common
interest and genuine sentiment of frsternal
feeling begot mutual sympathy, and the
artificial barriers that now hedge in circles
and give rise to sour sets" were unknown and
as. impossible as they were unthought Of.
In those days tina Golden, golden time
the fictitious had no being, and only the true
and the real obtained. There were forests
to foil then, cities to build, farms to be
opened and cultivated, and all manner of
Obstacles to be overcome Those were the
days that demanded that men must work
and women must toll and fashion, save the
fashion of honest labor and persistent econo-
my was myth. Men were honest and true, and
women were pure and sincere. Homespun
garments did duty on week days and Sun
days, too, instead of broadcloths and satns.
Every mother and daughter of the land was
a society belle, and ifper chance one of them
should sport an ornament of person, it was
a flower plucked from the luxuriance of
some hill side. The only jewels mother
knew, like those of Cornelia, were her sons
and daughters, whose affection lighted up
the home circle more than diamonds or
rubies, sapphires or pearls, opsls or beryls
ever could. Genuine politeness, genlleness
of manners and a charity as broad as the
earth and as deep as the deepest fountains
OF the heart, were the rules of etiquette, rs
grand and beautiful as they were simple and
sincere. Spinning wheels made music in
lieu Of pianos, and rude log cabins afforded
places ofworship instead of the stately tenn
Piles Of this age. There were 10 affairs of
mammon In the land then, no special spheres
of social life. That happiness and content
reigned supreme then who can doubt? Envy
and malice and falae pride and mock mod.
es!y were unknown quantities in the econ
omy oe life, for mutual trust
mutual respect and community off teres,s
made al, akin, Honest worth was tho stan
dard by which character and standing was
gagged. But alas the smplicities and the
puri!ies and the esrnestness of those print.
tive days have gone, and it Is TO be feared,
forever. Those were the days OF genuine
democracy, an uaadultersted republic. Now
we live, III asocial sense, in plutocracy.
Tnere is queen upon the throne and fash
ion.wields tho scep'er, issuing sdicts sterner,
more relentness than Russian ukase, more
imperious than the laws of the Medes and
Persians. True worth, queenly grace,
heavenly purity, brilliance of mind, splendid
accomplishments and gentleness of heart all
90 for naught unless girdled about with
wealth, while bankrupted morals, boorish.
ness, mental paucity and the grossest ignor-
ance, If tinged with tho CLEAN of gold, if
carrying the glitter of diamonds arc got in
high plscesin tho temple of society aud
minister at its Altars. Caste wears \ gilded
crown and makes spsrterre OF society, the
higher plateaus being exclusive arcsna in
which only tho rustic of silks and sstins is
heard and the sheen of costly raiment Is seer.
Gorgeous garments, glittering jewels, per-
fume Of petroleum, the bulk Of bank ac-
counts, the potency of stocks and bonds, tho
aroma of railroad axle.gresse alone entille
ono to the open sesame of these exclusive
precincts. Az the cattle man on our pralries
knows his stock by his brand, SO are these
privileged ones known by the dollar mark.
We heard a young gentleman say few
evenings ago that no was going to "hoodoo"
dance that night! When asked what
"hoodoo dance" was no replied, "Oh, a
dance where a lot of second.clsss girls will
be-" and he named some of them. Thoy
were not rich, therefore they were second
class, and their DANCES were known As the
"hoodoo" sort. Their Accomplishments,
tboir Intelligence, their purity, their worth
their gentleness, for those mentioned were
possessed of all these qualities, were not
worthy of consideration. They were poor
therefore they could at best be but second.
class. Tho bank accounts Of their fathers
fixed the degree of thcis gentli,y. Tho
young man in question had no idea Of the
import Of hi, words. He was not TO
blame, for no was simply VIC,
tim, II we may use that word, of
t1e inconsistency Of society. In tho south
there are Thousands and thousands Of families
cultured, refined and elegant in all tho amen.
e!ie, Of life who once were in aillaonce, but
who now, by the fortunes Of an unhappy
war. arc poor. Arc they any tho less ladies
aud gentlemen now than they were when
they possessed broad acres aud long ro.inue
ofservantsi. Are they any the less gsn.eel
aud worthy Of respect and social recognition
10 their poverty than they were In tho day,
OF their wealth. Did their riches mako theu
Aut-claas and their poverty bring them dowr
10 second or third.olAA' Thsre 10 q CERTAIN
mluing millionaire In this country who, Il
said, VA porter In n procarv storo. And nj