Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-28
Sham i'm society

+ rom the 81 LOUIS GiGbe-D Democrat
Any further reference to Oscar Wilde in these
days would seem to require an apology, but
there are very few things SO insignificant that
they may not occasionally be made useful in the
way of illustration, and If Wilde can be made
useful in any manner at all it is clear gain to get
that much out of him. The circumstances of
his reception in this country serve to strikingly
illustrate the extent to which sham prevails in
what is called society. There is an immense
amount of veneering in the world q consuming
desire on the part of people to appear to be
something more than they are. and within Ger
tain limits this tendency exists in an inverse
ratio 10 the real worth Of the individual. There
are some who are manifestly so low down in the
mental and moral scale that all pretence is re-
cognized by them to be useless. and it is not
attempted. But these are certainly not in so
ciety," and are not here considered. There are
Others too. SO gifted with natmalness and sweet
humility as to be free from the besetting Sin of
shamming. These are the pure diamonds that
maintain their integrity under all circumstances.
They may seem to be carried along with the
tawdry glare and glitter. but they are wonder
ing meanwhile what it all means. and are not
voluntary participants in the general humbug.
There are such natures in society,"" and they
are beyond criticism.
1t Is entirely safe to assert that the attention
which is paid to Mr. Wilde by the fashionable
society Of eastern cities is merely manifesto
ton OF the social sham. 1t Is a fine thing to be
able to appreciate art and genius Hence there
arises desire to be Thought capable of that
KIND OF appreciation. 1t is understood to be the
mark of a refined mind, and refinement and
mental superiority are peculiarly the qualities
that large class Of mOnied humbugs affect.
The less they possess them the more they affect
them, and the result is an eXaggeratiOn that
disgusts really intelligent and appreciative peO-
pie. 1t is the misfortune of Wilde that what
ever good there is In him is damned by the
spurious tribute that is paid to what he Ia
imagined to be. The people who make so much
fuss about "adoring poetry" and "worshipping
art are very liable to make the mistake Of Ca
nonizing the wrong party. TennysOn himself
would not create the sensation in New York
society" that this mushroom poet has sue
ceeded in doing. Mr.. Wilde has interspersed
some creditable verses in the midst of general
lot Of nonsense. He has delivered lecture
which was little more than a mess Of we'll
wOrded trash. From not a single competent
critic has there come any decided Endorsement
OF his alleged genius, and yet society seiZes
upon him, fetes him. struggles for the honor of
fattering his vanity and writes itself down
collective ass. 1t is sham worshiping sham.
Probably not one person in ten who have
gathered at the Wilde receptions has ever read
through single poem that he has written The
sensation he has been made the occasion of il a
hOt-hOuse development of insncere senti-
mentality. the heat being supplied by the action
and reaction OF sham and extravaganza i'm the
social crOwd-the warmth Of friction, not of
umnary. But can the element that engages
in this sort of balloOning monopoize all that
is meant by the term society in this country?
Perhaps not, though it must be confessed
that many people who have the reputa-
ton of being sensible are Influenced by
the frOthy tide, and while recognizing it's
character and laughing at it. yield to it more
or less completely. Society assumes to be
infahle. What it dictates must be acceded to-
This is its creed. Just where its power comes
from no one can tell, 1t has wealth on its side.
and it is underlaid with some reasonable rules
for its own protection. No one can enter it
without credentials, be they money. talent or
family. 1t closes it's doors to the stranger the
idea being to keep the wolves out of the fold:
but sometimes it is only necessary for it to be
acquainted with the wolf to secure his admis-
sion. Society is not democracy; it is an
Oligarchy. The majority does not rule. Assump-
ton and self-assertion take the lead and are all
the too meekiy followed. Intelligence and
worth, being retiring. have less weight than pre-
tension. The latter makes its claims and they
are allowed. more for the sake of avoiding the
effort of protest than anything else.
society " founded almost wholly on newly
acquired wealth, which is its marked condition
in the United States, has not had time to be-
come Enthusiastically intelligent. 1t has not
had time to inure tselfagainst the deterioratin9
influences of money. The children of wealthy
parents who do not inherit educational aptitudes
come generally from the tail end OF their classes
Ill CoieStS ana SeiliHaTieS-ii llidecu tney man
age to 90 through them at a--and go home to
enter society" The importatiOns from the
world OF shoddy are constantly coming in and
all endeavOr to make up for their deficiencies
by sham They thrust themselves on the sur
face, while all tnat gives our society real weight
and redeems it, keeps modestly in the back
ground. The peculiar conditions which would
naturally produce the sensation that is made
over oscar Wide. or over any meretrclOus iliu-
sion of the hour. are thus present They are
far from absent in English society. and they
doubtless will continue to prevail, though it
may be hoped to a lessening degree, indcf-
nitely.