Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1888-05-05
nnOnLE vs.. RRAINs.

Some sn0b IN Now 1Ork VINO moves
among the so-called upper crust, has
lately declared that the real simon pure,
swell society OF the metropolis only num-
bers about four hundred persons. This
is whiting things down to a pretty fine
point. When pressed by the reporters
to name the chosen, be declined, saying
in substance that none but the wealthy
could afford to keep up with all OF the
fashionable gayeties OF Gotham life. The
line is thus drawn at vulgar dollars no
matter how earned. And SO il is that
what calls itself fashic liable society all
over this country, is made up. The big.
ger the fool, the more style he or she
piles on. Tc get into the swim and keep
in it, one must have cords Of money-no
other qualification is necessary. No mat.
ter If the money was made in robbing
stages, it is all the same, but you must
have il. We know a woman in the fore.
most rank Of fashionable society in San
| Francisco who couldn't spell her own
name pasted on the broad face OF the
Sierra Nevada mountains in letters Of
living light as big as the Coast Range;
but by accident she has dead loads OF
money. In the early days she used to
chase miners shirts up and down a wash
board for . living, while now she is quo
ted by sickening sy~cophants as a great
art patron, and nothing delights the very
bottom OF her coarse, obese bowels so
much as to sit in the drippings of a select
Shakesperian reading! Whether the SUBJ
ject Of our illustration be real or imagin-
ary, she is typical of the gingerbread
society Of the period, as constituted in
most Of our great cities, and we don't
blame her for it. As the world moves,
she has a right to spread herself and go to
the front with all Of the vulgar display
her millions will buy. Neither do WI
disparage those who from an humble call
ing and hard work finally become pros.
porous and are thus enabled to live at
their ease, but we do sincerely despise
that specie Of shoddyism which turns up
it's nose and attempts to put on airs over
its less fortunate but more meritorious
neighbors. No rejecting person can fail
to discern that the prominence which
wealth gives in this country, in political
as well as social life, is steadily becoming
greater with the years. A titled class
could hardly mark it more distinctly. If
a starving tramp breaks a pane Of glass
and steals a loaf of bread we convict him
OF burglary and send him to the peniten.
tiary. If a rich man through fraud and
deceit and greed. plumbers an entire COM
munity, we shower honors upon him by
electing him to the highest office within
the gift Of the people, even though he be
fool as well as knave. There are two
men in the United States Senate to-day
who cannot in three hours, by the watch,
repeat the names Of the States and Ter
~ritories comprising the American Union,
and who could not in three weeks spell
the names Of all Of them correctly. 1t
goes without saying that both are million
aires. Reduce them to the ranks of the
great army of comparative poor men, and
neither would ever be thought OF in con-
nection with the most Insignificant public
office. This is a fiat, unvarnished state.
ment of the case and we all know it's
truth. The press is not blameless in its
putting of the pampered nobodies. 1t
could relegate them to back seats, politi.
cally and socially, if it tried. Ability
and courage and manhood and gentility
should rate higher in all of the walks and
callings of life. Refinement and good
breeding and gentle demeanor, in man or
woman, should not be so heavily dis
counted in the interest of mere money
bags. In short, if we must have an arts.
tocraey in this country, let it be an aris-
tocracy of brains, not of Doodle.