The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-06
A CORRUPT SOCIAL LIFE.

The light which the notorious baccarat trial
now in progress in the English courts throws
upon the social life of the highest classes in
England is not one TO advance these classes
in the esteem Of tAe world. There is reason
to believe that the scenes which the testimony
in this trial shows to have been enacted at the
country seat Of the Wilson's are typical of the
general life which is led by a majority of the
members of the English aristocracy in their
country homes when filed with visitors.
which as a rule is the case during the whole
year, with the exception of the London sea-
son, when the uppe classes flock to town.
What do these scenes disclose? There is
not one thing connected with them which
does not suggest the grossest ~frivolity and
the most prodigal waste of time at the best,
and degraded tastes and inclinations at the
worst, emitting from consideration the con-
duct of Gordon-Cumming, which is to be in
cluded in such a dark category that it canno
be Justly regarded as characte ristic of any
organized society, not even of that of black
legs.
Scandal after scandal in the high life Of
England has recently been exposed, but the
consequences of one does not seem to exercise
any influence TO prevent the occurrence of
| another. The true significance of this series
of scandals does not lie merely in the fact that
they have taken place in the circles of the
aristocracy. Their 9raveSt significance con-
sists in this, that they have taken place among
the members of the ruling class of England, a
class which possesses legislative power and
which controls in no small measure the desti-
MES Of the British Empire.
The corruption of the English aristocracy
is the corruption of a class which enjoys
| enormous wealth and boundless leisure. 1t
is the corruption of idleness. Occupying the
highest social positions fixed by absolute law,
this aristocracy is not so much under the in
fuence of public opinion as the opulent
circles of New York, for instance, where social
position is not supported by l~egalized dis
tinctions.
There is no reason 10 believe, however, that
the social spirit of the highest class in Eng
land is much more questionable than that Of
the wealthiest class in New York. except to
| the extent that the society of New York, being
| founded upon conventional and not upon
legal distinctions, is somewhat more sensitive
o public opinion. All those influences that
introduce elements of corruption into the
most conspicuous social ranks of London and
England at large are at work in New York,
because there the conditions of wealth. and
therefore of leisure, are practically the same.
The difference in the relative importance Of
the two classes, however, is In
England the aristocracy is part of the Gov
eminent of the kingdom. and its unworthi-
ness in consequence involves the political as
well as the social interests of all the subjects
of the Queen. On the other hand. our pseudo
American aristocracy possesses no political
power whatever. and even its claims to social
eminence are regarded with contempt and
rldlcule. The more corrupt it grows, the less
harmful will be the little influence which it
exercises. 1t will only become more valuable
as a standing object lesson. Havingn no estab-
lished privileges to sustain it, its social degra-
dalton signifies its political impotence. An
aristocracy that flowers in a MacAlister is a
weed that may cucumber the ground, but
cannot seriously infect the atmosphere of the
republic with poisonous exhalations.