New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-29
pLUTOCRACY AND SNOBBERY
IN NETWORK.
EDGAR FAwCETT ARRAIGNS SOCIETY,


side of him. Their refinement of manner would
be obvious, though in some cases they might
shock him by u shrillness and nasal harshhess
when speaking, while in other cases both their
tone and accent might repel him through extreme
affectation of elegance" But for the most part
he would pronounce these women bright, cnltl-
waited, and often remarkably handsome. lhey
would not require to be amused or even entertalned
after the manner of his own country women; they
would appear before MN amply and often
through the mediums Of nimole VIII, engaginS
hunOr or AN audacity at once daring ana pictuIII
stranger would begin TO perceive that behind all
this feminine sparkle and freshness lurked posi-
tive transport of humility. He would discover Yer
ladies an object Of idoatry, and that all the single
ones were thrilled with the idea of marrying nm;
while all the married ones felt pierced by the SAD
realization that destiny had disqualified them 19r
so golden bit of luck. He would lind himSeli
assaulted by questions about his precise , Es ba
sides the one by which he was currently known
How long ago it since his family had been
sh se5 70 or S the %ce Of ne Was his
Lady" anybody before she married his fat iS -
Did he own several places in the country, ana IL
so, what was the name OF each? ,,
The men would naturally be less in9nisltlve:
hut then the men all would have their Burke or
look him ,G 'O% M" there as if he had
been an unfamiliar word in the dictionary. And
these male followers Of fashion would. for the most
part, distress and perpex him. He would De con-
fronted with mournful fact in our social life
the men who go ont" nearly all silly strip
iings who, reaching sensible age, dlscreety
remain at home. ~
He would soon begin TO perceive that New;forS
society is blending of the ludicrous and pathetic
The really charming women have two terrible
faults one of which their fathers. husbands ana
brothers have taught them, and one which they
have apparently contracted witOut eXtraneous ald.
The first is their worship Of wealth. their devout
Qenuf1ection before il the sole choicest GIT
which fate bestOw, and the second is their
nerciless and metallic snObbery. They have made
q god of caste and in country where, of all other
cults that Of caste is the most preposterous. Inc
men 1.-THE real grOwnup men, who may hate the
big balls but are nevertheless great deal In the
movement rs regards other gay pastlmes). watch
them with quiet appreciation Many Newri ork
husband is quite willing that his wife shall cut
her own grandmother if that relative be not " de-
sirable" The men have not time TO preen their
social plumes quite so strenuOusly: they are 700
busy in money getting. and of sort which nearly
always concerns the hazard of the wall Street
die. And yet quite number OF men are arrant
snobs refusing to associate with often even
10 notice Others whose dollars count fewer than
their own. This form of plutocratlc selfadula-
ton is relatively modern II is called by some
existed in "the good old Knckerbocker DAYS.
But the truth is odious though the millionaire's
may be at eH +o' v OF nT hrassy
md intOlerable the "I'm-better -thanyou" strut
and swagger of plutocracy surely is: but IN the
snug pert provincialism CT those former New-York
autocrats who defined as family their descent
of two or three generations. from raw Dutch I'M
migrants there very little comfort indeed
The present writer has seen something OF tnlS
element; in the decade from Il 65 10 1919 1t WIS
still extremely active. Society then gov
erned by the Knickerbocker. as it is now gov
erned by the putocrat. and in either instance the
rule has been wholly deplorabe. Indeed. for one
cOgent reason, il no other poor Newfork stands
TODAY as the least fortunate of all great cities.
Her society from the time she ceased TO admit
herself village up to the date at which these INES
are written. has never been even family worthy
of the name. A few years ago the old resi-
dents" with their ridiculous claims to pedigree
had everything their own way. New-lork
drawing-room was in those days, parochal as
Boston or Philadelphia tea-party There were
modish metropolitan details. il is true. but the
petty reign of the immigrant Holianders' descend
ants would have put to shame the laboriouS freaks
and foibles of tiny German principaty. Now,
having changed all that. and having forced the
Kniclerbockers from their old places of vantage,
the plutocrats reign supreme. To mind capable
of being saddened by human materlalsm' pre-
tension, braggadoco, il is all very much the same
sort Of affair. Our Republic should be ashamed
of an aristocracy founded on either money or
birth and that thousands of its citizens are not
only unashamed of such systems but really glory
in them. is merely another proof of how this com.
try has broken almost every democratic promise
which she once made TO the Old World:
1t is easy to away statements like these.
II is easy to laugh them of as mere peSsmisn,9
and "disordered livers." We have learned TO
know the glad rg of the tS Sp tnGs a pp sb%n
all believe that America is the ideal polity Of the
world And one never so keenly realizes that this
is not true as when he watches the creeds and
character of society in New York. OF LondOnnrs
we apt TO assert that they grOvel ObsequiOusly
before their prince, with his attendant throng of
dukes ears and minor gentlemen. This may he
fact. but il is very far from being the whole fact.
In London there is a large class of ladies and gen
tlemen who form localized and centralized body.
and whose asSembages are hauntS of intelligence.
refinement and good taste In a certain sense
these are "miXed,' but all noteworthy gatherings
mus1 he that and the smart" and swagCer' sets
of every great European city are nowadays bnt
small. contemplate factor in its festivities
Not long ago the present writer inquired OF
well-knOwn Englishman whether people Of literary
and artistic note were not always hidden to large
and important London receptions " In nearly
all cases. yes, he replied. 1t has been the aim
of my sister to invite. such occasions. authors,
artists, and actors of talent and distinction They
come. and are welcomed when they come" lie
did not mention the name of his sister knowing
doubtless that | knew it, She was an English
duchess. magnfcenty housed in London, beauty
and star Of fashion.
But our New-YOrll brummagem "duchesses" of
yesterday are less liberal in their cOndeScensiOns
An attractive New-lOTk woman once said to me {:
al told man the other day that was tired Of
meeting him necessarily at dinner, and that
met each other so often in this way as to make
conversation a bore" Could any remark have
more pungently expressed the unhappy narrow
ness Of New-York reunions? How many times
has the dainty Mr. Amsterdam or Mrs. Manhattan
ever met men and women of literary artistic
gifts at fashionable dinner in Fifth or Madison
avenue? How many times has he or she met any
such person at q patriarchs' bal" assem-
bly,? Has he she ever met an actor of note
anywhere, except in two or three exceptional in
stances? True men and women of intellectual
fame shrink from contact with our noble Four
Hundred. But that they should so shrink n in
itself scorchng comment. They encounter pat
ronage at such places, and getting patronage from
ones interiors can never he pleasant mode Of
passing ones time. That delicate homage which
is the due of mental merit they scarcely ever re-
ceive Now and then you hear of portrait
painter, who has made himself the rage of the
town being asked to dine and TO sup But he
is seldom really held TO be DIES notres, as the
naughty elect ones would phrase it, and his popu-
larity based upon insolent PATRONAGE, often quickly
crnmbes The solid devotion is all saved for
the solid millionaires. Frederick the Great, if
recall rightly, said that an army was like a
snake and moved on It's stomach. OF New
York society this might also be asserted. though
with a meaning much more luxurious. To be a
great leader is TO be great feeder You must
dispense terrapin, and canvas-back ducks. and
rare brands of champagne, in lordly dining-halls
r,lnnn il fnin IN he SECONDARY Nnn