New-York tribune., 1891-03-01
A SOCIAL CRISIS.
WHO WILL LEAD IN NEW-YORK2
4 CONTEST ~ sOCIETY-wHAr Mr.. MALLIsrER
THINKS ABOUT 1T.

by the tracing Of ancestry 70 the Colonlal hstoFF u
tIe country ?~ or Is there to be happy blendin;
of all circles olqucs and factions that now exist I"
the end that the whole body Of society vii! be one
harmonious but democratic organization III "IH''
the Ines of distinction will not be maintained" {" MI
these and many other questions being raised ana
discussed with more less energy animation ana IN
te!gencc.
1t was at the funeral Of Robert Livingstone, in the
Church of the Heavenly Rest. that well Known rep
rcscntativc Of a family Of Colonial line remarked hat
a crisis was impending in Ncw-York society. but not
one that concerned individuals or families in par
ticular more than it did the whole body OF society.
lie called attention to the fact that the funeral OI
Robert Livingstone attended By only smaIl
number Of the old line families, and that he argued
was evidence OF the gradually narrowing circle OF those
families power in society. VINO had maIh'aiicu
their position since The days OF the Colonies ana inc
Revolution OF the families represented there were
descendants Of the Lvncstoncs tic Van RcnsSclaers,
the Armstrong; and the Jays. and OF few others.
but the others in lnca descent he said, were few
indeed The crisis, he declared, was brought about
By the steady enlargement Of the social circle py
families Of newly acquired prominence and wealth.
assuming positions within it, and the struggle OF the
older families 10 maintain their leading position III
spite OF tho eGcroachmcnts Of new factors
UNDOUBTEDLY a CRISIS
Ward McAlli,tcr. the author Of Society As I Have
Found IT, who has been for many years identlhcd
with the social affairs cf Ncw-Yor and whose fund
II information conccrniu- the exact status of society
at all times 50 ineXhau,tblc. asked yesterday If
it true that important social crisis in New
York Wa, likely to arise in the future.
YES said he in reply. :" convinced that 1t
is near at hand and that il cannot be ayerted'
but | am also satisfied that if wisely met ii will be
passed safely and That society will be the better for it,
There have been contcndng factions in society
for many seasons. but not until now have the lines
been 50 closely drawn that definite policies could be
dsccrncd on the one side the other. The last
social season ot exceptional brliancy in the
way ot entertainments. aud now that 1t is over We
can look about ~ in le,urcly and see both the
lines and the policies. Plainly stated the crisis VIII
come on tho question ~ the supremacy Of the Colonial
line Of fimilc, in society. Would such supremacy
result if continued long enough, in the establish
ncnt If a defined arst0cracyl Yes, naturally. if all
other elements were 10 be cXcluded. but in my jude
mcnt tire solution Of the problem to be met Will be-
found in the sbilcul blending Of the old and new
forces in a harmonious and c)neruous body. The
evidences Of concerted effort are t. be found In the
organization on the side Il Colonial societies and
clubs to which only those are eligible who can tia'"
their ancestry to the Colonial period. How great
influence these organizations to exercise remains
To- be seen.
"Ono Of nv critics has recently had something To-
say on the existent conditions Of society which bears
directly on our subject Referring to my book he
wrote The spiritual squaor Of tho status which
th, volume rovca, Is the inevitable consequence OF
conditions which rcc men 10 rivalry In money
getting and women to a rivalry in money spending.
and do not rally inct' them 10 anything else at all
with the same -trcnuou,uc>s. The contempt In which
ari,ocraclc, have always held commerclali1ed society
i, natural. and II is natural that such society
should alvay, try 10 escape from Itself by n
yefing to the Ideals of ar,tocracy this wa, the way
i'm conmc,clazcd society In Venice and in Florence.
N.rf.T
reason
Now this critic rs 50 many Others have done. has
overlooked the fact that dd not deal with The Spiritual
side Of society," but merely with it, diversions. forms Of
entertainment and customs they had appeared 10 me
1 did not say that what ind found was perfect, for
dealt ouly with the things that had found. II there
were condition, pictupd which showed that men were
melted to rivalry in getting money and women to
rivalry I'm spending it. were not tlc picture referring
10 only one II the frton- Of society, c'rrc' ly d'n
,trd! II is true that such conditions exist. and VIII
continue Ia exist. and one of the phase, mat VIII
confront tie general body 81 soc rty n The future.
contend however tha society, taking II all IN all
H.. a colnincr..,Iz,d society. II only pirtaliy 80.
We have a faction compo,d Of colonial fuuilrs. Who
have hcll tlcr estate, AID social position, for nearly
two centuries. >nryy 4 that faction f.. a- 10 must be-
l.,rl.d a, powerful factor lu le whole lldy ot So
clcty. the whole body cannot be cla-,cd a. com.
mcf,ia.zcd
\ CRITICS OPINION.
"Thc rmc critic has written: Il Is always and
cccry,ghcic amusing = pUiYcmcy tryus t. turn
into an ar-tocracy. and this is what Mr.. MrAiI-ter
show, u.s. w!th no apparent sense ot n, c1ml atty.
Tlc.e men VINO have had 40 ideal but to got mo' and
moro money. these women VIII, have no ideal bGt u
pend more and uccc,-ariiy ridiculous in the
tran formation act: but ii q, not Mr.. NcAl,ter who
.,. made them 80 hc has merely shown them 50. II
,lc.cty had known how u do something beside, dress
and dine and dance W, have doubt he would have
aid % that s hc would have written different book.
but You cannot make something ont Of nothing
Hero again the crac i> wrong In the first place
our society a, a whole j., not piUtOcracy. TGt it l.
part ais ~ H. n perfectly natural condition. and that
much could not be gilu>ad by any faithful chrouiccr
of the times. II must be achnowcdgod that the
Colonial families, who have maintained their standing
upward OF two ccnurcs, and whose ancc ty is trace
able sn further baci-to the gentry OF England and
the Iluucnot5- not To be- cll -cd with comm
ilcd society Il plutocrlcy. do not say inns IN
dcpIccation Of either faction, but TO brn; ont more
,I.,r,. The condit ols that We are now flcug. b"
l.vc personally That who can trace his ancestry
four generations has good blood IA, the one VINO can
trace hi4 four hundred. Let ii be- clearly understood
that our Colonial families do not trace their ancestry
ro the English nobility. but - tie EnS III gentry Tie
c,utry Of Eugllnd /, OK better blood than the nobility
The former has been maintained pure and un-ulAcd
through a long line OF ancestry, through centuries ol
careful association and proud environment "mic tHht
of the nobility has been tainted by AdmiN NtEra from time
10 tiuc and Ia Il purely scientific light that Of the
gentry stands the higher. The tracing of ancestry IL
hc result of human pride in blood, and the pride that
mimi, to foundation in purity I, not 10 DC called
an apns of or an imitation II ar,tocracy. There Is all
the moro satisfaction to Those who can trace
thclr ancestry to the English gentry In the
knowledge that that blood is better tlan that of
ROYALTY English gentry society to-day Is pulcr and
bcitcr than that Of British royalty There Is higher
ls y
mon Who COMPOSE the one than Of those who compose
the other.
THE LEAvERS OF SOCIETY.
.Orr society in New lor. Is all the better for this
llvrrng from the Old Inc OF fanilic, Whose ancestry
. TINS traced. 1t is reasonable even 90 believe that