The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-28
ARE THE RIGHTS OFPROPERTY TO BE
MAINTAINED


recent issue Of the Boston Herald re-
marked that the tendency towards estab
fishing moneyed aristoeracy In the United
States had become very strongly developed
and that such an aristocracy is not only
much more odious than the hereditary aris-
tocracies of Europe. but much more dan
| gero1s to our institutions The New York
Evening Post took the article up and de-
4 clared its entire concurrence in il.
The proposition is absolutely untrue. and
the Herald and Post ought to have better
sense than to be preaching any such doc
/ trine, especially at time when the minds
of many Ignorant men are influenced by the
scenes and incidents of the late labor strikes
Their teaching is entirely likely to further
mislead these ignorant men and cultivate in
their minds the idea that they are suffering
some wrong at the hands of capital that
exists in their imaginatons only.
The Constitution of the United States
makes it impossible for title of nobility to
be conferred upon any one. John Smith
must remain John Smith to the end Of the
chapter. 1t equally makes it impossible for
the law to confer any special privilege or
right upon any individual. Equality be-
fore the law for all is the edict of the Con
stituton, and some special privilege or right
conferred by law is absolutely necessary to
the idea of an aristocracy. If. therefore.
any attempt whatever should be made 10
constitute any men or set of men Lords in
name or in fact the Constitution would blast
the effort at once and dissolve it straight
way into its component elements. Somuch
for the possibility OF such an undertaking.
1t IS true that any set Of four hundred
asses in New York or anywhere else. who
have become very rich, ape the manners
and customs of the English aristocracy. and
as ickspittles and snobs always do, make
themselves very offensive to persons of good
taste. Ii is true also that snobs every
where, those rich and those not rich. ini-
tate the Initiated manners Of the four hun
dred New York snobs aud make themselves
excessively offensive to people of good taste
by their tosdying and tuft-hunting. But
all this Is an affair OF taste alone. harmless
az any other silly thing. and if these four
hundred persons and their imitators choose
TO use their money in making theu.
selves ridiculous they have a right to do 90
and no one else is hurt thereby It isl
matter that belongs to the domain Of the |
satirical writer and not TO that OF the law.
maker
1t Is not on this side that the danger lies
The dagger lies in the quarter that prompts
the remarks of the Herald and the Post.
The danger lies In growing disposition TO
look with Jealousy upon the Accommodations
Oh the rich. and we cannot repress the ever
rising tendency to believe that this disposi-
ton is bottomed and grounded upon envy
Oh their good luck. But whenever il is
grounded, in our judgment it must be
arrested or 1t will constitute a greater ma
mace to our institutions than any fortunes
however large.
The American Bar Association held its
annual meeting during last week at Sara
oga. Its president, Judge Dillon, of New
tork, maze the opening address, in which he
pointed out the fact that the distinguishing
nd valuable principle of our institutions
s compared with those Of all other
ountries If our written constitutions of
maintained by the judicial
Establishment, which contains fundamental
uArantees of life. liberty and property.
10 SAID that the two frst were everywhere
expected. but that We could not close orr
yes 70 tho fact that propensity to assai
ne safeguard of the latter is growing up
10 strengthening every day in the land.
nat the movements towards socialism and
oiamuneism openly advocated in the press
I'd emphasized b labor strkss constituted