The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31
NEW AND OLD COMPARED.
.vrRrCA TnRoUoH ENGLISH EYES.


VI. Duke OF Marlborough Surveys Our
w,s,ng Aristocracy ana Native Charae-
,ertstIcs In Comparison with Engiaud's
s.s Expresses Hlinseif In . Way Well
worthy OF Study and Attention.
PROM ne N.r Rssiss.
Tho Iondcner who files across the Atlantic
.o.dsy in six days. and has hardly time to get
ant Of his head tho sounds OF tho passionate
Si.tribe hc has heard In Parliament delivered
W. one politican against another, and who
tails that the world Is going to be turned top
s,.turyy by Radical agitators and labor
troubles. which will menace property In land
and send down the price OF all securities. with
che contingent chances OF European wars and
the mathematical consequences OF indigestion
m tho wills and tempers OF imperial person
ages finds himself. as say. before he can dis.
miss the scenes he has left steaming up the
hudson, lust of tho Battery and Brooklyn
bridge and tho great Statue OF Liberty with
IA feet almost in the water. while there lies
beforc him that magnificent city. with its glo-
rious surrounding OF blue sky and sunshine
vhich is destined to be the great centre OF the
vealth not only Of the continent OF North
America, but probably to a large extent the
future financial centre OF European capitals.
The scene on landing Is interesting in it's con-
trast also. Bad roads. no doubt Evidently
tho consequence Of Hibernian city Nomination.
plenty OF houses with green shutters. and old
streets, and 80 across succession OF avenues
70 Broadway-the Strand. Regent street. and
Cheapside OF New York oil thrown into
one. No Bond street, no Rue de la Paix.
no lazy people, apparently no wastel
Yet evidently the whole town Is not nl tho
same in its habits otherwise how account
for those magnificent residences which must
have cost thousands and thousands OF pounds.
isr more than the sumptuous houses. entire cour
e,ar,ln which We still often see In Paris This
mart Of New York. Fifth avenue. the vicinity Of
the Central Park. whore mansion after man
sion stands side by SIDE over. one may say.
SQUARE miles Of land. denotes wealth and
ease, o luxury OF refinement that neither
London. with its grubby Mayfair aud
its rlorifed ducal wedding cakes OF terra
Gotta. nor even the artistic South Kensineton.
under its Norman Shaw and other architectural
reeenerators. could attempt to vie with. Here
We should find. II we have the good fortune to
have good introductions. the pleasantest and
most beautiful homes 1t Is possible to conceive.
Yet waste and extravaganza do not reign even
here No beves OF powdered footmen, yet
withal most admirably served. no open house.
and ever. flowing bowl. and yet tho most per-
feet and charming hospitality. Beautiful
rooms. rather stiff and parlorish perhaps. no
doors hardlyand many portieres.a great many
modern pictures-all French. never English. l
wonder often why. No Millals. but lots OF
Mlllet or Cor5t. beautiful glass. china. plato.
and endless fowers-an Americans only real
sxtravagance
The American. whether he lives in an old
fashioned New England town or on q homo
stead In Virginia. or on cattle ranch in Mon
tana. or passes his life on railway cars. fly
ing from occupation to occupation. or specu-
htion after speculation. has one loading idea
that stands above religion. politics. sport, and
everything except family-the road t. wealth.
He iaten times millionaire. He has a collec-
ton Of pictures that he has collected at fabu-
lous prices. He has wife who appears at
dinners with magnificent diamonds and
dresses from Worth He lives in q glorified
villa on Washington avenue. Chicago. the
stone of which even he has transported at 80
many cents the ton from Nebraska. say. sooner
than his house should be in any way similar to
hisnext-door Millionaire neighbor. whose house
stone came from Colorado. Yet this estimable
man. who Is endowed with more power OF gen.
eral appreciation. II not with direct learning.
than most people. will 60 down to his Office
every day in ten-cent tram car and figure
away early and late. and buy securities with
his earnings to store them away pile after pile
till he 10 known for his wealth all over the
States and he will end by tying up tho whole
fortune with care and precision Of detail
and success such as would have been
the admiration of an old-fashloned Eng
llsh family lawyer OF two generations since
This is tho aristocrscy Of England across
the seas. The class exists In all great
mercantile centres Of America. but New York
IA ha vNrIa x,yjth Foil Ia
sntecedents OF wealth and family is tactly ad-
mitted out West to q sort OF underlined social
superiority. He speaks with authority, Tux
edo Is his home as well as the grand houses OF
Filth avenue. He has the run OF all the smart
villas or palaces at Newport Not even WASH
lngton avenue. Chicago. or Euclid avenue.
cleveland. with oil its wealth in Standard oil.
can hold candle to the New York nobility.
Remember. too. that there Is no small reality
In these things. American society to-day rep
resents the real power OF the country. FL
nance. railways. mines. industries. everything.
In TACT, that produces rchos In tho ordinary
sense Is in Its hands, while system of law
prevails regarding the rights Of property more
rigid and moro complete In the protection 1t
gives to the individual than we. in latter-day
England. with our Irish Land acts and factory
legislation. &C.. have tho romotest ideas OF.
~ mucn LOT the realty Oh tno DOSlClOn OF the
arlstocracy OF America as compared with the
dtular aristocracy OF England. An English
Duke may be toadled by a few costermongers
orlocal clergymen. but an American million.
sire holds q species OF court In Wall street or
on the Chicago Exchange. His orders are
things to be feared. You may DO poor man
Tomorrow II he has freak OF financial folly
orspleen. He can influence Washington by
wire from his palace at Sun Francisco. 1t IL
True he cannot turn State election or return
emember to Congress- In his interest But he
does not want to do this He can compass hi;
end by other means when he requires to dc
30; and as for politics. h Q knows the laws thai
govern property will not be tempered with
and therefore he is quite Indifferent as to the
divisions OF the spoils OF Office.
The squirarchy OF America Is the legal pro
iesslon, 1trules the country from end to enc
Win an unseen hand. 1t comprises the most
educated an the best-trained lntellects OF the
country. 1t Is obliged also to control Congress
IN the same way. Its instincts are essentially
the same as those OF this profession In Eu.
rope. 1t Is the arblter Of private rights and
public destinies. while 1t avoids offending the
public eye with any establishment or out
ward organization. Apparently In perpetual