The morning call., 1892-09-25
TEE SCHOOL OF SNOBS.
Social Differences in the
British Isles.
HOW TO RISE IN THE WORLD.
The Psrvenu and His Aims Wealth Master
iul-Respeot Paid to Psers-snobs in
al Ranks IF Life.
Written for THE MORNING CALL

Written for THE MORNING GALL
Throughout the British Isles there runs
In the traits and manners of the people
not merely the classes but the masses-a
strong faint of snobbery. 1t is phase of
ambition in the directions considered most
advantageous in the race of life, and there
fore to some extent venial attribute OF
aspiring character.
1t would be unjust TO deny that some
spirit of snobbery is not to be found in all
other countries savage or civilized. for there
is no real equality on this earth. Were
there space to descant upon the theme 1t
would be easy to establish that this faint of
snobbery runs through animated nature.
Il applies to terrestrial and pelagian life in
the sense that deception and struttiBg are
practiced universally, aud therefore snob-
berry may be conceded to play Its part In
that natural selection by which. according
20 Darwinianism, life has been Differentiated
and built up.
Great Britain is very old country in con-
tinuous history, and its customs as we'll as
its politics show a process OF dovetaillng lar
back into antiquity. But the social changes
in this century are more startling than in all
that have preceded from Magma Charta
downward. There las been a most intl-
mate churning up Of the elements OF the
nation. the masses with the classes.
There has been a most rapid growth OF
wealth, due entirely to industry, maDufac-
lures and inventions. The landed ariStoc-
racy have found themselves Outfanked In
influence and the stability that comes from
money.
Thousands of parVenus have arisen who
lave also acquired land and county ID
fuence and somehow manage to trace their
ancestry back to William tbs C0nqueror
and would succeed in going much further
back were it the fashion.
Seeing the success of these parYenDs, all
the lower stratum with ambition Is Strug-
Cling to Jump into their ranks, and provided
Jhey only make money they may stroll
about in the aliuring groves OF snObbeTy at
their sweet viii.
As TO the old families of landed gentry,
the old families Of the peerage. the Earl of
crabs, Mr DuCeace and all the rest of the
noble world, have they not also their snob-
bsh eccenlriclties TO elevate DIT depreSs
their feelings? They would all like to be
dukes and dHchesSeS, provided they had
incomes TO suit their exalted station, and
even such a miserable invention as the
Garter is a legitimate thing to sigh about or
excite envi0uS feeling when II goes 10 some
less deserving snob. SO the great world is
very small.
Perhaps the happieSt Of mortals are work
ing men and women toiling Tor wages, en-
loving sound sleep, eating heartily Of coarse
food, and bringing into the world a numer-
Gus progeny OF which they are proud.
ThackeTay gives Us this definition: "a
snOb is that man or woman who is always
pretending to be something better-es-
uecially richer or more fashiOnable-than
they are" And Webster gives this Gefni-
ti7n: IAN affected and preten sious per-
s0n especially a vulgar person, who apes
EentiltY, or affects the Intimacy Of noble
or distinguished persons" On those de1ni-
tons. a net sweeping round humanity Will
De always fun.
Tie nouyeaux riches afford many choice
examples both in town ard country.
What swarm Of this vigorous brood came
up n this century when steam power and
It's applications in factories and on rail-
ways and in navigation made miliOnaifes
Cf many within geneTatiOni These lords
n industry have literally oYeTTun the
country. and there are many thousands Of
">QuireS' 10 the same business who would
liE- 70 join them.
In spite OF the hauteur Of the pedigreed,
wealth carries the day. Take Lord Brassey,
for instance. His father was q contractor
tor railroads. docks and canals. He began
with next 10 nothing and ended by amasS-
iug fortune Of six or seven millions ster-
ling. lie was a h0mely man and never gave
up simplicity OF character. Nor for that
matter has his son.
But the son enters politics, in which be
is dali and stupid; but his goGd-natuTe,
wealth and kindness of heart make an i'm
preston. and by and by he becomes a
Knight Step No. l. a few years pass.
He has favored the Admiralty with lee
lures and made himself agreeable as an
amateur naval man. Then he becomes
bar3n-a lord, and goes to that humdTum
chamber the House Of Lords.
de is young and married a second time,
so he may hope 10 become an earl or mar
gus and wear Garter Yet the old peer
who lives near his seat Ia Sussex still al
ludes to him as "the navy" which shows
this patrcian to be q good specimen Of the
blne snob.
When you become a peer all the members
OF your family take step up in rank, real
or imaginary. Your wife becomes Lady"
your eldest son lord" or honorable"
and the daughters also may have courtesy
titles. The eldest son Of duke is an earl
or marquis aud all the rest lords; and so on
down 10 the humble baron, whose eldest
son is only honorable"
All these subsidiary titles are only of
courtesy, however. For instance. the Mar
quIs Of Lorne who is married TO the Queens
daughter Princess Louise, is only a COM
moner. Great is the Joy of heart, however
when the smallest Of these honors comes to
tie nouveaux riches. or when the daughter
or son of the wealthy paryenu marries into
family enn0bled.
What will a man of proper snobbish am
biti0n not give TO dissipated r0ue of title
TO take his daughter TO the altar. There
was The case of that Manchester banker, of
common enough name and origin, who got
Scotch marquis for a sOn-in-law, with half
e. million sterling of bride.
Did the Marquis love his wife because Of
Ter gold? lie soon ran through the gold
and there was the usual strained relation
ship.
TIE parvenu shows his snobbery chiefly
In forgetting what be was. He dis0wns his
poor relations save in the most distant way.
II they come on chance call, they stink 10
al the back door, and are served with din
ner in the kitchen, or under strict survei-
lance, so that they may rot betray that
skeleton in the family pedigree closet.
As to mentioning that he has a father
who worked for daily wages, that is care
fully avoided in the presence Of distin-
guished company. II by hook or crook
some person Of eminence who bore the same
name century or two ago can be lugged in
es a. ancestor, be sure II is done OCCASION
ally IN rotUnd phrase, with a proud look
which clearly shows that that ancestor has
a worthy descendant.
Such parvenu Will pass his old school
mates by-those who have not succeeded in
tie worid-and he is in a shiver lest by any
chance some one should spread information
about the days Of his poverty.
Traits OF this contemplate grOssness run
through many degrees OF SnObbish eccen-
trlelty. Do you suppose the Baronet who
has made his money by getting most Of it
from his father, who earned il out of iron in
the early railroad days, ever alludes to the
early struggles OF that reveTed parent?
M he a II r.rt l.