New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-06
Is IT Az LAUl JTllNE IMPLIES, WORSE.
THAN FORMERLY, OR WORSE THIN
SOCIETY El.SEWUERE?

London, October -.
II Lady Jcnue's onslaught OF the pfe@en' save
Of Society ia London has any force II must CON"
from her belief and the belief sic wonld lnsii M"
her readers that it Is exceptional; that society mas
dctcrcraieL that II i; worse than II mas Df'h III
times past or than good soci'iy III o'hr'
countries las been and is nov. Eat she m'Nts
10 attempt to prove his nJr any r'i' COMPARISON
between society IL is ANA society as II has h''h'
or a. il il here and elsewhere II she had there
5 n. reason 10 .nvptty il would have helped her
cate tan any period be named dnring which
society WIS free irou ianlis ana vices Inc ola
ar 'stocracy Of Fngland We are told, has been tnp-
planted By new plu;ccracY. Bd, ~as the osi
ar.stocGacy Immaculate, aud i! so, whoa
The most brilliant period OF Fnglish socic'v was
PERHAPS durin. the last har of the iaSi c"ntnn.
Were il. moral. better when she Prime Minister
was q tvo-botte man. Wien the leader al the Wings
was the greatest gambler IN the Kingdom, Wien
apo5her Prime Minister ranHtci his mistress az
the face Of the public when virtue was thought
rorectlv compatible with g:Ossness OF manners and
OF language, when members OF Parliament TOO.
money for their votes and when ALL or almost all,
the VERY abuses against which Indy Jcune now
dp~lairls wpra most rife 4? EaD anybody picjIrc
10 himself Hr. Gladstone drinking ~ F.tf drank,
or ~. Bright as losing fi2, 900 at ha2ari 81
sitting, or Lord Salisbury driving the Macy
Parsons of the Gay in his coach like the Dukc OF
Grafton or a hostess Of today entertaining
miscellaneous company in ncr drawing room iiy
ading aloud the plays OF Mrs. Aphr0 Eehn > Do
the Patronage Secretaries 10 The Treasury ask 10
dinner members whose votes are doubtfnl on u
critical division, and pat banlnotes into their
napkins? II is not necessary 10 argue that there
are no society scandals to-duy Everybody knows
a.. pa, ti,av l,.., fl....
and m1ny other car'ifr ones, or liz bad And If
they arc not with what justice can society he de-
ncunccd to-day a. il i exceptionally vicioas.
Probably the greatest social vice Of the present
day is the turf Il lie on the turf tlot The most
reckless gambling is carried On, and "n the turf
that the most dubious practices prevail don't re-
member that Lady Jeupe h@n auything TO ray on
this head But neither is the turf worse nov
than il WAS Gfy wears ago: il il only NOR mi
versa Most people have been reading The Rae
ing Life OF Lord George Bentincl.,' VINO used 10
lie called md is still called. The Napoleon OF the
Turf He man OF high birth and high
position and great wealth and won great
nOwn reforlner Of turf abuses But what il the
verdict upon him and his associates? That he und
they hubitually fesorted 10 arts and practices for
any ole " which man would now be- expelled
from tie Jockey club Turn which way you like
and the social lie of to-day Will be seen to have
gained, not lost, in decency and good Conduct
Luxury and love Of pleasure took different forms
in the last century. The fashion was dferent
l]ut the spirit was the same Lady Joune will find
il in rotous form ii she will tura over the pages
of Sclwyn and Wspolc and many another chron-
icle Of those AM OF earlier days II the same
in France. There is not q count in her Indictment
which cannot be proved many times over out Of
the French memoirs of any time she likes to fla
on. There is nothing in Lady Jeune's pages, no
charge, no iDeinuation, no picture OF earlier life.
which cannot he paralleed ten times over and
every time surpassed out of Busy Rabutin, or
from the gorgeous canvas of st. Simon or from
Maiame de Remusat. ! name three writer's OF
memoirs who riay be taken to represent three
centuries LUXURY is Of no time and of all times
and mcst countries
Many q nobeman OF the olden time has i'm
poverished himself 10 make his hospitality 70 a
King splendid. ! never heard that any Of the fam
lilies whom, as our author rather oddly says, CON-
mercial wealth has brought into existence, had
done as much. The Queen, it Is true. does not
often pay visits, but the Prince Of Wales does,
and other members Of the Royal fnmily do They
ere received and treated very much as other guests
are There Is little more ceremony, Q little moro
stiffness, hardly any more expense. The Prince
Of Wales is mere eftaa To DO sssa In the