Evening journal., 1893-05-29
ARisTocRAcY AND DEMOCRACY.
Thoughts on the Marriage OF an American
Girl To- n Ilriiiah InrI.

Girl to British Earl.
The marriage of young woman Of New
York to a young man of the British aristoc-
racy who bears in it the title of earl was an
important event. All weddings arc impor-
tant events, for they are of momentous con-
sequence to the human race, which is per-
petuated by them.
Merely as forming another link between
British feudal aristocracy and American
democracy the matrimonial union OF yes
serday was of no special significance. In
these days even England itself is democrat
ic, and everywhere aristocracy is losing
the privileges which have given it peculiar
power and consequent distinction in the
state.
The title of earl is Of social Importance
almost exclusively, for the extinction of
the British house of lords at the hands of
the dominant democracy cannot be far off.
The peerage continues only at the mercy Of
the ruling democracy and not in any way
as its political master. The English aris-
tccracy itself only survives with its feudal
titles and its incongruous symbols because
it has become democratized. 1t IS recruited
from the ranks of the common people and
has come TO have little Of the character Of
a class separated from the mass Of the COM
munity by an aristoeratic lineage. The
majority of the aristocratic titles of Eng
land are borne by families scarcely older
than this republic, and in many Of them the
blood Of democratic America flows.
The young man who was so fortunate as
TO lead from the altar an American bride
yesterday Is Of the more ancient aristoc-
racy, dating back to the time OF the Nor
man conquest, but that longer lineage
l.
more recent recruits, and without money TO
support even that superficial distinction he
would be Of little account. The first essen
tial Of an aristocratic state IS the possession
Of money, and the accumulation Of money
is an opportunity within reach Of the de
mocracy, which thus has the chance Of at
tanning the distinction necessary to the
other. With money come the means Of ac-
| quiring social accomplishments. Money
also is n magnet which attracts the in
stinct Of self preservation in the aristocracy
to matrimonial alliances with the democ-
racy that obliterate the line of social sep
aration between the two.
This process Of mingling the aristocracy
with the democracy is going on in England
all the time and increasingly, and very nat
! urally it is extended to this country of great
fortunes by the marriage of Engiishmen Of
| aristocratic titles to American girls richly
lowered. The titles these young women
receive in England have no Importance
here, and even there their consequence IS
only social and, with the progress of Eng
lish democracy, transitory. The substance
is the money which supports the social
| state, and money here can do the same. It
does not need an anachronistic feudal title,
| incongruous with modern conditions, to OBJ
tain consequence. It's consequence is in
trinsic, and its power is inherent.
A coronet is a mere gewgaw, more es-
pecially on the head of one who wears IL
merely by the right Of marriage and not as
the symbol Of the individuals historic line
age Even rs such a symbol it typihes past
rather than present power. In the old days
of feudalism earls were actual officers OF
the kingdom, each having supreme author
ity in his own earldom or county" undei
the crown. a coronet meant something
substantial then. 1t was q badge of author
ity. Now the title Of earl is really wortl
only about as much as the title of Mr., ex
cept that it includes the possessor I'm tho
peerage and admits him to the house VI
lords, where actually he IS subject to the
democratic house Of commons-the real
source Of all political power in England
His wife is called a countess, is styled "my
LADY, and is fright honorable" but thes,
are mere decorations If she be an Amer
ican woman, she has stepped down from th,
first place which she occupied here, and de
scended to the level OF the third ram in tn,
| British peerage.
An American lady who marries q British
earl exercises a right Of choice which is in
J alienablc and for whoseuse she is not opel
to criticism, but she does not advance her
self in the social scale. A British earl is o.
consequence in this republic only so far q.
the distinction is intrinsic in him as a man
Even in England his Fictitious consequence
because of, his title is passing away ans
giving place to the power Of money purely
This country IS accused Of worshiping th
Z almighty dollar, but the great and specia
seat OF that devotion is England. Nowher
else in the world is money so powerful
is the real social ruler, not title, for title
gewgaw that money can buy, and henc
the bauble is bound to fall into popula
contempt. It viii be associated with th
pretension and self assertion which sugges
vulgarity at a period when simplicity i
made more and more the test Of refinement
New York Sun.