Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-09-30
ARls1ocRAcY AND DEMOCRACY


Thought. on the Marriage Of an American
Cirl to a british Enrt.
The marriage II i Young woman Of New
York 10 young man III the llrit.a Nh arlstce.
ruey who bears inis tile title Of earl was aA
important event. An weddings arc impor.
.unt events, FOR they arr II mpmentous con.
sequence io the human race, which Is pof.
petua,ed 10y them.
Merely as forming another link between
British fcudsi Hristucracy and American
democracy the matrimonial union Of yes
tcrday was 81 no special significance. In
these DAYS even England itself ~ democrat.
&c, and every where aristocracy Is losing
,he privilege. which have given It peculiar
power and consequent distinction In the
state.
The title % earl Is 20 social Importance
almost exclusively, for the extinction Of
the British house of lords at the hands Of
the dominant democracy cannot he far of
the pecrnge continues only ut the mercy Of
the ruling democracy aud not in any way
as its political master. The English arts.
tOcracy Itself only survives with its feudal
titles and is homogeneous symbols because
il has become democralfzed Ii ia recruited
from the ranks Of the common people and
has come 20 haze little Of the character Of
a class separated from the mass u the com.
munity by nm aristocratic lineage. The
majority Of ,he 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 80 fortunate as
to lead from the altar an American bride
yesterday il 81 tie more ancient aristoc-
racy dating back to the time Of the Nor.
man conquest, but that longer lineage
gives him only certain precedence over
more recent recruits, and without money to
support even that superficial distinction he
would I've of little account. The first -n-
tial OF an artist ocratic 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 as-
curing social accomplishments Money
also Is "a magnet which attracts the in.
stinct ~ self preservation ia the aristocracy
70 matrimunigi alliances with the dcri,oc-
racy TINT oblit.rate the line az social sep
aratiOn between the two
This process n ningling the aristocracy
with tho democracy - going on in Engla,ia
all the time aud Increasingly, and very nat
uyally il Is cxteudcl To this country OF great
aristoCratic titles Ia American girls richly
lowered. The titles these young women
receive in England have no importance
here, and even there their couset, ucnce il
ouly social and, with the progress Of Eng
lish democracy, trWsitofy. The substance
il the money which supports the social
state, and money here can do the same Ii
does not need an auaehrunstic fcudal title.
inConCrunus with modern conditions, TO OBJ
tain consequence Its consequences IL in
triusic, and its power Is inherent
cnronct i mere gcwgaw, more es-
pecaily on the Iead Of one who wears il
merely by the ri ,ht Of marriage and not a.
the symbol of the individuals historic line
age Even rs such a symbol II typiiics past
rather than present power In the old DAYS
Of itudali,m curls were actual officers u
the Kingdom, each having supreme author
lJy ia his own earldum or county under
the crown \ corauct meant something
substantial then. 1t was a badge Of author.
itg Now the title Of earl is really worth
only about as much ~ the ti.le of Mr., ey.
c,pt that it include, the poSscssor in the
Pecrage aI'i admits him to the house Of
lords. where actually he Is subject To the
democratic house Of cumm0ns--the real
-nurcn % AL political power IN England
His wife Is called a countess i, STYLED my
lady, and IL right honorable" hut these
are mere decagafl IONS II she be an Amer
lcin woman, 900 las stepped down from the
lrst place, which She occupied here. andde
-eeuGpd 20 the level 81 tho third rank in the
British Veeragc
An American ladg who marsies a British
earl V'i-.-- n right OF choice which is IN.
alicnable and Tor whose use she Is not upeu
70 CRITICISM but she dGcs not advance her.
Soil Ia O. D.. Sol AZ.