The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-07-27
ness to come and live there, but happt'

she will not take their arm. They make
their gateways triumphal arches; she
will not ride under them. They set 6
golden throne before golden plate; she
turns away from the banquet. They cal
to her from upholstered balcony; she
will not listen. Mark you, this is the
failure of those who have had large ac-
emulation.
And then you must take into consid-
Grafton that the vast majority of those
wlo make the dominant idea of life
money getting fall far short of afflu-
ence 1t is estimated that only about
two out of hundred business men have
anything worthy the name of success
A man who spends his life with the one
dominant idea of financial accumulation
spends life not worth living
So the idea of worldly approval Ii
that be dominant in a mans life, he is
miserable. The two most unfortunate
men in this country for the six months
of next presidential campaign will be
the two men nominated for the presl-
dency. The reservoirs of abuse and dia-
tribe and malediction will gradually fill
up, gallon above gallon, hogshead above
hogshead, and about autumn these two
reservoirs will be trimming full, and
a hose will be attached to each one,
and it will play away on these nomi-
nees, and they will have to stand it and
take the abuse, and the falsehood and
the caricature, and the anathema and
the caterwauling, and the filth, and they
will be rolled in it and rolled over and
over in it until they are choked and
submerged and strangulated, and at
every sign of returning consciousness
they will be barked at by all the hounds
of political parties from ocean to ocean.
And yet there are hundred men to-
day struggling for that privilege, and
there are thousands of men who are
helping them in the struggle. Now,
that is not life worth living. You can
get slandered and abused cheaper than
that! Take it ON a smaller scale. Do
not be so ambitious to have whole res
ervoir rolled over on you. But what you
see in the matter of high political pref
erment you see in every community in
the struggle for what is called SOCIAL pc
sition.
Social Ambitions.
Tens of thousands of people trying to
get into that realm, and they are under
terrific tension. What is social position?
1t is difficult thing to define, but we
all know what it is. Good morals and
intelligence are not necessary, but
wealth or the show of wealth is abso
lutely indispensable. There are men to
day as notorious for their libertinism as
the night is famous for its darkness who
move i'll what is called high social posi-,
ton. There are hundreds of out and OUT
rakes in American society whose names
are mentioned among the distinguished
guests at the great levees. They have
annexed all the known vices and ara
longing for other worlds of diabolism
to conquer. Good morals are not neces
sary in many of the exalted circles OF
society.
Neither is intelligence necessary. You
find in that realm men who would not
know an adverb from an adjective if
they met it hundred times day and
who could not write letter of accept |
ince or regrets without the aid of a sec |
'etary. They buy their libraries by tn"
square yard, only anxious to have the
binding Russian. Their ignorance is
sublime, making Englisl.
almost disreputable, and yer
he finest parlors open before them
Good morals and intelligence are nol
necessary, but wealth or a show O.
wealth is positively indispensable. l.
Ices not make any difference how you
.ot your wealth if you only get it. The
est way for you to get into social posi-.
ion is for you to buy large amount
n credit, then put your property in
our wife's name, have few preferred
reditors and then make an assignment.
hen disappear from the community I'M
il the breeze is over and then come
ack and start in the same business. Do
GU not see how beautifully that will
ut out all the people who are in compe-
tion with you and trying to make an
onest living? How quickly it will get
on into high social positionl What is
ne use of 40 or so years of hard work
hen you can by two or three bright
;rokes make a great fortune? All, my
'iends, when you really lose your mon
= how quick they will let you drop,
nd the higher you get the harder you
ill drop. |
There are thousands today in that
calm who are anxious to keep in it. 1
here are thousands in that realm ,
no are nervous for fear they will /
Ill out of it, and there are changes GO
lg ON every year and every month and !
very hour which involve heartbreaks !
lat are never reported High social life !
constantly in a fiutter about the deli I
,te question as to whom they shall let &
i and whom they shall push out, and !
lie battle is going on-pier mirror I
yainst pier mirror, chandelier against $
wine cellar against wine {
liar, wardrobe against wardrobe, equi- '
age against equipage. Uncertainty and i
security dominant in that realm, /
retchedness enthroned, torture at 1
remium and life not worth living /
A life of sin, life of pride, life of G