Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-31
THE DOWNTRODDEN.
NEW YORK HEIREssEs WHO HOLD
socIALISTIc OPINIONS.

sion Of wealth-aIild American Edi-
tions Oh "AIarcella."
Plutocratic hciresses like Gertrude Van
Derbilt, daughter Of Cornelius; Pauline
Whitney, whose father is William c.;
Edith Shepard, Orme Wilson and four or
i've other girls, whose families are enor-
mously wealthy, do not believe in the
rights of property. On the contrary, they
nre very radical young ladies and have
come to the conclusion that this social sys-
tenn of ours is all wrong. They have re-
gently formed an organization for the pur-
pose of passing resolutions to that effect.
These heiresses style themselves the
Downtrodden." They have an official
organized existence and meet regularly for
general debate and discussion, which, at
times, takes a decidedly inflammatory
tone Were these young ladies to express
some of their opinions in certain public
purlieus they would be in danger of pun
ishment as anarchists
The trend of thought among the youn-
ger element of what Is known as tho Four
Hundred is pronouncedy socialistic. 1t
Is no uncommon thing to hear such well
becashed misses as Miss Vanderbilt and
Miss Whitney denounce the unequal dis
tribution of wealth with all the fervor OF
youth, If not of logic. All the Vanderbilt
young ladies, for that matter, are mark
edly radical and go in for all manner of
unconventional opinions. Miss Consuelo
Vanderbilt, for instance, thinks there
should be no prisons Human beings
ought to brought out of their evil ways by
Kindness and love. Miss Pauline Whitney
is an ardent advocate of woman suffrage.
Miss Edith Shepard thinks there should
be q law against people having SO much
money while others have next to none at
all All agree that the income tax Is
very good thing indeed.
1t was only natural perhaps that find
ing themselves In such thorough accord,
these young misses should unite on gener.
al principles.
Miss Gertrude Vanderbilt Is probably
the leader among her young friends. Ever
since she began to think for herself this
fair girl has manifested decidedly origi
nal turn Of mind. She is well acquainted
with tho literature of socialism, and her
views of the rights of property and aggre-
gated wealth arc as advanced as views
could well be. Herpapa hardly knows what
to make of these tendencies. Nor do the
young companions of Miss Gertrude allow
her To outdo them in radical notions. A
meeting of tho "Downtrodden' Is some
thing simply awful. The whole organiza
tion has long ago reached the conclusion
that tho conditions of civilization have no
ethical sanction. The members have an
other grievance In the costume of feminin-
ity. Women should clothe themselves aft
er the fashion of the ancient Greeks. Miss
Whitney made the address on this subject
at the last meeting
The "Downtrodden" do not limit their
activity to talk. They make it rule to
go about among their fellow creatures
who, like themselves, are overwhelmed by
misfortune. One campaign will be in the
interest Of the flowsr girls They gave
dinner to n number of them. They also
read to the sick in hospitals. Another
good work is the investigation Of special
cases of misery and the preparation of re-
ports to be read at tho meetings. Minutes
are kept in rigid exactness. When the
Sloane girls went into Salvation Army
work, they were acting under orders from
tho "Downtrodden. What they see and
hear is duly written up for their meetings.
Naturally the young ladies have come
to be recognized as specialists in certain
fields of Investigation. Accordingly we
have Miss Whitney an authority on the
land question. This young lady thinks
all the mon in the country should be made
to spend two years farming on the same
principle as in foreign countries they put
in the same period as soldiers. This would
not only enlarge the range of their ideas,
but bring them in close touch with nature
and add TO their healthfulness 1t would
also tend to relieve the congestion of mu-
nicipal populations, besides subscribing
variety of other useful purposes, all Of
which Miss Whitney elucidates with skill
and gracefulness. Miss Orme Wilson has
n theory about animals. Horses in her
opinion arc unnecessarily i'll used, and
they should not bo continually hauling
heavy wagons about the streets And SO
ON through all the members of the little
group.
Tho "Downtrodden" are very close cor
poration. They do not admit any Tom
Dick or Harry, or rather any Jane, Mary
or Ann, who comes along Miss Consuelo
Vanderbilt was refused membership be-
cause she is too conservatives The young
lady Is not in favor of woman suffrage.
Tho "Downtrodden" meet every month
NV tho iipuoNs Va thpoc NHpHi SphNtItiOh
still obligos them to allude to as their par
ents. Amid almost oriental luxury they de-
nounce the accumulations of wealth that
today makes the contrast between rich and
poor SO pitifully sharp. These young la
dies have helped many people who would
certainly be astonished could they know
the source of their windfalls.
What the parents of the young ladies
think Of all these doings may probably
best be surmised. Bishop Potter, who
knows all the girls quite well, does not
think favorabiy of all their opinions, and
1t is whispered that he had them in his
mind when he recently told his clergy to
beware of the spread of exaggerated think
Ing among the majority of the youthful
portion of their flocks. The mammas and
papas have so far been indulgent because
young people are notoriously hot headed
and prone to vex themselves about the
mans destiny, the telos of crea-
tion, and the like, and to go to bed very
miserable over those subjects. At any
rate, the existence of the 'Downtroddcn"
Is most unique fact in the cosmopolitan
vortex that now styles itself the American
tristocracy. Boston Herald.
Thought the skeleton Incomplete.
A colored clergyman from the south,