Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-08-17

and peculiarly American. To me the
only English UT foreign things about
them are their clothes and equipages.
mere eNternals.
In the old world social lines are broad
ly marked aud impossible. Birth and
genius are the sole passports to social
position la all the great cities Of Eu-
rope. A man must either he born into
this group. or achieve Its recognition
by great public services. There Is no
other way to gain admission to any
aristocr',cy anywhere.
Hut there II nothing aristocratic
about New York society. II Is perfect.
~ democratic. 1t IL no more exclusive
than u ferry boat. Whoever has the
price Is welcome. no matter how he
got u.
IT he can Keep up with the gay pro.
cession no questions are asked about
his antecedents. The man without n
grandfather II on an equality with the
man who boasts d whole gallery of
family portraits.
There IL not u recorded instance of
any aspirant. duly qualified financially.
knocking In vain at the Fifth avenue
doors Of society. A few years since-lt
may be no more than twelve or fifteen
years ago--we saw the Astors ushered
In. Next Vim. II. Vanderbilt gave n
ball. and invited all the people he didn't
know. OF course they came. and then
the vanderbilts walked into society.
| Now we are being treated to a sight of
the Gould cOat.tails. as that illustriOus
family glide through the portals.
Breeding receives no Difference. and
there are not more than half y dozen
persons among them all who owe theil
social positions to the public services
either Of themselves or Of any Of theiI
progenitors.
There was brilliant hall at Newpor,
last week. and the long list Of people In
attendance was introduced In the news
papers with the remark that "every
body who Is anybody was there"
scrutinixed that list. and was unabl,
to find In It the name Of single person
who ever did anything that would en-
title him 70 social favOrs In London
Paris. Vienna. Berlin Or 1t. Petersburg
or who. indeed. ever In his life, did IN!
recorded thing. Moreover. there wer,
In the entire list only three famil,
names that could find repeated In tn,
index Of the largest American biograpl,
icul encyclopedia. where nre cnrolle,
the names Of some 1900 or 5000 mel
nnd women who have done sOnlethin,
more or less noteworthy In this new
world Of ours.
In other words. with only three OK
ceptions. all these people ut the New
are or were undistlnguished. Their
was not a name On the list that II re-
corded among the worthless Of cOlOnia
days. or among the heroes Of the revOlu
ton. Of the war Of 1872, or the civil war
not name that In enrolled among tn
statesmen or jurists Of American hls
tory. or among our scientists, inventors
; phllanthrOplsts or educators; not
name that ever was printed on the It'll
page Of remembered book Of an,
kind.
u, Nevertheless. these people represen
something In our national life, an,
something very important: Flnancla
success. When they shall have enjoye
this success for full generation or tw
they will. no doubt. become little dil
fident about displaying It ana ton
themselves down generally. Then the
will begin to take some interest In me
who have succeeded In other lines Of 81
deavOr than their own, and they vii
have their lions, just as London nov
has, but which New York never has i
her present state Of society. In the mex
stage OF their evolution their ideals wi
begin to change. cold cash will lose Il
glory. ana they will aspire to win ne,
distinctions, In politics, IN arms, IN 10