New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24

conversation Is certainly growing more and
more vapll In what is termed society,", remarked
clever woman the other day. Even the most III
,eIgent and cultivated people talk Of nothing put
personalities In fact, they would not dare 10 t"iH
~ ANYTHING else for fear OF being thought dull or
heavy. 1t is Ike perpetual game OF what lHe
children call Consequences -'What lie said what
she said and What the world said But what
amazes me perpetua.ly IS the great ana secretly
acknowledged supremacy of The Wholly ui''i'ei-
lectual and often Inbred handful OF peop'e' VINO
are commonly called the smart set over nous
au,res who really have ideas. and who would en-
ioy sensible. clever conversation, II Ii were OIL!
fasblonab.e-whch II distinctly is not"
II is not TO the credit of America that 1t must De
said that this fashionable or smart hnuehce'
whatever II may be called not only stultihes o'her
wise clever people who happen to be IN OF near 'ha'
set but i, mas a far-reaching. and quite eXtraor-
binary effect over the whole country. Ihe uoihss
and savings and even the attire. of few really
insignificant men and women evoke the greatest
interest not only in their own immediate coni-
munIty which is natural enough. but that of other
communities IN other cities, VINO consciei''ousis
endeavor 10 copy. emulate and establish 4ocaI
ollgarchy of the same kind. This development OF
a leisure class who employ their leisure 10 such
little purpose is comparatively of recent growth
Twenty-Five years ago there was 10 De ho'ed u"-
6ouh,edlv the nucleus of this folly, which is now
spreadng its ramifcations over the entire country
I'm those days lllS set was HOt SVHSiNN.NN -
sirable by the truly aristocratic old knckerpock-
ers who were for the most part men and women OF
culture interested in art. music ana literature
whatever in short rehnes and elcvates COM
munitv 1t is amentab.e to see the present genera
ton of such honorei ancestry vying with the Vul-
gar in their worship OF and subservience 10 what
il represented By mere wealth and a spurious
aristOcracy.
There have been two powerful influences "hch
have contributed more than anything else TO pro-
duce this de gringolade of our nascent arlstoc-
racv" said man Of the world who was IN, but
not Of the ret which arrogates TO itself the su-
prenacy. 'Cne is certainly the Prince of wales
and his all-3owerful influence on London society,
which certainly has greatly deteriorated under MS
regime; and the other is our own royal monarch.
the almighty dollar the exaggerated worship OF
wealth in itself and the legitimate apprecia-
ton Of the refinemen;s of living, and the develop
rent OF whatever is best in the arts and Sciences
which wealth makes possible"
IL is not within the compass OF short paragraph
70 dwell upon the more pernicious effects OF mod
ern ultra fashionable life-the prevalence OF d.
yorce the Increased dissipation among idle young
men. the loose principles In regard 10 debt and po-
s,ons of trust all consequent upon the way we
live now" "Order thy conversation Alright says
the good book; and certainly If this could be put
upon higher plane there would be a great step
gained.