The herald., 1895-03-12
AN AMERICAN ARIsrocRAcY


Arthur McEwen thinks that this coun-
try is destined, within two generations
to be the most aristocratic, as it is now
the IN ost conservative, among the advanced
nations OF til earth. The European
trend is on the other hand, he asserts, all
toward democracy. The American multi
millionaire is in nearly all but name what
a great noble of the olden time was. No
duke indeed would venture to Cypress his
tenants as Mr.. Huntington does the peas
antry OF California or as Mr.. Carnegie
grinds the hands in his mills. And the
millionaire is altogether free of that sense
of responsibility for the welfare of his peo-
Pile that has been handed down by feudal
tradition to the nobleman. 1t is ag reed
that there is no form OF arstocracy so
cruel and detestable as one founded on
money solely. Yet it is manifestly unfair
to condemn the American aiistocracy for
being plutocracy. They would be sone-
thing more if the law permitted. We're
the law to be changed and Mr.. Hunting
ton to become the Prince OF the Pacific,
and Mr.. Carnegie Duke of Pennsylvania,
and Mr.. Aston the Earl of Manhattan,
and Mr.. Armour Lord Bacon, and Mr..
Rockefeller Baron d'Oyley, what real
change would be made in this state? II
a passion for ribbons and sashes and jew
els standing for dignities were created in
our plutocracy, might there not be an in
telectual and spiritual gain among themP
Surely, it is less hurtful for a human be-
ing to be proud of title than of having
gouged u dozen or so of millions out OF
his fellow creatures. OF course, it would
be we'll to stop this side of monarchy,
and. needing the lessons of experience,
divorce our nobility from the soil. What is
des. rable is not to add to the power of the
rich, but to open way for the gratifica-
ton of their social aspirations less ridicu-
lous and humliateing than the Could
Castellane marriage.
Mr. McEwens theories are plausible
enough, but how shall we divorce our
nobility from the soil?" How shall we
deal with Lord Scuily and his 5000, 900
acres Lord Miller of California with his
500, 900 acr~s Lord Cone with his 109, COO
acres; Lord Haggin with his $50, 900 acres;
and the other lords of 1,606, 055 acres in
California alone2 Mr. McEwen will have
TO devise some other method OF entrench-
ing titled aristocracy on the American
people.
In this connection Mr. McEwen calls at
tention to what, without the adventurous
aid OF titles, has been done by the Astors,
whose grandfather was peddler, and the
Vanderbilt whose founder was boatman
and was alive only yesterday. The out
look is that within hundred years there
will be no mobiles left in Europe, and an
kn co,,iI
point to line of ancestors reaching back
TO civil war contract would be as hoary
in honor almost as a British noble now is
whose ancestors came over with William
the Conqueror and did their stealing
sword in hand, rudely. Amend the con-
stitution in the interest of our best So
ciety, and in 1895 the vulgar rich of the
British Republic, the vulgar rich of the
Franco-German cooperative common
wealth, and the vulgar rich OF the Russian
commune, would be sending their daught-
ers and dollars over to our hardup mobiles.
Thus the balance of trade would be turned
in our favor and gold basis for the cur
rency maintained.
This presupposes that our multi-mil
lionaires, for whose ambition these arts
tocratic titles have been bestowed, are to
squander this wealth. This is not likely.
There is too much Saxon thrift in the
American nature and the American
method to render such a climax possible
The accumulations may be scattered, but
the bulk of them will be nursed for an
aristocratic posterity if the poverty OPP
pressed ten million does not arise to
crush the the luxurious Four Hundred,
as Mr.. McEwen and his fellow nihilists
seem to propose. Besides what harm
can result from a titled American aristoc.
racy in any event? They will always y
ford hilarity for the judicious, and what is
life without its comedy element? Ser
iously, there can be no obj ction to Amer
lean dukes, counts and marquises as long
as they merely pose and posture for the
amusement of the people.