The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13
THE ENGLISH MIA. As3oR.
His Bids for a Peerage and How He
Got Westminister's CIiveden Es-


Got Westminister's CIiveden Es-
tate.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.
Some gossip of more or less interest con-
corning William Waldorf Astor and his
hunt for a peerage is given in a recent
London letter of Elwyn A. Barron. Mr..
Barron says: At a little gathering the
other afternoon the fact that Mr.. Aston has
taken the house of noble lord in Pail Mail
for jubilee day, paying the enormous sum
of 5000 for the privilege, was made an ex
cuse for the discussion Of Mr.. Astor's push
full methods in counting English society. OF
course, much was said of his Jealous eff
forts to secure a peerage That he will
have the honor thrust Upon him every one
believes; but the probability of his being
created a jubilee peer does not, 1 fear, in
spire mankind, either of high or low de-
gree, with a feeling complimentary to Mr..
Astor. There is a sort of yelled contempt
in the references to his becoming q cit
izen of a foreign country in order to pos
sess himself of a distinction that must al
ways reflect upon his character as a man.
One of the gentlemen said: '"Phe title
may be all right by the time his grandson
succeeds to it, but the real aristocracy of
England will always have a mild scorn
of the yankee who bought title"
There is, however, a less perjudiced view
of the case. Il rather think" said the son
Of a churchman, that Mr.. Astor has
earned a peerage. He is conducting,oa
party paper at a personal loss of E40l 20
a year, and that is no small service %
government If he gets a peerage he FOL
have paid good round sum for it, anGasl
a way decidedly more honorable than 5xfat
followed by some rich nobodies who XII
Iii. .T.r.I p.
trade TO the peerage. The truth is ,uEf,i
the peerage of England has declinc-h','
character and is little better than 81 "a =.
convention, because 1t has become Ting
of barter and sale. The foundation OF the
English nobility is money, and There is
no longer that fne-draWn discrimination
against trade and commerce in the dis
tribution. of the prizes TO the moneyed
men. Our nobility used to stand for
heredity and merit; it now stands for
heredity and purchasing power; and the
mushroom peer with money is more in
favor than the titular representatives OF
the most ancient families, when the fam
HES are scant of fortune. The decline
OF the nobility OF England Is not so much
the result of the growth of democracy as
the growth of democracy is the result of
the decline Of the nobility. We are fast
approaching a condition when the divis-
ional lines will be simply those that define
the rich from the poor, the employer from
the employe, and that venerable institu-
ton Of a nobility based on worth and in
herent power Will vanish into the faulty
of a name"
1t was at this little gathering that
heard for the first time the story of Mr..
Astor's acquisition of the Duke of West
minister's Cliveden estate. The place up
the Thames, which sets well back from
the river. is one Of the finest and most pic
Ia, nd was hp q
Its owner, who does not lack for stately
mansions aud noble halls Opposite is
stretch of undulating meadow that lends
itself charmingly to the picture, though
this piece of ground did not belong 20 the
duke. One day what was the horror OF
this imperious descendant of the Grosve-
| nors to see ungainly buildings in the pro-
| cess of erection on this land that had
! borne its vcrnal beauty through centuries
of freedom from the materialsts despoi-
ing schemes. The duke was indignant
| His beloved Clveden was to be degraded
by the approach of pleibeiance. He at
| once began TO hunt down and destroy the
desecrator. He tried to buy the land. 1t
was not for sale. He offered to compro-
mise with the owner. The owner was
not OF mind to do anything but so on
with his building This was a new order
| of things in the experience of the duke.
| He had never been opposed IN such way
ana with Sucn inappropriate. HNNp'ei HNt'''
who the owner was he couldn't find out
The agent and ostenslble owner was
mysterious about principals who were
fixed upon carrying out their plan, and
| the building went steadily on, growing
| Irritation 10 the helpless duke. When dis
| gust and rage were nc their hight In the
! ducal breast. MIR. Aston suavely sym
pathetic. secured an occasion TO express
| 10 the duke his sense Of the enormty. He
! could understand the resentment OF his
grace. aud could perceive. indeed, that 10
| was a measure destructive Of one of the
| chief virtues Of Cuvcdcn that It's privacy
| should be so profaned. But, for his part
| he ala not so much object TO the rcasona-
! bic nearnoss OF neighbors. and " his grace
| were disposed 20 sell, why. he. the lnof-
| sensitive Aston would be very willing TO
suffer the hardship OF living al Cbvcdon
as ne had a mind to a stately country
house. II was then that his grace imnul-
sively declared: III you VIII give me $780,
900 for e you can have H." Promptly
enough. Mr.. Astor closed with the offer.
and Ina the due process OF law Clvedon
| became the personal property OF the as
| tute Mr. Astor. At the same time, the
| building on the meadows ceased, the work
| already done was undone. and the beau
| tiful prospect from Cliyedon windows was
| restored to les former chaste and Tranquil
| charm. whatever che inference 10 be
| drawn from this coincidence OF events.
| one may feel assured that the ENTERPRISE
| which gained Clvodcn for Mr. Aston has
the elements 20 get for him 50 paltry a
4 thing as a corOuct.