The record-union., 1897-02-10
THE BRADLEY=MARTIN BALL.
sensible Comment Upon 1t by San
Francisco LADY,,

The mask ball proposed to be given
py Mrs. Bradley Martin in New York
Ro-nleht has been the talk of the world
Tor the past few weeks. The San
FRANCISCO Examiner has several ex-
presSlons from prominent society Ia
dies OF that city upon the subject and
upon both sides of the question. Among
Rhe contributed expressions was one
from Mrs. William H Mills, SO well
known in Sacramento her odd home, is
so directly to the point that we give
1t in full:
The Bradley Martin ball is to be con-
demned chiefly because of the vulgar
display of the possession of wealth. 1t
shows the person who desires such
display to be unfit for the trusteeship
OF wealth. Who possesses great wealth
and desires to emphasize the fact in
some striking way offends against good
morals. The only justification Of great
wealth is the putting it to good use.
The question is have we a right to
Go what we like with our own? Every
thing is either right or wrong, and the
end of all questions is in morals.
hold that wealth is held in trust by the
Tossessor, to be distributed intelligently
for the best good of the human race.
Is the manner in which wealth is used
matter of principle or q matter or
taste? l believe it is one of principle.
If the quarter of million dollars the
Bradley VIII expend on this
ball We're put into a channel of produc-
tiveness that would create wealth the
poor would be benefited permanently.
It is not a good defense against effem-
anizing wealth that it distributes mon
ey to a few lackeys.
One important point is. shall such
balls as the Bradley Martin ball become
a feature of our national life? Shall
the civilization of the times undergo
the strain of additional luxury and as
sumptiveness? There is nothing in the
incident of the Bradley Martin bail
from which will flow better conditions
of life The great display of wealth
does not benefit the world. 1t under
mines the human character by substi-
tuting for the nobler conception of life
a vulgar love Of display. There is a
standard by which everything should
be tried; everything has a decent linn
itation. If everybody should do what
the Bradley Martins are doing there
would be general protligacy, and soon
there would be no wealth. The wealth
of this nation is not the result of Brad
ey-Martin balls. Balls do not create
wealth. The Bradley Martin ball, SO
far as an example of anything, Will, if
allowed at all simply tend to enervate
and demOraliZe national life. The worst
feature OF this bail is that it emphasizes
the disparity between the rich and the
poor. The example is as bad as it can
be, and intenSifeS the struggle of life.
The Bradley Martin ball will not set in
motion any force that Will tend to i'm
prove the condition of the poor. If
the $3.50 o00 were to set in motion some
productive force then it might create
permanent good. What viii help the
poor is to help them to help them>
selves. The Bradley Martin ball is q
dangerous symptom of national decay
the most alarming that yet has been
seen in America. The taste that would
suggest the spending of a quarter Of
q million Of dollars on a ball is very
vulgar, because it is excessive.