New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-12
SOCIAL ENGLAND.
SOME MORALS AND CONTRASTS. Writ
EXCEPTIONS WHICH SERVE TO
PROVE THE RULE
Landau lam,

quels in the trial before the Police Commits.
sioners and the burles1ue performance in an
enterprlsing concert hall. Other journals hay.
related In cab dispatches the preparations for
a luxurious and costly entertainment. and DR.
Rainsford's protest against accentuating the
contrasts between wealth and poverty during
period Of social unrest Everything s grst %,
the English moralists mill American plutoc,
racy IL inveighed against az an organized con-
spracy against the masses. which may provoke
moral reaction and social revolution. II is a
tonRenial theme fo- the English censor who In
varably starts with the "iniqulty' OF pro-
tective tariff, passes on 10 the tyranny Of
monopOlies and trusts. and closes with the sor-
did avarIce the luxurious vices and the fam
buoyant vtiIgarity Of the American plUtOcracy
Scriptural parapnrase Is employed with what
Mr. Cecil Rhodes might term 'unCtuOus recti.
tude" and the Land OF Trusts and Money Power
is warned Of the fate of luxurious Sodom and
Gomorrah and hidden 10 read the handwriting
on the wall at Belshazzar's fest.
Nothing. perhaps. would be easier than the
III plication Of the IN quoque argument In reply.
II cannot be seriously questioned that England
under the operation Of Free Trade principles,
has become the stronghold Of plutocracy as
nowerful in its resources and as arrogant in its
habits as the world has ever seen. Vast fortunes
bavo been rapldlv made by combinations and
financial deals: circus performers have been
transformed into princes Of Lombard Street;
stock promoters are enabled 10 make millions
IN Dunlops in the course Of a few weeks; nonop-
olies and all the abuses OF money power exist
for the enrichment Of the few at the expense Of
the many: and signs OF luxurious vice and So
u-1n
anv more than in New-York The divorce
courts. with their weekly record Of wanton i'm.
morality in fashionable life, ought to convince
English censors Of the necessity for caution and
charity in their TRADES against American piu.
toCracy.
4 ROMANCE OF MONTE CARLO
There is the story Of Mr.. COninghams viii.
v.bicb has been running seriay from day 20
dav IN the law reports undor the sensational
,i,le "A Romance of Monte Carlo. II Is me
,ale Of n well-born young man VINO "IdhA
heavily from boyhood took morphine every
NIGHT went from Cambridge 10 Monte caro- ~
wav Of an inebriate asylum. and atter gro'
tesoue duel died in a state Of beasty ih'oHlCa'
,ion. leaving the bulk Of his fortune 20 pein''
less girl selling flowers at hotel Inc heIs'
vho had expected TO inherit large estate
united in an attempt 70 set ASIDE tIiis VIII vi
,te ground that he was incapacitated py enron
10 alcoholism for making any disposition III h's
nronertv; but the jury decided that IN spite VI
his frantic folly he was IN posS@Ssio" VI '''
senses and that the foWer-girl was '"'''e' ~
ber good fortune. The moral or the s'o's' Do
,ointed bv one of the censors IS the slChe"'"e
dageneracv Of a large section OF our e'''eo
youth who are kept alive and IN oe''a"
satisfaction with themselves by the '''''N
,heor,. that this rolling in the social gutter -
s,acious and somewhat lrincey way OK seeing
,s1,, ..E.w men in any station" adds this stern
censor lever got less value for their money
49,, d,d this aimless gentleman, who died
=. -, og. when life should be beginning
II rou,d not be difficult to multiply from cur
,a,. r,actice instances OF degeneracy OF
wan Of wealth and high birth and examples OF
eocial immortality and leprosy London certain
i, has nothing TO learn from New-fork in the
orfeabIing treasures with which gllded youth
d,spor,s itself. It is the wckedest town in the
,,or,d for # IS the richest and has the largest
number Of pleasure-lovng oilers Every homy
.,.oo,aa AGAINST vice and luxury in one metropo-
,,s NAV be applied with equal force to wealth.
-, t,ora,;tv I'm the other While. however,
ccmnorIsons Of this knd are ineffective ana
,.,eo,,oo tbare are strong contrasts in the
m
social life and energies OF the rich in the Two
,rios which frequently escape observation
one Of these contrasts Is the lack OF osten'a'
,ior With which the English world Of wealth
and fashion entertains itself. London, during
i,s sbort season from May until August. Is
maddening whirl OF receptions, dinner parties
dances and gavety: but these luxurious pleas
ures of wealth and quality elude the OBSERVE
VIII
announcements in the society papers are Dr'e'
and untainted with vugarity. The morning
journals hardly do more than to print the names
90 nrominent guests at the most important So
cial function. The pleasures of wealth are ho'
eaunted In the face Of poverty. The envy ~ less
foyored classes is not excited by the pomp'
ceramonv and luxurious life OF the rich. Wha'
IL true of the West End OF London AT the heieh'
NJ the fashionable season holds equally sooa
of the country houses which are the centres u
rho real social life OF England. The rich taH'
their pleasures quietly. and are not under COZ"
slant observation. Their entertainments may
he COSTLY and their revels luxurious ana eNud''
agant. but publicity and notoriety are not 'ou''
ed Display is considered vulgar ana PAD loi"A
Perhaps Or Rainsford would be inclired 10 ."
that the contrast between wealth and poverty
WAS less sharply accentuated in England thah !"
america Certainly less resentment anu q"
vious class feeling il excited.
RANK AND WEALTH At WORN
Less ostentatious in their pleasures ana S'o'S
life Fnglishmen of rank and wealth are ho''
closely occupied with public duties ana ooNs
tons than Americans enjoying the same PRIV
lege of leisure The business Of Local. govern"
ment In town and country is managed 10 E'e"'
extent by men of their class. Nearly uoN'"
Dukes or Earls have been Mayors "f CUES uu''
ing the last year. The county ana town ''""
ellis are large bodies of influential men re''"''
ed from the nobility bankers. retired merchants
and active business men. They c'nsiaeE
public duty 10 work for their town ana 'o""'.