The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-03-11
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Some of the Evils Of Society II
the Nations Capital.
Young Men Ruined by ESresses and EN.
travagance-Better Keep Away on'
my Is the Watchword In Congress.
From Our Correspondent.

.travagance-Better Keep Away--E Oh,
my Is the WatchwOrd In Congress.
From Our Correspondent.
The last winter that D. B. Hill YVES
here, as senator, it will be remembered
that he made an attack on Washington
society. He said it was responsible for
a good many things. 1t is. Senator Hill
never made a more truthful statement.
Washington society has a good deal to
answer for The divine lawyers will have
numberless counts which they can
doubtless secure a conviction on, but the
one for which the severest sentence
ought to be invoked, is the one showing
the ruin and degradation which Wash
ington society has brought and is daily
bringing to the young men of the period,
who, through political influence or FOR
other reasons, come here shortly after
leaving college or other educational IN
situations. to lay the foundations OF their
lives. Being young and unused to the
snares of society, and particularly the
brand which prevails at the capital they
get into this idea of idle artiticiality, and
before they can rescue themselves they
have morally sunk for the third time.
Washington society is divided into two
classes-the upper ten and the lower
five. The Young man who enters the
upper ten keeps the pace for while,
but usually finds himself in the lower
five class before he completes his race
here. lam speaking now of the ordinary
Young man who comes to Washington
| olE living.
the born society man." who does not
intend or pretent to do any work any
way. His papa, being rich, has endowed
him with worldly goods plenty, and
for that reason he himself need not
work. His principal vocation Is TO look
sweet at pink teas, parade up and down
! Connecticut avenue on Sunday, Leading
a homely looking pug-dog by string,
and doing other things Whlch certainly
place him on the eligible list of candi-
dates for application to an insane asy-
lum.
Washington society has three streets
upon which it parades. You are raIeu
according to the street you parade on
If YOU walk on Connecticut avenue you
are worth from $50, 900 to 4O,OOO, OOo;
if YOU parade on F street, you are rated
at from $25,0O0O0O to 3O,OOO,OOO; while II
YOU disport on Pennsylvania aVenue'you
are considered as worth $5OOO,OO and
under. If on men the cutaway is noticed
to bangle below the spring coat, this IN
dicates that he will soon marry rlch
Girl and be placed in the Connecticut
avenue class.
R1It TO be serious. Generally, when a
Young man is fortunate enough TO gel
some kind of a berth" in washington
either in one Of the departments, or as
secretary to a senator or congressman
he is subject to the congratulations OF
his friends. They think it will be gooo
thing for him. will broaden his lntellect
and give him an education that he coulu
not otherwise obtain. He VIII meet no'
only all the prominent publulc men OF
bis own country, but many of those frCn
every other country. SO he WILL II IS
oreat experience and one of inestimablt
value to young man, providing ne does
, not founder on the rock OF washington
society.
Rev, E. E. Hale once said: Il haVe beer
t informed that the experience he receives
as a young man while clerk in one OF tn
! departments here was of as much beneh
, to him in his after life as his whole edu
= cation at Harvard college"
1 Probably every young man who come
e. to Washington and remains here an,
length of time can say the same thlns
) unless he builds the house of his futur
! upon the sands of wickedness which
> fagrantly exist here.
/ If is easier to become addicted to in
3 temperance in Washington than Amos
e anywhere else. Two open bars exist Il
the Capitol building itself, and the usua
9 quota of liquor saloons are scattere'
a about the city. Many young men, with
+ out thinking, and being away from home
e think that while here they can take
S drink or two, and no one will be tn
: wiser In taking that drink, and therep
acquiring the taste, many conversion
= for a ruined life has been laid in this city
1t is only a step further to more ire
ouent drinking, the use of tobacco an
association with people of shady char
acter and reputation with which WASH
ington is so VIGOROUSLY honeycombeC
Like vultures soar these unfortunate
over the heads of the young men i
Washington.
Many young men get down here anc
| | knowing that father, mother and tn
other loved ones at home will neVe
| / know SOW a rev VIII OdlS. hey III
tend, doubtless, to sow only few, an
nave a small harvest; but before the
I know it the garden in which their viii
! oats have been sown knows no dimen
/ sions, and the reaping of the harves
| will not be completed until Death gar
pers it in.
The reason they can afford, so far
financial considerations are concerne
for they cannot afford to do so froI
any other standpoint), is because mos
of them draw handsome salaries froI
,he government. 1t is poor positio
indeed that does not pay 800 montl
such as the average young man get
while here. A single young man can liV
conveniently here for $40 a month. Ur
less he is of saving turn of mind, tn
money which he gets so easily goe
easily. Sixty dollars month will go
good ways towards purchasing a mort
gage on eternal damnation.
] Hundreds of men in, this city tooa
who, when they came here, were typlci
types of men in the best sense of tn
{ word. are now hopelessly struggling in
social quagmire of which Tobacco
liquor and shady character are composl
parts. 1 see it every day, and long as
] 70 unless a