The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-11-13
Ariatocrncx In Amerlca.

Professor Peck Of Columbia college
discodraes pleasantly in tie October is
sue CT The Cosmopolitan Magazine ON
what he calls the New American
Aristocracy." By this. Of course, he
desigrates that minor body in society
which, by virtue Of superior wealth
and alleged superior culture in mind
and manners. attempts TO lead Anleri-
ca in social matters. He makes q
happy his in describing the failure
Of such an aristocracy to realize
the highest joy of the assumed eleva-
ton Of place: 1.-The fact that is just
now so depressing to our ready made
patricians is the lack of any general
recognition from the common herd, a
general refusal to take them At all Seri-
ouely And this is fatal TO an aristocrntio
ideal 1t is all very we'll to feel intense
ly that you are most superior person
and that You are better than most Of
those you meet, but IL you can't get
them to think 30. too, you will only
half enjoy your lofty station; you will
very often be made quite unhappy
When you go forth expecting &c receive
on every hand the Difference due TO your
patrician rank and aristocratio manner
and find that nearly every one regards
you simply as 9 joke. what is the use
Of being patricianr II the comic pa
pers make all manner of fun Of You and
you are the subject Of gags upon the
stage; il coarse. unfeeling persons Of
the lower orders attract your attention
by saying Hey therer and utterly
forget to touch their hats and call you
sir, you might almost as we'll be just
an ordinary plebeian, for the true JOY
of being an aristocrat comes from tie
recognition OF the fact by others-from
the admission by them Of your superb
ority and Of their own inferiority."
This irreverence for a pretended i'm
portance is the healthy outcome Of the
democratic ideal. The very fact Of its
existence on such an extensive scale In
the best answer to those essayists who
profess to sea in America the growth of
a distinct aristocratio class, such as ex-
lists in the old world. The vigorous SELF
respect Of the commons, based original
ly on the idea of political equality and
branching thence into a thousand social
ramifioations, is too buoyant and elastic
to underlie such an institution. The
necessity. too. of the constant change Of
personnel in the SO called aristocfatio
class. which has no traditions behind it,
the perpetual flowing in through its
boundaries of streams from the other
class. deprive it of the dignity of isola-
ton. No man has an overweening re-
spect for what little success will place
in the palm of his hand.
Yet, on the other hand. there 10 no
society in the world where there IA such
q passionate admiration Of genuine su
periority; where the rightfuIness Of
higher place is often so frankly conced-
ed, where hero worship is 50 easily
kindled. The irreverence of the Ameri-
can spirit Is the theme Of frequent COM
ment. But its most characteristic exhibit
ton is in the pricking Of air blown pre-
tense. in it's quick diagnosis Of those
things which merit the sting Of moekery
and contempt. Yet it is far more Tolerant
in this direction than sluggish IN its
recognition Of those claims which are
genuinely worth its admiration. Our
democracy has proved itself perfectly
consistent with our aristocracy. which
properly means the recognized superior
place of those who are worthy Of it.