The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-29
"THE CRAVING FOR BEADS"

"Mcunwhllc the Sycophantish Jour
mails are fastening day of DOOM"
Chicago Tribune: Under the tltle,
Luxury in America" the London
Spectator philosophers on the million
alre fad Of accommodating useless but
costly articles simply for their costli-
ness. 1t INDUCES in some curious spec
ulatlons as to what this Capitalization
of wealth Will lead to and what will
come Of 1t all in the next thousand
years. The gifts at the recent Wander
bltFair. wedding were said to exceed
100000 In value. There were rivers"
of diamonds. ropes" OF pearls. bodices
covered with jewels. candelabr and
candlesticks of pure gold. Jewel boxes.
coffee and dinner services OF gold, and
articles In silver past counting or de-
scriptlon. Now, what Is the real pleas
ure Of possessing these articles In sucn
profuSlon? 1t cannot be their utility, for
manv of them are practically useless.
Neither can 1t be their artistic beauty.
a bodice plastered all over with jewels
has less beauty than tasteful display
OF 4 few well chosen gems. Is Ii sim
ply the qualification OF vanIty-the
pride OF being richer, than others? Or is
1t phase of the collecting mania?
The Spectator thinks thesc sordd dis
plays are largely due to "a barbaric
taste for splendor rs splendor"-
same motive that causes the savage TO
desire unlimited beads 1t Is n little
dishearteainG TO see that the education,
philosophy. and civilization of sixty CEN
turtles have done so little TO cxtinguish
that barbarian instinct. we breed out
some of the savage impulses, but no,
the craving for beads" This passion FOE
display is so ancient rs TO be trlte; one
should think the up-to-dair millionaire
could find some newer fad. ITO find An
tony, and the last American Millionaire
Boosting OF the same things. and those
rather vulgar things, compels one to re-
fleet on the slowneSs with which human
nature changes and the wonderfully
close relation between the savage and
the latest product of civilized prospect
ity."
What Will become of al, this heapcd-
up Anery ut last? The treasures OF
Rome have not merely passed into bur-
harlan hands; they have vanished utter
ly, 90 that it Is doubtful whether n SIN
gle Jewel or cup OF gold that belonged to
Lucullus or to Seneca or to Roman
consul exists to-day. Where Will Mrs.
Nanderbil;'s jewels be In Il. D. 5000?
What of the amnssed and useless
wealth? who will have Il all, or de-
stroy 1t all. when the existing order,
which has rotten places tn It, crumh!cs
away?" The Spectator thinks Il not I'm
possible that "thc barbarinns from be-
low moy. explode the heap" or that the
ccntripetal force In capital may gradu-
ally place nli the wealth In the hands OF
one man or one trust, ultimately pro-
voklng n savage war IN which every
thing but the human race itself must
perish. Or perhaps a new phase OF
Christianity. the phase OF abncgation,
may come along and cuusc the world to
destroy Its Idols. But all these specula-
tioas are vain. except ms they show tho
folly and danger OF these boards of tin
sci llnery. Meanwhile, the sycophantsh
journals. by exploiting. the vast wcalth,
the extravaganza. and the luxury OF
mul,t-mlIllonaircs In this country, are
Fastening the day of doom.