The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-05-04
TWO PHASES OF SOCIETY.

Mrs. Henry d. sloane Of New York,
divorced by her husband on statutory
grounds, marries within few hours at
ter the decree the correspondent named
in the divorce bill and becomes Mrs.
Perry Belmont, That particular crust
Of society of which the new Mrs. Bel
mont has been an exclusive leader will
not condemn, If it has not already con-
doned. The social queen, changed in
name only, will not suffer eclipse any
more than did the wife of the other
Belmont, who was allowed by her for.
mer husband, the easy-going W. K,
Vanderbilt, to obtain divorce and set
up new establishment.
Mrs. Anna Q. George, Of Canton, o.,
is acquitted by jury for the crime Of
killing George d. saxton, brother-in.
law OF the president Of the United
States, and in reaching their verdict the
jurymen presumably held to the the, ry
that even il guilty tie woman had al
ready suffered enough at Saxton's
hands. The despoiler of Mrs. Georges
home is dead and twelve American clti-
zens conclude that If Mrs George shot
him 1t was case of justiiable homicide.
In the one case there was no shooting
or killing, but with the facilities always
open to the possessors Of wealth a
speedy and secret divorce aud anon a
second pealing Of the marriage bells
The former Mrs, Sloane surrenders her
children to the custody Of the ex-
husband and, protected by the wealth
OF the new husband, scorns any finan.
cial aid from the old one. The marital
affairs of the 400 are regulated with
out plebeian descent to the level of
tragedy. Bullets are vulgar avengers
of the outraged sanctity of a home and
are relegated by the upper circles to the
middle and lower classes.
In the other case the conscienceless
roue also had money but it did not save
him from the death of hunted betray-
er. To Saxton the sowing Of the wind
was the reaping of the whirlwind, be.
cause he overlooked the remorse-
less thirst for revenge in the
broken heart of the deserted
victim. His slayer, assuming in spite OF
the jury's Scotch verdict that Mrs.
George fred the fatal bullet, goes free to
find ready sympathy from true men and
women who remember her wrongs.
In neither case can we find sterling
evidence that the cankerworms of
American social life are decreasing in
their pestilent undermining Of virtuous
homes and human happiness, In both
csses th.re are children to bear the
stain of their parents misdeeds through.
cut life. The curse Of idlenegs allied
with wealth is a real End portentous
national evil. The disgracelul celebrity
with which the scions of millionairedom
slought off the marriage tie at will is no
less conspicuous than the free and easy
morals that make them the principal
patrons Of the divorce court.
If the Staying of saxton by Mrs.
George was an act of justice, as the
jury's verdict implies, there is partial
condonement of the principle that hu-
man lives may be taken by extralegal
process when there is danger that the
law itself is supine and vaiueless. 1t is
a doctrine attended with extreme rick
in its application to complex social con-
ditions. But the supreme lessons for
this class Of offenders would seem to be
that the tampering with the moral code,
which lies at the root of social Integrity,
carries its own punishment.-[Chicago
Chronical.