The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1900-07-17
The Downfall of a snob.
This dispatch is interesting re!

| waldorf Actors sudden departure
for Germanyat the very height OF
the season, the canceling of all his
engagements here and the recall of
the invitations which he had issued
| for house parties on next Sunday
and on next Sunday week at Give
den are universally regarded as sig
nalizing the close of his social ca
reer in London. 1t is openly declar-
ed here that the Prince of Wales,
who is the supreme arbitrator of
English society, has cut him in
consequence of his insulting treat
ment of Sir Capt. Archibald Milne
last week, and London is only to
ready to take it's cue in the matter
from its future King. as Mr.. Astor,
in spite of his wealth and magniii-
cence of his entertainments, has
made many enemies by his extra
ordinary arrogance"
This being true the social career
of Astor is ended; and his social
career being ended, there is little
left for this ineffabie snob to live
for.
He left his own country and
bought his way into English So
ciety because, he said, we have no
gentlemen" in America. That the
British stood him as long as they
did shows that he found people
among them who answered to his
conception of a gentleman.
The Milne incident we'll illus
trates that conception.
Astor gave concert Capt. Milne
being guest of a lady who was in
vited to the concert, accompanied
her, at her suggestion. This is
said to be a usage of English so
ciety. In some form it is the usage
of all society. Here an invitation
would have been asked for the
guest whom one wished to take to
the concert. This is custom
which is somtimes abused, but it is
nevertheless a custom sanctioned
by good society. But when Astor
saw Milne he went up to the Cap
tian, demanded to know who he
was, and ordered him to leave, not
withstanding the Captains apollo
gies and offer to retire. Not content
with this, Astor further showed
his conception of a gentleman by
going to his newspaper and insert
ing a card therein announcing that
Capt. Milne was present at the
concert without invitation.
This act, probably more than
anything else in Astor's career,
proves how lacking in the first ele-
ments of a gentleman he is. Even
if Milne had grossly violated the
laws of society no gentleman would
have taken the course that Astor
did. When one man in his relations
to another shows that he is no
gentleman that is the time when
the other, if he is a gentleman,
proves it.
Astor's conduct on this occasion
alone fully warrants those who
prefer the company of gentlemen
in cutting him from their list of
associates. 1t would have been
strange if they had put up with
him after that. Long ago Wales
declared "that man Astor makes
me tired" but that man Astor's
money kept him anoat until after
the Milne affair. Since then the
Princess of Wales has invited Milne
to sit in her box at the opera, while
the Queen gave garden party to
which she invited Milne, but struck
Astor's name faom the list. The
snub by the Prince of Wales is the
coup de grace-a fate which the
true gentleman would neither de-
sire nor mind if received, but which
to Astor is the most terrible that
can befall him.