The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-09-04
"wHY DO THEY NOR EAT CAKE9"
tChicago Chronicle.l


Our aristocracy at Newport, eminent
to some extent as "the divorced and
doubly divorced" has been holding
what 1t calls In hilarious irony "a
peasant fete."
The beaux and bellies, cheaply imi-
tating the famous, but at last tragic
days at Versailles, attired themselves
for raillery in the dress of working
men and workingwomen and presented
their many -millionaired hostess With
gifts of ducks, geese, chickens, eggs.
The festal decorations Of the princely
villa were pumpkins, cabbage, potatoes
and other suggestions Of a homely and
happy life to which the players were
unwonted. After their satire Of hon EST
and worthy labor the aristocrats sat
down to magnificent banquet, where
there was feast, but not, we must in
fer, of reason, and flow Of everything
but soul. Then they danced merrily.
Doubtless 1t was thoughtlessness
only and lack of intellectual resource
that made rich American men and
women travesty the occupations of
their forbears and betters and wound
the sensibilities of millions of sturdy
IL less fortunate Americans. 1t re-
quires no recondite culture to get up
peasant" fete. Such incidents have
commonplaced church bazars from
Oshkosh and Kalamazoo to Tombstone
and Dead Mans Gulch.
More erudite, more elevated less
hackneyed recreation might have been
expected from our aristocracy Of
wealth at the alleged so-called Social
capital of the nation" 1t was at least
brains that made the money which
founded some Of the inherited fortunes
now squandered in banal profusion
and scandalized in divorce courts. It
requires no brains to spend fortunes.
American self-respect is necessarily
deeply wounded by the unintended--
for charity requires that we shall as
sumo the affront unintended-wound
thus conspicuously inflicted by Ameri-
cans upon the decency Of rural toll.
There are conceivable ways in which
an organized epitome Of idyllic exis-
tence in field and forest, by stream and
in orchard could be rendered pictur-
esque, sparkling and diverting. Virgil,
Horace, Homer, Praed, Herrick Dob
son and more have proffered practica-
BILE suggestions. Our Newport aristoc-
racy is less familiar with the muses.
than with .iedusa and her maids.
The country Is at this moment full
of hunger and unhappiness. Many Of
the eastern textile works are closed.
Shoe factories are shutting down, cot
ton and woolenmills are on half time.
Fall orders are completed and, penni-
less, the wheels Of production wait for
evidence of that prosperity the organs
Of imperialism affirm prevails in the re-
public.
1t would have been novel, exhilara-
ting, edifying, had our aristocracy of
wealth taken note Of the times and
sent harvest horn Of plenty to the
operatives Of the New Eng
land and North Atlantic states. Such
would have inspired ad-
miration.
1t arouses only contempt in the
breasts Of the American people to be-
hold American wealth in unconscious
cruelty burlesquing American toll to
make a Newport holiday.
OF real peasant" life. Of actual
virtuous toll our New
port gallants and guys know little.
They are in the mental plight Of the
queen at Versailles. A throng Of weep
Ing woman hovered about the palace.
why do these women weep?" asked
Marie Antoinette. Madam, they have
no bread" replied parasite. "Why
do they then not eat cake?" rejoined
the queen.
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