The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-26
ASTOR'S SOCIAL SLUMP.


William Waldorf Astor's experiment
has proven a failure. 1t may serve as
warning to other gilded cads and
snobs who would exchange American
citizenship for position in English So
ciety.
Astor has been envied by many
Anglo-maniacs OF this country for the
assurance with which he hammered
away on the door of London, high life
and the prodigality with which he scat
tered sovereigns to bring him friends
among the nobility.
But Astor overleApad the mark He
was decidedly too fresh. He was criti-
cised in parliament for purchasing the
grounds of Cliveden, and by social lead
ers for setting an impossible standard
of expense in his entertainments at
Carlton place. He could not appreciate
a slight He was oblivious TO the winks
which passed around the scircle into
which he had thrust himself. Finally
he made up his mind he was secure.
He not only renounced his country but
refused to pay taxes on personal prop
erty in New York. OF this he boosted.
For this he was lauded by snobs
abroad. And Aston was happy.
In his English publication, for he
had 20 have a newspaper to further his
purpose, he undertook to dictate to
London clubdam. A willful Islander of
a prominent member of the Naval and
Military club was printed in his journal.
Sir Berkeley Milne was accused of try
ing to thrust himself upon Aston and
of attending one of the Astor concerts
without an invitation. The matter was
investigated by club committee and
the Briton was exonerated. Astor was
forced to print an apology. But even
this humiliation will not save him. The
Prince of Wales, as leader of London
society, has made the following public
statement:
l know Captain Milne to be an officer
and gentleman. We will stand by him
and end the career of that cad Aston.
This cooks the Astor goose. 1t should
serve as a warning to Astor imitators.
For he has them.
Snobbishness. fondness for rank and
title. weakness for ancestral estates
and coats of arms and coronets are
not confined to women of the so-calIed
smart set in eastern millionaire circles.
Men get the craze. Scores have been
wondering where Astor would wind up,
whether in parliament. in the foreign
service or in Jail. He will probably
escape them all
AstOT's fate viii undoubtedly cause
a slack in the expatriatiOn of men who
amass millions here to squander them
abroad. And yet. persons who feel
themselves to be of superior clay and
need an official stamp on the clay to
demonstrate the fact might as we'll go
and be done. II would be "a good rid
dance of bad rubbish
If our aristoerats should all leave US
we should not be unconsolable- If they
should seek the pomp and circumstance
of imperial glory elsewhere there would
be less temptation to bring it here. If
they cannot endure our simple, COM
mon. democratic ways. it were better
for them to go like Astor than to in
troduce the things that Astor sought
when he went abroad
As a rule. unless there is some such
reason as impelled Benedict Arnold, an
American is too shrewd to exchange
the rights and independence of his
sovereign citizenship for the snubs and
sights that are the portion of an UNI
titled and ancestorless subject who
wants to swim in the sea of aristocracy.