The sun., 1900-12-15
sOefAg DISPLAY ~ Ssw foaR.
Ch.N, . r,eae~ Wsrsfse,s,ea ~ vs'sss
Sew.pseers.


To Tnr Enron ~ Tpt srs-sV ~ ,he
risk Of esh estins both your own ard your
readers pstience. I should Ike 10 refer "a
attn Another phaae NJ thu question ~ socla
daply brought ~, strangely enough. b.
Bishop Potter
~ recent years social "flnctlona, which
~" strictly private and have no public sR-
nncanc" and no significance whatever "H-
oapt " tho few people engaged In them have
received foremost attcrtion more ospora ally
from vulgar newspapers In those papers
ratinR and largely imaginary riotures -
balls. receptions. wrddlugs and whAt-not
ara printed almost daily and the faces Of
"soc nj queens. and 'socety buds" are made
o. Gll whole pasas with them goes tcNt
prepared In way and perhape with pur-
posoJ to provoke hostile public sentiment
or to excite public drrision. Gowns. jewels.
even lingerie are described with a partcu-
larity and an emphasis which could not be
exceeded In tho record and description Of
great events Of International Importance.
a mere dancing party for young people
under the supervision Of bored elders for
that IL about all the social function" most
'elaboratoly pictured usually is. IL treated
"a an affair of tremendous si9niil cance.
Dresses which are only the conventional
costumes for such occasions are described
rs II they were -Creations" novel in tho
world and peculiar 10 this time, when res ally.
barring changes In fashions. they are sub
etantislly the same u, they always were.
That Ia. the vulgarty OF the display Is In
the description rather than the society.
Amusements and social recre ations and
entertainments which are and always have
been insep rable from social Intercourse
and In themselves have no more significance
or Importance as public manifestations than
boys game Of marbles or girls play
with her doll house are written about as II
they were OF serious moment. People who
In themselves or their careers have shown
nothing emitting them 10 distinction are
paraded and pictured "a If they were heroes
ana heroines OF fascinating Interest for the
public Houses which are not distinguishable
In the character OF their appointments from
the abodes OF rich people generally are de-
scribed as If they were palaces as imi osing
in decoration as In historical association.
The commonplace. In fine. is elevated into
prominence. Social expenditure which is
merely within the average OF this country
by people who have large incomes. and be-
low the average in England. for instance. Is
spoken OF as marvellous profuseness.
The truth Is that t4e popularity with
American fortunes. one OF the reasons for
their rapid accumulation, is that relatively
t. Incomes here the expenditure Is small.
After a man has provided himself with u
house OF sufficient size. he can maze a social
display which will appali these newspapers
by an expenditure OF comparatively littlo
money In addition to his regular house,
hold outlay. The families In New York who
la,si itl,y rAA Nlsith hatr ..
comes or relatively 10 the expenditures Of
great English entertainers. for example,
are few In number: / even question IL any at
all are 10 be found. Our scale is low rather
than high. At any rate, the number OF rich
their income Is not small. Of course. AMeri-
can fortunes accumulate rapidly under such
circumstances. Their possessors are not
charged with the obligations Of expenditure.
social and traditional which tax aristocratio
owners of great English estates who are COM
PEELED to IL by public opinion whether they
enjoy the display or it irks them. Here a rich
man does as be chooses with his monev and
usually he piles IL up rather than scatters
abroad any share of II large enough to prevent
the rapid accumulation OF his fortune. IL is
all nonsense TO talk about the profuseness Of
our rich. They don't spend enough. Their
relative maSnincencs 10 not astonishing
The trouble Is In the vulgar prominence
given to such conventional social demon
stration "a thew make as II II was some
thing unhelrd Of In the world ordinary dano-
ing parties being lifted into seeming dis
tinction as tremendous social functions and
ordinary people elevated into notoriety as
81 they were splendid characters OF world
wide interest and importance.
New York has become a great capital.
People W no ma axe money In anv part of Amer
lea tend to gravitate hither as the best place
on this side of the Atlantic in which to buy
amusement or obtain notable social con o.
quence on account of It. A multitude Of
visitors ere always here for the special pur-
pose of buving In our markets and ENJOYING
the amusemeuts OF the town. They MI the
theatres and the public restaurants and the
shops. SO also we have a considerable circle
whose business Ia hunting for pleasure.
But none Of these make up New York In its
best social development, though they are all
welcome, for thcv distribute money and
make profitable trade.
An OLD NEW YORKER.
NEW YORK. Dec. IL,