Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-04-24
ARIsTOcRACy OF GENIUS
Is AdVOcOted BY Senator Chauscey NJ
DepeW, Of New York.

Special to the Leader.
New York, April 90. Speaking az .
dinner at the Montauk club in Brook.
lyn, Senator Chauncey M. Depew de-
cried the tendency to great wealth
which he said was too prevalent, in
this country, and put in strong plea
for an aristocracy of genius,
Our millionaire exclusives he
said, bar the doors and refuse to lei
in upon a social equality these rep
resentatives of intelligent achieve
ment. They seek to make all except
the possessors of exaggerated incomes
socially second class.
"The result is seen in the resent
ment which well informed people are
discovering to exist and to be growing
among those who educate. who form
and who guide public opinion and
whose teaching ultimately crystalline
into laws against the holding or devils
ing of great wealth.
I'VE can never have a social life as
full and rich, as valued and valuable,
as our prodigality of genius and cul-
ture could make distinguished or raise
it above gossip, frivolity, shop and To-
cal affairs, or as that of the great cap
itals of the old world, until those who
have been blessed with the abundance
which enables them to entertain shall
recognize the power and pleasure of
the salon with its infinite variety of
talent and requirements regardless of
money"
The occasion was the Senator's tenth
birthday celebration, as the Mon
tauk club of Brooklyn sees it, for since
the organization began giving him
dinner on the important anniversary,
he may be considered as having be-
gun to live.
Bridge whist, billion-dollar combi-
nations, the honesty and high purpose
of the United States Senate. were deft-
ly touched by the spell of his after din
ner oratory.
Society journals" said the Senator,
SAY that we must learn to play bridge
whist or drop out, and, if out. we can
never get in our best society. There
are other social occupations than
bridge whist and the gamble.
'In Tallyrand's world and period,
life of dissimulation and lying, in an
where it was honorable, if
successful, to deceive and even sell out
ones party or country, by the time
the man pasesd his meridian his rot
tenness had been so thoroughly dis
covered that he could only play soli-
taire or cards with as great liars and
cheats as himself. But for us, hap
PLY, the infinite variety and kaleido-
scopic opportunities for activities in
useful, improving and ENJOYABLE paths
were never so great as in this year of
grace"
Speaking of the big steel combina-
ton Mr.. Depew said:
Marvellous as has been the devel-
Opment of corporate combinations and
capitalizations it is not nearly as won
1erful as the advance in public opinion
in the twelve months.
The animal most frequently seen
upon the pages of large portion of
the press of the United States during
the canvass of 1900 and brought out
upon the platform at every meeting of
one party, was the octopus. 1t fright
ened millions of voters.
"A billion-dollar corporation formed
in October might have reversed the
November verdicts, and yet such has
been the march of public opinion, ow-
ing to the marvellous conditions which
have come up within a few months,
that the formation of 81 900 600 900
company frightens nobody, and is not
even the subject of extended editorial
comment in the pages of The Com
AhS oShaIOl sdiu IHdI ne WAS great
" impressed with the United States
Senate and was sure that it might be
aiken for granted that the members
represented the intelligence and char
acter of their districts.
He rebuked the tendency of nations
70 loot China and congratulated the
country on the happy termination OF
her foreign policies