New-York tribune., 1902-12-29
Social ENGLAND.
The Hatopp Diporce Case-Some
of the Issues Which Uyerc Not
Submitted TO the Jury.
London, December Il.


faithful Jenkins. whose ruling passion is idola-
trous love of rank and srnartness. With a dis
dainfuI shrug of the shoulders he eXclaims,
"A bad lot all around.' and in outburst OF
stark naked candor confesses that society has
become quite shameless The representative
character of the two main actors in this sordid
and debased drama of the law courts is dis
closed by the testimony of the Duke of Devon
shire that S:r Charles Hartopp and Lady Har-
topp had been his guests at Chatsworth several
times Their marriage seven eight years
ago was social event, for the bridegroom was
a baronet with an estate of ZOO acres and
military record as an officer of a crack regi-
ment the Scots Guards, and the bride was the
daughter of Mr.. Charles II. Wilson, Member OF
Parliament for Hull who had married daugh-
ter of Colonel Wellesley. nephew OF the great
Duke of Wellington, amassed fortune aS d
shipowner and entertained the smartest OF the
smart both in Grosvenor Square and also III
Yorkshire and Scotland. where he had estates
of over nine thousand acres. They have oeeh
privileged guests at country houses and familiar
figures in the hunting field and at the racing
courses and in the end they have brought their
servants into court to prove their charges ana
countercharges against each other. with the ad-
ventitious aid of private detectives, cabmen and
eavesdroppers of every degree While jenkins Is
fairly aghast at so shocking an exhibition OF
had form. sterner moralists are Justlhed IN
lamenting the decadence of society ana the
degradation of current manners.
There is no suggestion of fantasy in this
drama of life above and below stairs as it has
been enacted In Justice Barnes's court. yet there
is travesty upon social equality and re'uii II
to nature. as in Mr.. Barrie,s THE Admirable
Crichton.' The servants are not asked to tea
in the drawing room. but they are summoned to
the law courts with their diaries and note
books to make known the results Of their OBJ
servations and reflections respecting the doInes-
tic relations of the Baronet and Lady Hartopp,
and the grounds of complaint which each mad
against the other concerning Lord Cowiey on
/ one side and an actress the other. Whether
the principals and their fashionable or sporting
! acouaintances have testified. or the Wallets,
maids. housekeepers and cabmen have repeated
direct condolences, keyhole observations or In
! ferences of the servants hall, there has been g
| common level of soroidnesS, vulgarity and IN
! decency There has been reversion 70 a state
! of nature in which master and menial, mistress
and maid are alike suspicious and degenerate.
/ because the tendencies Of smart society anu
fast life in the hunting field and the racing
course have convinced them that whatever is is
| wrong There is no Admirable Crichton in this
vulgar drama OF high life although the divorced
Lord Cowley has been exhibited handy
/
| lawn moving and in place Of an English house
| hold reduced to fantastic topsy-turvydom there
| is realistic representation Of domestic es-
| arrangement and chickering's in the tainted at
| mosphere and sordfd vulgarity OF Mayfair ano
| thecountry houses. In Mr.. Barries play every
| body is brought back in the closing act to his
| or her rightful place, the solemn butler leadiHe
| off Tweeny to be mistress of a public house IN
| the better end Of Harrow Road and the earfs
| daughter being suitably paired off In accord
| ance with the conventions which have been tenn
| porarily suspended among castaWays IL
| tropical island. In the Hartopp divorce case the
| circle has also been rounded out, and husband
| and wife living apart, but legally bound To-
| gether by marriage conventions, are LETT pre-
| cisely where they were. The jury by dlsmlsslnt
both petitions for divorce have technically vinol
| Gated the reputation Of both Sir Charles Hartopi
and Lady Hartopp, or. at least, have declared
| that neither has proved the charges asaiils
the other The learned counsel have secured tn
acQuittal of their clients and have falieo 10 cOii
vince the jury that the principals have peel
guilty Of anything except bad form and pleasur
able idliug demoralizing in its tendencies
Justice Barnes in his charge to the jury Il
this remarkable case warned them that the
were not censors Of public morals ana iiioi
vidual habits Of life. They were not called upo
to express approval OF disapproval OF the wa
| in which these rich and fashionable people "er
| spending their lives and making use OF their Ia
I ents. They had three definite issues TO dc
| feminine and were not to concern themselve
| with general reflections upon the course OF con
| duct of idlers, who had no employment in Ii.
| axoan+ the n1,rsuit Of pleasure in their own way
| Tbase considerations, with the enforcement
the Roman maxim that "the burden or proc
| lies upon the party who asserts the ailifHia
! tive" have enabled the jury to render IN th
course Of few hours verdict equivalent 10 IL
| SCOTCH "rlot proven" The case however, as
has gone before the public has broader issue
! than the reputation and privilege or remarrlas
, | OF either principal. It involves the Vacuou
Measures and airless existence of pamperet
| Ieisured and privileged classes. who are hvin
1,,1urtously, claiming the distinction OF peihg
tho hest sets and Of knowing the best peopi
ord breathing the subtle incense of publicity
oc;etv and daily Journalism Smart socle'.
which is accustomed to faunt its emulous ostei
tation and enfeeblng recreations In the race
o- less favored classes, has been on exhlbitlon
1ustioe harness court, and 1T has been seen
its worst. ,s,,s
Not long ago we'll known novelist was ashe
; why the fobles and vices OF the smart sets wei
M, sa+trized in current fiction, and why ne
. T,ook of Snobs not written. My Gear Ie
low" he replied, ''Thackerays art "ouiu
or,i-eIv out of place in these times Ihir'
= WARS ago rank and titles represented Dioo
b,gb breeding and stately manners ana WIZ
r there were degenerates in high stauoh "ho'
foIIies and arrogance could be playIuHS a"'i
tad the exceptions only served TO prove u
| r,,,e that society was essentially soulio oi
decent That cannot now be said. iaoiatry
Z | ,,,onev and smartness has taken the place oi Il
g snect for rank and birth Society mas peeh -
t -arized and corrupted until it has become
= I 1oer that 1T cannot De HIdS