The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1902-08-28
UnYeiling Of the
MilliOnaireS.

All this is merely a DEPRESSION. What
we wish to speak Of is not the idola-
tory of our psillionaires-God bless
them but OF their danger. They
are making themselves too common.
They are letting themselves to be in
terviewed too much They are per-
hitting their wives diamonds to be
flaunted too conspicuously in the ad-
oring columns of the society papers;
they are allowing their daughters
underwear to be Haunted too osten-
tatiously on the ancestral clothes
lines of the yellow press. They are
ceasng to be secretive. They are los
ing the mystery which chung around
the demigods of ancient Greece They
are permitting themselves to be spok-
en- of Familiarity as were the paling
gods and goddesses when Pantheism
decayed with the later Roman EN-
pire. In short we note with pain that
there is in progress a gradual unveil-
ing of the American millionaire.
Instances of this deplorable icono-
clasm take place now almost daily.
The most recent is the curious advsn-
ture of Attorney GeneraA Knox and
the three Pennsylvania millionaires.
(This, by the way, sounds singularly
like the title of Stevenson's story of
THE Strange Adventure of the Young
Man Bearing the Dish of Cream
Tarts.~ Attorney General Knox. it
seems, entered cafe at Atlantic City
with party of ladies and gentlemen.
At the next table were seated the
three Pennsylvania millionaires. 1t
appears that the three Pennsylvania
millionaires dislike Attorney General
Knox's attitude toward trusts. They
expressed their dislike in loud tones.
Attorney General Knox, not many
months ago, was a friend of the
trusts, but now that he is in the Ca
binet. he is their enemy, President
Roosevelts Cabinet officers are all
friends of the people. Attorney Gen.
eral Knoxs views, like those of most
converts, are very partisan, He is
now bitter enemy of the trusts. and
strong friend of the people.
The three Pennsylvania millionaires
were flushed with wine. American
millionaires always drink champagne
| freely, and always call it Opening
wlne"-that is, they drink it freely
up to the age of about fifty, when
/ they go to Carlsbad and never drink
! it any more. Flushed with cham.
payne, the three Pennsylvania million
aires INDUCED in merry gibes ard
| jests at Attorney General KncA's re.
| cent conversion TO antitrust ideas.
Attorney General Knox could not
brook these jestB, so he sent waiter
to request their discontinuance.
Failing in this, he withdrew with his
| ladies' and, returning, told the three
Pennsylvania millionaires that they
were mo gentlemen" No gentleman
will submit to being called mo gen.
tleman." Even those who are not
gentlemen resent being told so. The
three Pennsylvania mllionaires fl.
ercely attacked Attorney General
Knox by company front. Walters in
tervened and the belligerents were
disentangled.
But the matter did not end there.
A cloud of gossip followed in the vel
low dailies-interviews; charges; de.
malls; counterdsnials; remarks
about black eyes and bloody noses:
sneers about how the other fellow
looks" scientific ring talk about
"short-arm punches" and elbows over
lsthe solar plexus;" all winding up
with taunts from both sides that the
casualties were all on the other, and
final statements from the business
associates of all the belligerents that
The alleged principals were not at
Atlantic City at all,
Now all these matters are ex
tremely regrettable, OF course. quar-.
rels in cafes among persons heated
with vine are always TO be deplored.
But those ordinary quarrels are not
matters OF moment. 1t is scraps of
plutocrats. the mix ups of Million
aires, that We deplore OF course we
know that the possession of great
wealth does not entirely allay the
passions of men, although it notably
cools them. But the American MILL.
onaire should reflect upon the posi-
ton he occupies. He is more than
a millionaire-he is his countrys dc.
migod, its idol, its hero. In our ai
| Grafton of wealth We have thr,lst all