Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-30
PUBLICITY FOR PRIVATE AFFAIRS.
AbSurdities to Which Growing Crase
for Personal NOtOriety Leads.
RrookIvn Eagia

for Personal NOtOriety Leads.
Brooklyn Eagle.
The increasing publicity that is given to
private AFFAIRS may betoken an increasing
brotherhood In the race, that justihes every
member of 1t In what would once have
seemed like impertinent inquiries into the
finances, family relations, industries and
fads Of every other member; or 1t may be
denote an increasing willingness on the
part Of people who do not see q clear way
to fame in any other direction, to attain it
by opening ths parlor windows that the
under world may see the doings of the
over world on reception and dinner nights;
or 1t may be merely a part of modern news
paper enterprise that conceives the survival
in cities Of the gossiping spirit of the CEN
fury. Anyhow, we have the publicity, and
there is nc doubt that it is increasing, like
the material fortunes that occasion the
most Of It.
In no other thing do we md so remarkable
an explanation Of affairs that are none Of
the pubiic's business as In weddings. II
cannot be alleged that there is anything
uncommon about weddings, They are hap
pening every hour, all over the world, and
they involve in happiness or trouble every
sort and shade of people. They are not
quite so usual as births and deaths, but
they are almost. One would think that they
deserved no more advertising than does the
conduct Of q grocery or the taking of a va
cation. Yet, II either party to the marriage
contract has a certain number of dollars,
be sure that the outer world will know all
about the wedding. We shall have full re-
ports OF what is worn the food at the break
fast will be described, critical comment on
the frock-coats and ~coatless frocks of the
invited will be furnished by experts, there
will be a complete list Of that noble army
Of stapdbys known as among those pres
ent," bride and groom will be watched as
they enter the church and II either of them
ninches or repents or cuts a caper Of Joy,
the report will be sent to a syndicate Of
newspapers all over the land, and finally
there will be pictures Of the bride, the
groom, the parents of both, the house Of
each family, the house OF hotel Of the young
couple, the decorated dining room, the
church, the table covered with presents, and
at least one enterprising paper has beaten
various contemporaries by furnishing pic
lures Of the brides most intimate raiment.
Well, II the persons In interest like this
kind of thing they have plenty of what they
like. Yet there Is a lingering and old
fashioned sentiment that private affairs,
Il llhC luuGlalbs N0hAhbo y
ceptions, balls and dinners concern only
participants and relatives. and as there is
a certain similarity in these functions,
which enables the reader to draw infer
ences from verbal outlines, there need be
at least no extended description. Probably
a few people employed in monotonous
tasks at low wages like to read about the
way people of monotonous leisure make
tasks for themselves by the distribution Of
high incomes. Just as 1t is said that the
most confirmed readers OF society news in
London are the servants, but to the mass
Of Americans 1t can matter little whether
Miss Smythe-Perkins goes to the altar In
a white organdie with mauve swiss biased
on the etamine. or in a purple velour gar
nished with ~percales and foulards sewed in
the cores. Nor can the parents OF Miss
smythe-Perkins, nor the husband OF her,
conceive how the public can be lifted or
educated or amused or In anywise inter
ested in the matter. Yet. for some reason
there is an ever greater tendency TO ex-
ploit the private doings OF private families
aud open the doors Of private houses to
the gaze Of the unrelated multitude.
Is It worth while, as a matter Of news,
and Is the tendency commendable? Does
not the giving of national publicity TO at
fairs that are Of only personal or lOctl
consequence tend to invasions OF privacy
that sometimes encroach on right and de-
cency, and also intensity that struggle for
notice on the part Of those who by en-
dowment. occupations. aims or charities
have done nothing TO deserve II? And, as
rich families increase and the papers are
more and more filled with accounts of their
eating. drinking. driving and giving Of par
ties, will not the people who are busy about
matters Of more consequence sicken Of 1t
and ask for a return to the publication Of
newsf II so. the evil is one that will cure
itself.