The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-10-02
THE SMART SET.
NSsailcd by the Courier r-JouruoI
ana The Atlanta News.
Colonel William =. Calhoun IN ,,,,.,,,
Chronicle.

Colonel William p. Calhoun in Aur,a,,
Chronicle
Horny Watterson, editor of ,bo
Couricr-JOurnal of Louisville. Kv
and John Tomple Graves, editor Of
The Atlanta (Ga.) DAILY News, fight
ing side by side tho " smart set" in
society, piercing it with lance, daggc,
and sword, is good sign. Here YOU
find coupled together two warriors OF
tried valor, worthy of any mans steel
1t makes the heart rejoice to sec men
Of that stamp conforming the sins of
which we call in this day and time
society (?), the smart set or the 400 of
our cities. Tho craze has sproad to
smaller towns, whose people consider
thems, lvos up TO date, advanced and
in the swim when they ape the coarse
and vulgar manners of some of the
people of the United States.
Three years ago, first called atten-
ton to tho awful state of society
among certain people who sot thom.
selves up as society leaders. -Four
weeks ago, while editing tho Green
vile Daily Nows, again took tho mat.
tor up and Expressed myself in no
doubtful terms.
Watterson and Graves are following
that lead; and right they arc in doing
so. 1t is right to let the world know
that such conduct as tho smart set"
is guilty of is condemned by right
thinking people. 1t is right to thus
mako the attompt to purify society and
keep it up to that high standard that
formerly existed. 1t is right to con-
denim it, in order that the young mon
and young womon now growing up
may be protected from its evil in
ilucnccs. And it is right for many |
other reasons.
The Older married mon and women |
cannot be injured very much. Their
characters arc formed, but, good hcav-
cnsl look at the young men and young
women and consider what tho effect is
OH them. Have you talked with some
OF thom who delight in being advanced,
and who want to get into what thor
perverted minds call society? TO hear
them talk is appalling. TO hear them
defend the kind of society montionod
is sickoning beyond measure.
Aye, thero is whore the great harm
is being done. 1t is the influence that
such bad conduct is having on the
young. Some Of them arc inclined to
ape every fad of the fast set, and to
defend thoir course by quoting from
the fast society people, who arc trying
to pcrvcrt decent society and turn it
into degradation.
| admit freely that the Eotoricty
given those people by tho press has
much to do with the mad and wild
careers of many people, who now con-
sidcr themselves in society The pa
pors make very little, if any, distinc-
tons. They do not count tho cost of
their conduct and it's influence on 90
cieLy.
There seems to be a desire among
the fast set for each to outdo tho other
in their wild folly, and call it up-to-late
society.
There is, however, in the land an
other set of real socicty people, truo
men, and, God bless them, true wo-
men. Women who arc as pure as it
ls possible for m0rtals to be; men and
women they arc who do honor to thoir
race. What can they do? They seem
TO bo powcrlcss to stem the tide or re-
call their crring brothers and sisters to
a sonse of their duties to society. The
rich fast set rolls high and tho poorer
ones 40 their best to follow.