Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-05-29
DANGER OF CLASSES
GROWING DISLIKE FOR THE. DECLA-
RATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

RATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
Manifestations of an Un-American
Spirit-The Aristocracy Of Wealth
That Expects the Worker to ssKnow
His Place."
In a call made by me yesterday the
mother of certain children said: Its
too bad, this mixing up of classes now
going on here in the Brookline -
school. I've decided to take my daugh-
ter out and send her to the - private
school,"
Only the other week another lady
said to me in speaking Of newly mar
ried couple: 'She's already having her
domestic troubles. Why, do you know
her seamstress has left her because she
was made to eat down stairs with the
other servants!"
Evidently, then, these two women be-
lieve in classes and in maintaining
them, whatever you and l, Mr.. Editor.
believe to the contrary. No one who
gees to any of our fashionable sum-
mer resorts, such as Newport, Lenox o.
Manchester, can have any doubt that
many others share in this same belief.
I have heard it said more than once
that it was necessary to bring from
England buffers and upper servants
because they know their place." Not
all Americans, we may presume, know
their place" or wish to be thought OF
as of different class.
One noticeable difference between
such new states as Colorado, California
and Oregon on the one hand and such
older states as Massachusetts. New
York and Pennsylvania on the other
! hand is in the fact that in these newer
states society has not yet hardened.
Wealth does not mean social differ
ence. The Declaration of Indeperd-
ence is still believed In, and there is
something like real equality. 1 pre-
sumo it is inevitable as the United
States grows and becomes more COM
pick for people to separate and divide
| into classes. but it is most unfortunate
| that this separation is so largely along
accumula ton of dollars and cents.
In Europe, where differences are &C
knowledged, the upper classes, with
! their privileges, have responsibilities
, In America our SO called upper class
, es" wish the privileges implied by that
: term, but are not willing to accept the
! responsibilities.
] am sorry to notice here in New
! England the growth of an un-Ameri
!: can spirit. There are some men anG
] women among lis who cannot treat
others as their equals. They either look
up or down at their neighbors. They
do not like the Declaration of InGe
pendence. 1t is suhverSive, they to!
us, of "vestcd rights They have :;
sneaking regret that Thomas Jefferson
did not die while teething. They arc
| much interested in the question. "Whc
| is the first lady in the land?' There i:
no first lady in the land. Let thai
statement be automatic.
! Most Of us are optimistic. We say
"Ou!y three generations from shir
sleeves to shirt sleeves" I am not sc
sure Of that Certain wealthy families
are in the fifth and sixth generation
and see no signs of the younger gen
GRAFTON returning to the ranks of tht
workers..
| Divisions into caste and class may
not be so unfortunate as the American
! patriot imagines if all persons, whethe,
! the so called upper or lower classes
are actuated by high and disinterested
motives All, there's the danger! AS
we divide and separate we lose inter
est in the neighbor who is not of our
set and then soon lose sympathy. This
| alienation of interest and sympathy
| leads on to misunderstanding and en-
| nifty, leads on finally to riots and revo.
| luton.
Those Americans who really believe in
the basic principles of our government
should do all that lies in their power
to lessen this tendency toward caste
| and clique. Social differences need not
harden. Much can be done by the
| newspaper and the church.-Rev.
Thomas Van Ness in Boston Globe.
Not Too Old to Work.