The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-01

l clal equality continues. MIS. stuyvesant Fish of New York, in the course of a lengthy interview, | speaks out very frankly. Mrs. Fish has opinions of her own. and by dispensing them with prodigal lberality, she finds public comment turned for the present in her direction.
 It is difficult to advance any original views on the negro question. It has ex- hausted itself. Mrs. Fish has said noth- ing new but the way she says it is unique. 'I would not like to be Presi- dent or the wife of President says Mrs. Fish, flor l would not like to have to eat with negroes"
 This single paragraph leaves, of course. no doubt in the public mind as to Mrs Fishs standards. We do not eat with our servants.
 Mrs Fish, who Is socially interesting because she represents what Mrs. Astor did in the heyday of her social prestige gives us a new subject to discuss when in the course of her published interview she assumes the role of a national cen sor of dress and conduct
 Mrs. Roosevelt" says Mrs Fish, dresses on three hundred a year and looks it." In plain English the wife of the President looks dowdy if we accept Mrs, Fish's statement. The question of dress is always entertaining whether we practice economy or waste. We are al- lowed great liberties or, at least we take them. The trouble is in our disregard of the liberties of others. There are women who have nothing like three hundred year, and who manage to keep up ap- pearances. We wonder how they accom- plish it. and ask curious questions. Few persons could be made to believe that Mrs. Roosevelt is limited to three hun dred a year. She dresses with exquisite taste and handsomely Receiving and frequently, and with the reputation of being perfectly gowned on all occasions, 1t seems unreasonable that the wife of the President practices very rigid econ omy.
 Critcsing the limited allowance of per- sons is bad form. It is phase of snob. bery. Instead of attaching so much inn portanee to Mrs. Fishs rather sneering comments why not bridge the chasm that lies between economy and waste. Then Mrs. Roosevelt might succeed in making economy fashionable This would be far preferable than the specta- cle presented by a woman in the multi millionaire set criticising the domestic economy of others.
 After all however, people who know Mrs. Fish discredit the interview. The q fense.
 "Whatever may be said of Mrs. Fish she is not vulgar or unadylike in her talk or demeanor," comments the En- | qurer.
 Perhaps it is hardly worth while to l discuss the rest of the article, in which | she roasts' the Goelets for paying two million dollars for the Duke of Roxe- burghe and complains that the parvenus are making Newport q distressing place to live These and other things of like nature may be passed over with the sug- gestion that the author of the sentiments was enjoying pipe dream at the time they were written.
 There are good many lies told about society and society leaders, and these are probably responsible for Colonel Waiter sons horrid dreams of the national de- cadence. People in what are termed the highest grades of society are composed of the good, the bad and the indifferent, and such is the case in every stratum down to the lowest. The criticisms are largely based on ignorance and often given to gratify a malignant spite on the part of the envious Which Is why we repeat that We do not credit the inter- view. If it were true 1t would be time for sociologists to take the matter up in