The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-27
sOClETY'S DANGER SIGNAL.
Rev. DR.. Morgan Dix Warns Society of
Grave Evils.

New York, Dec. EFFICIENTLY the Rev.
Dr.. Morgan Dix preached sermon scor-
ing the luxuries and immoralities of the
rich and fashionable. Some years ago the
same prelate was an austere and gloomy
faced bachelor who preached on the cele-
ibacy of the priesthood. No Popish priest
ever advocated celibacy more ZealOusiy
or eloquently. And the pity Of it was,
the occupant of the Trinity pulpit was
the son Of General and afterward Gov
ernor Dix; an heir to his fortune and the
occupant of a good social position by
reason Of birth and station. Well, the
good doctor of divinity one day took down
his sign mo woman must have hopes of
me-" and announced his engagement to
be married. His features are no less
gloomy and his manner is no less austere
even though ne left the stony road or
bachelorhood to tread the primrose path
OF conjugality but, there are those who
have not forgotten, and some of them
are cynics They say: What kind OF q
back summersault does the venerable rec
tor of Trinity now propose; does he con-
denim wealth as he did celibacy prepara-
tory to embarking On rolllcklng course
of riotous expenditure of the Dix mil
lions?
Let these scoffers say what they will.
The Rev. DR.. Dix may we'll stand IN tie
read of fashion and wave aloft the danger
signal IT will not stop the procession.
Those to whom the good doctor signals
are blind They see nothing ahead, moth
ing menacing IN the track, they are more
blind than the noblesse in the red days
of the Terror. The fact IS that the ira
ditions OF good society-the good society
of the repubic-are as old nursery tales,
left to be told by granddames TO amuse
children. There is just one poWer-mon-
ey Those who made the fortunes are
gone or are going soon; those who spend
them are youths with the down on their
cheeks half turned to brlstles. They
spend money and they are adored BY
whom? BY those who stand outside ot
their circle. When one sees the rich and
the fashionables playing the game OF So
ciety at the horse show or at the opera
the spectacle is more amusing than serl
GUS The rich gowns, the costly jewels,
the airs and manners are all pretty play.
But when to that is added the assembled
throng that yaWps and stares at them
as though pearls fell from the lips OF the
women and gold from the mouths of the
men, one wonders what the Declaration
O. independence means anyway. This
| throng Is dazed, it admlres, it stares, 1t
acts as If hypnotiZed. Those who have
are worshpped by those who have not.
Is it strange then that those who have
not are despised by those who have? Is
| it not on the records that well-dresscd
women moved by curiosity, were lest to
self-respect when young Roxburghe mar
ried Miss Goelet did they not surge into
| the streets. sweep away the police and
block the passage of carriages? Sure,
lis it to be wondered at that the young Van
| derbilts, Goelets, Gerrys, Goulds, Astors,
think these strange creatures should be
driven over? Surely history told some
such story when Marie Antoinette was
young and beautiful.
These young men and their wives
spring from the cradle to seiZe the scepter
of our times-gold! They find themselves
regarded as superior beings. They be-
lieve they belong to class; and that
class has it's own laws. These they amend
as they have the laws of marriage and
divorce. Beyond that class the people