The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-13
GOVERNOR ON
CITY SOCIETY
Guthrie Social Circles Are
Somewhat Aroused.
EDITORIAL CAUSES TALK
Is There Any Personal AIIuslon
in the Article?
EDITORIAL CAUSES TALK

social circles and the query is often hade
ITO whom does the article refer"
Guthrie has womens clubs in profusion.
and the members of these organizations
have mad an inaxhaustible topic for de-
bate Women have asked each other IN
Vulnerable questions ever since the phone
and CHESTERFIELD 5" in Guthrie society
questioned whether or not, the society
editor of the Republican referred TO
them in an indirect manner.
Governor Ferguson, as is well known
is -agin" society of the present tune.
When the representative Of the Eagle
ouerfed the governor on the origin Of the
article that official merely smiled and
talked Of official matters Governor Fer
guson deity turned the conversation
away from society" each time that
theme was mentioned, but he is appar-
entity having as much amusement as any
one. over the effort of the society editor"
of the Republican.
The article in full is as follows:
Some people are wise and some are
otherwise" Some are natural and some
are unnatural Some are sincere ana
some are insincere. Some are consistent
and some are inconsistent. Some are
lust what they claim to be. try TO be. and
some assume to be what they are not
and what they cannot be. The latter
are apish and try to initiate. A study Of
humanity along this line is more interest
ing than the study of any other branch
of natural history. To assume TO he
what we are not IS one of the frailties
that has chung TO the race of Adam ever
since apple picking time in far away
Eden. 1t is just as natural for some peo-
pie to assume as il is TO breathe.
This holds good socially among a GER
class in the superlative degree. 1t is
amusing to watch some people perform
in the arena. In that sphere the assumer
assumes more brilliantly" than in any
other place known TO mortals.
What is social etiquette? What con-
stitutes society polish?' The world an
swers the question different ways.
Some people seem TO think that what con-
stitutes the real social swell is for
man to don a spike tail coat, wear a
faultless shirt front, look wise, and try TO
initiate the social stunts of the away
uppers He may not be able to converse
for one half minute on any topic, he may
be ignorant and unlettered. His mind
may lack all the polish that is really nee
essary in the make up of a gentleman,
yet with a certain class of unlearned, I'M
educated people who try to ape after
certain ideals of away up" society he
passes as model Notwithstanding the
fact that his mind has neither culture
nor polish and he horribly butchers the
ideals that he assumes to follow The
writer can call 10 mind one character
which serves as a good illustration o.
this thought A certain social "stunter"
of the spike tail coat brigade has IN
some mysterious manner gained repu-
tation for grace and polish. He has at
some tlmei impressed upon his fellows
the idea that he was 4 polished king.
grace itself a regular incarnation of all
the elements necessary to make UP a
whole constellation of social stars. Some
people have believed that this social lum-
mary ranks right up in the same class
with Sir John Chestereld or in fact they
believe that he is q calf bound edition
of that judge of good wine, prince Of gay
fellows, and king of the drawing room.
The writer had heard much about this
modern relic of the Chesterfield regime
had heard how sweet ladies had almost
quarreled among themselves for an OPP
portunity to talk TO him while he was
doing the Chesterheldian stunt" how
they had "dubbed'' him prince" king"
grace itself" etc-and many other eX-
pressions which emanated from much ad-
miration and little gray matter There
was an intense longing to behold this
king" of grace upon his native health
performing in manner that would cause
the shade OF Sir John Chesterfield to re
move its head gear and essay one of those
graceful bows once famous throughout
all Europe. The opportunity came at
last. At dinner given to a large number
Of guests by royal host, the much de-
sired event came about This king"
this incarnation of grace itself" was
there.
The guests were seated at the table and
while the preliminary skirmishes were GO
Ing on. the writer embraced an oppo--
tunity to size up this modern representa-
tive of a polished arts. 1t was naturally
anticipated that so thoroughly polished
was the modern star that when the flies
attempted TO promenade over his manners
they would slip and break their necks-
\ close observation revealed the fact
that if the gentleman possessed polish
1t >was not in the mind. as he seemed
unable TO discuss either literature or cur
cent events. The subject Of education
was introduced, vet this grace ITSELF
was not inthe deal He fel down and
tumhled all over himself on literature and
gave a prominent club woman nervous
shock, by remarking that Mark Twain
wrote Ben Hur. Il did not end there
This modern knight electrified the marty
by us!ng his napkin 10 blow his nose -
But he added a few more chips to the
game by using the same cloth TO erase
the debris from the corner. OF his ewes
ana performed gymnastics and cut divers
capers which would have caused Edward
Box 10 gravi;ate twenty thousand leagues
skyward in less time than Missouri
legislator can snap up a thousand dollar
William. In short IL is.sppsrent tbs, ri
polished 90 knight OF the socia, a~a,s
this honized here Of innocent society
ladies. whose unsuspec;ing heads had
never been invaded by 4 single idea. was
not polished. was not grace itself" was
not king but simply delusIon a
chimera, socially Speaking. the incarna-
ton Of practical joke. unIettered. devoid
of polish either In mind or manner
So II Is along the line or mortal ex-
periences. Things are not always what
they seem. Actors upon the stage of life
are not always what they appear 10 be.
People some times do some very foolish