The Washington times., 1903-11-14

tn HAT clever satirist. James J..
Ford. has let himself loose on
certain phases Of New York life
in a book called The Brazen
Calf and those who read and smiled
over The Literary shop several years
ago viii enjoy this even better. Mr..
Ford's speciality is knocking down false
gods and in his latest foray he has
raised good deal of dust in doing It,
OF course. the people who really need
to read this book will never see 1T.
but that does not change the fact that
it is most good that such a book should
have been written. The extrava giant
and audacious outspokenness Of Mr..
Ford may encourage some who think
as ne does to stand by their timid little
convictions.
Hard on the Snebs.
he belabors first that class OF half
educated Americans which feeds It's
alleged intellect on the doings of the
smart set" and goes TO fashionable
weddings by hanging to the ratings Of
doorsteps opposite the church. Then
come those innocent but foolish persons
who desire to get their children and
themselves into circle Of "desirable"-
otherwise conspicuous and rich-people.
He might well have included In his con-
demnation certain modern Juvenile
books in which the difference between
select youngsters and other youngsters
is emphasized with care intended TO
prevent the development Of any danger
Gus democratic tendencies I'm childhood.
Then he goes for the type of wealthy
New Yorker who gives vegetable par
ties and is familiar with South Dakota
When the Poor Ape the Rich.
Finally and most usefully he dtclaims
against the folly OF people with g, 900 in
comes who try TO initiate what they
imagine TO be the life OF people with
500, 900 incomes When II comes to su-
burban villas OF cheap pretensions to
elegance. however, Mr. Ford really
should have some charity for the house
holder. who is too often obliged to live
not in the sort Of house he would like,
but IN the sort Of house that a real es-
tate Spectator imagines he would like
Trenchant Satire.
All the same. IL is refreshing to see
the cheap snobbery OF the day made ut
terly ridiculous. as Mr. Ford knows how
to make It. When one reads serious
statements in a fashion column that "a
lady cannot possibly do without a
thousand and one small Iuxuries. which
in the aggregate world cost several hun
dred dollars a year. one is moved TO
consider whether the inference intended
is that IT Is not possible TO be n lady
without a large income: whether the
old-time notion that iadyhood depended
on certain fine qualities of character
was utterly wrong. Some OF the titled
folk from whom tbe aristocrat OF today
is proud 20 be descended must have been
reduced row and then to very short com
mons. Why IS II more disereditsble to be
poor now than II was then? Why, indeed.
save that we have taken to worshIping
the Brazen Calf2
Fool Crop Never Fails.
There was probably always a Brazen
calf in some shape or other. Men not
yet old can remember the da:-s Of the
Second Empire. when French fashions
and obviously gathered wealth flooded
New York. older people can remember
the early days OF Saratoga. There have
always been circles in which fine feath-
ers were held to make fine birds But IL
does seem as II time came now and
then in which the worship Of fashion
submerged common sense Such a time
came In the early seventies; such a
time is upon US now. In the talk OF
the day, economy sinks from az art "a
a disaR reeable. almost disgraceful. ne
cessity: women who know how 10 dress
and nothing else-are set up as Ideals
there is a tendency to sneer at conscien-
tious folk as hypocrites and Pharisees
( and 20 assume that brains. while they
may be all very well in their way, are
hardly good form That is. one
observes this tendency in certain cir