The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-30
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Ne Fssr o. IN y Ameriean AristscsaSy 7
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/, TO THE EDITOR OF TEE SuN-Sir: Your
sditoriai Of to-day on the characteristics OF
ths ssmsrt set," % presented 10 . vulgar
psper which may be called it, special ofsan'
Expresses doubt Of the possibility OF ne Ok
Silence OF such q gang Of comedians playing
tie pert, of -fAshionsbse' distinction ana
X d true that there has been no parallel
TO such social dsvelopmentst any nmc n
past history or In any Other country enAn tnl.'
The Roman ssciety. - sstirised ~ Suyenu'
With the natural exasseraNon OF sattrS.
may have been more corrupt morally. bus
Il wss not 90 helpisssly childish. The -smArt
cot" Illustrated In the extracts You oucts
ID kihderssSten. tn banality saAnoss ":
conceivable. Its ambitions arc pstsy nna
lie occupations frivolous. How II b possteis
for group Of people to tssp tossAh1 Who
exhibit to each other such stlU anNgse2oS
may we'll surpriss you. but TIE faot ehl Ns
continued. II not inrsastns oohselon n-
dsputsbSs. 30 also y TIE fest shae ~ pan
ersphs you quote CORRECTLY AsscsIbs ~ on
ditions and indicate IT. tone. suGs
The patronage Of that "purveyor Of $780,
tattis' is largely. J might almost Gay chseI'
among the smart psoDls to whom 10 DE-
scsiptions relate. Have you not observed
in travelling abroad that Whenever you como
across Q crowd o. thsS sort Of Americans.
how eager they are to get hold OF shAt aston
ishinsiy vulgar papsff Happily. they are
90 few relatively TO our SrsAt pcpuiseen shss
thsir patronage. Ill tsid. = nst Of asntn'An0s
- social sy0peom.
Amons thssS people there b 4 mania for
notorfety. They arc not eootsns unless Shsy
Arc kept beaSeSeesly b>fora Ne public. 1hoy
vast 70 have their clothes dSssstbee ana 70
80 their pictures In print nv eaks pains
to advertise their wealth and ~ luxuStous-
ness Of their surroundings.
Yes, there never was anything like 1t before.
The reserve. the repose. the self-rsstssint
which used 70 b accounted the marks OF
doesn't brssdfns % NOT appear. Their feel
ins sous 70 b that 10 bs rich withost sd-
verifying the :act, 90 supreme In consequences
to themselves. u to lose Q main advantage
81 their good fortuna.
I hope, With ysu. that he scsndAleua OK
posure Of some Of their methods OF SELF
advertisement will prove corrective Even
anong these people. even in that kindergsr-
ten, there must be Sons who's hides are not
% thick that they arc absolutely impenetrable
to thu ridicule which those exposures have
produced. There must b remnant who
resent their exhibition - clowns for the snuse-
mont of the public: who must hsvs had
rood deal Of money long enough 10 have
learned that one OF the chief advantages OF
it, posjsssion 10 the Independence 1t gives and
emancipation from the nseeseity Of strugsiins
for social attention and nosof4sty. They
must have learned BY this time the diAcon,-
fort Of psrsdins wealth With brass band and
destroying the chances Of reposeful privacy
which are the highest Of Injuries. ...
Tho mass OF these people. howsves. are still
= .xs<> - ThAY Vant -
the onlookers With their sewgaE1. their
sorseously decorated costumes. and the bra
very Of their whols attire. Smart y ex-
actly what they most aspire TO be. 1t II .
wonder that thor don't wear. nose rings
What, for heavens sake, do such people
talk about when they ret together In their
much advertised 'bunohes'7 panality vies
with cheap and stale jest. Your correspon-
dents who write about solecisms Of speech.
the Auntidy spsech Of Mr.. Henry James-would
fnt; the din intolerable. Even whom the
pronunciation y not positively vile. the vooab-
ulsry II mean and painfully limited. Alas.
that must say It'll the voices OF the women.
shrill, nasal. unnelodious. make the chatter
of the bunch" distressful to . reasonably
cultivated ear. Beauty You VIII see moro
Of 1t at an East Side bali. Look At the box
circle Of tho opera. for example.
Really. II there u any circle Of people who
Ou6nC u0 RO>1Vsss W IVSihO w SOs sSA1U saA
they have polished thsmelves up . littas.
1t Is the smart set Brave clothes cannot
cover deformitiss Of the spirit.
Do you think take the thing TOO ssriouslyf
Do you think I exaSgerate trivial matter
into grave slenihcancef OF course, these
people are no more representative OF American
public sentiment and CT American moral
standards than are the scoundrsls In public
and corporate PLACES who have lately been OF.
posed to contempt: but they are taking pains
to advertise themselves 20 conspicu o0sly
and persisteutly that they are mischisvous.
People imagine that they represent IN In.
portant social tendency. though In truth
they are only morbid development
within narrow sphsre-oot comparatively.
but actually. All told, the smart sst, :
depleted In the extracts you quots today,
comprises only . few hundred men and
women out OF total American population
Of eighty millions; yet 20 bold u the sdvsr-
tisement Of them that people ignorant OF
their real insisnihcanoA are apt to imagine
that tho little 'bunch' 10 . great multitude
and that In thsm u typt1ed the aspiration
Of tho American people. =
Therefore II seems N mo that Il n desirable
to have them presented - they really arc.
and have seen no better picture Of them
than that which your editorial of to-day
gives. Poor people'i Miserable. wrstohsd
psople. who do NOT know how TO use the sifts
Of fortune vouohsafed them.
An American arlstooraoy'f Let 70 one
fear that Il win BE- ssnerated In that bunch
NBw Yoax. July -. A HUMsLn ClnanN.
rUE lHnRT RElrU 4Un Uvv mn