The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-14
Tho Penalty OF "smartness."

Among the exposures OF moral turpi-
tude which are now clearing the air the
revelation Of scheme to make profit out
of a spirit of snobbishness is Of incidental
suggestiveness Since the rise and devel-
opment of an ostentatious circle OF society
now vulgarly designated as "the smart
SET but originally called "the 400, an
inviting field for that sort of predatory
enterprise has been opened.
In the first place, there is a silly and
vulgar ambition among certain people
to have their names included in that
smart set," and next, the social ante
cedents of such strugglers are likely to
afford opportunities for idle histories
or references to their progress in getting
up the social ladder whose printing
might be disagreeable to them. Such
narratives usually relate to no moral
offenses of whose publication they need
to be ashamed. They tell rather of adj
vancement from humble and obscure
places by reason of abilities whose at
tribution to them should rather be a
cause Of pride.
Among the people OF present fashion,
able prominence in New York there are
very few whose names were known In
that society generation ago-very few
in the box circle at the opera, for ex-
ample. Nor are there dozen families
in New York which bring down social
distinction from the early days of this
town antecedent to the Revolution.
Even of these the beginnings of nearly
all were relatively humble They be-
gan usually as merchants or shopkeep-
ers in a small way. Such families have
reason to boast of the progress made by
their ancestors in wealth obtained and!
preserved by the exercise of unusual
ability or prudence-though their for
tunes are due often to the mere accident
OF the rise in real estate; but as measured
by artificial aristocratic standards they
are not distinguished from the middle
class" The frequent English reference
to America as middle class country,
according to tn, old feudal social stand
ard, is not without Justification; but it
is applicable to the great mass Of the
present English arstocracy itself, when
antecedents are taken into considera-
ton. As applied to this Republic it is
q designation Of honor.
This is country which has risen from
poverty to wealth in century. Except
for q stray scion of aristocracy here and
there, usually black sheep, it was set
tied by people in humble places socially
and in the early days they had hard
struggle for bare living, Read the
narratives of foreign travellers in the
American colonies of that period. Even
the relative luxury described in large
towns like New York, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton, Baltimore and Charleston was fru-
gality as compared with the present
social display. Even the luxury of
generation ago was comparatively
simple life" OF the sort of residential
establishments which wealth now de-
mands there was not one in New York
at that time.
So rapid progress from relative sim
plicty of living to the grandeur with
which wealth and social display now
surround themselves has afforded an
opportunity to the predatory society
paper" to make contrast between past
and present conditions which Is ex-
quisitely painful to the spirit OF snob-
bishness.
Moreover, there has grown up dis
tinct body of men and women who go
into the business Of the social detective
as a means of making living-though
sometimes only for the sake of crafty
ing grudGes. Recently a wretched
woman of the streets killed pimr who
lived on the wages of her degradation
and he was representative Of a more or
less numerous class of men in this town
who thrive thus detestably-of whom
the cadets of the East Side are ex-
amplcs. Eut not far above these NOR