The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-08-01
Caste In Warious Countries.

ing condolences with Harvard students,
and governors of states are often seen
dining with them Especially when
they seek re-election). In fact, if a
has the necessary charm
of manner land some money there is
very little to prevent his becoming a
member of the Four Hundred. The
same reasoning applies to burglars.
Unfortunately, in England, the same
conditions do not apply. Let trades
man be ever SO refined, it will be diff
cult for him to cross the bar of the
and enter the haven where
he would be-unless he has consider
able amount of perseverance, aud some
money. To extend the application to
the other profession which men-
toned, very few burglars wives are
presented at court, as this distinction
is reserved entirely for the nobility,
the aristocracy and persons with some
money. While this is all unfair and
undemocratic arrangement, it has its
advantages from the point of view of
the people who are in society. Moth
ing is more debasing than to be Obliged
to sit in the same relation as regards
the salt with those who should by
every decree of custom be beneath you.
A mans, and in every degree wom-
ans, character suffers terribly from
his being obliged to dine with some
body unacquainted with the use of
fish-knives. Untold anguish has been
caused and countless homes have been
wrecked by the conduct of husbands
in inviting plebeian guests who would
drink whisky and water in their finger
glasses.
Of course, there are exceptions to
the hard-and- fast rules which govern
admittanee into the charmed circle OF
British society. The aristOcracy, OF
Great Britain, am proud to assert, is
ever ready to open its arms to the real
benefactors of humanity. And who
can be acclaimed the real benefactOrs
| of humanity, if not those who have
made it their mission in life to supply
the necessities of life, for moderately
/ reasonable consideration, not to one
/ class alone but to all classes? Such
/ men as Lord Iveagh, whose beer is al
most world-famous, and that Jupiter
of the tea-trade, Sir Thomas Upton
these are the benefactors OF whom
| speak.
4 1t has been the endeavor of this pa
per to show (tho you might never have
guessed it) that caste in the true sense
Of the word is obsolete, extinct, dodo
like, in modern civilization, and tina
its place has been taken by a simple
and more logical system. Society ma.
be divided into classes at present &C
curately enough as follows: Thos'
who are rolling in riches, those will
dough sticking to their fingers, an,
those without. Exceptions must b.
made of course; here and there role
may commit some terrible solecisn
and be relegated to the ranks of tn
stickers, here and there an aristocrati
: sticker may succeed in retaining tn
place of his fOrefathers among tn
rollers, while many shabby, gentee
third-class family maintains precar
! GUS foothold in the second class. -
But the effect of this more logics
Q system has not been to allay the dil
0 content of those at the base of tn
! pyramid. 1t is not of very much a.
count to the sweat-shop worker whetl
Q or the lady going past in her carriae
Il came over with William the Conquere
d or in the Msyflower or obtained ht
g passport thru q sudden rise in hog
d 1t does not make her any less aggr'
n waiting to him; and he does not hesitai
6 to express his conviction that she is
% mere spender OF unearned incremen
u You cannot move him BY arguing
o length that such conditions have 9
d ways existed and must always exii
r nor can you persuade him by al
r manner OF means that there is not
= fearful injustice in it all. What q
8 you do to appeal to his prejudice