The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-05

! The New York paper which does not
boast that the metropolis leads in every
/ imaginable way is an exception TO the
rule. Ordinarily there is more or less dis
sent on the part of that portion Of the
public which realizes that all of the
United States does not lie east of Jersey
City and south of Yonkers. but, for obvi-
Gus reasons, we think there will be gen.
/ eral agreement with the following decla-
ration from the New York World:
/ New York has finally reached q point at which
1t can boast of the noisiest, most expensive. most
vulgar New Years celebration in the whole civilized
world
! Though this tribute to the city's suprem-
lacy is left handed" and was intended
/ 10 be so by the man who wrote 80, the
average up-to-date New Yorker will &C
cept the declaration as a splendid com
/ plment Otherwise he wouldn't be an
average, up-to-dste New Yorker But
other people, including considerable
number in the metropolis itself viii
take the opposite and proper view, and be
accordingly ashamed of the performances
which inspired the Worlds paragraph.
The reason for celebrating the advent OF
the New Year as it is celebrated in New
/ York is almost as obscure as the reason
for the custom. prevalent in many parts
/ OF the South, of observing Christmas by
/ a lavish consumption of fireworks. the ef-
| feet being to turn the anniversary of the
birth of the Saviour into a carnival of noise
/ and manning similar to the Fourth of
/ July in other sections The last is per
/ haps the worse but the first is certainly
more than bad enough. There is more OF
! less carousing in all cities on New Year S
I Eve. but as the World SAYS the Amer
! lean metropolis heads the list. The object
| Of the thousands OF ceIebrants seems to be
70 make as much noise, drink as much
/ liquor, spend as much money, and make
as great a display of themselves as pos
sible. Large sums are paid to insure the
reservation. weeks in advance. OF tables
Tin the popular restaurants. especially
those of Broadway and the Tenderloin
district generally, where everything
J goes. All such places are packed Il
/ the doors early on the last night OF the
old year. and all night long the riotous
/ celebration continues OF course the
crowds are largest at those establishments
which serve no other drink but cham
ipagne. The vulgar rich naturally gravi-
tate to such places. and the vulgar climb
ers follow because they wish to be thought
rich. So the wine and the money flow and
/ the noise thunders on until, in the early
hours Of New Years Day. a sober man
viewing the scenes OF Tevelry would be
inclined 10 believe that almost anything
that could be said about them would be
within the bounds of truth This year
despite the money stringency. the profits
Of those VINO sold food and wine to the
crowds We're greater than ever before
and this year, too, New York charitable
organizations and eleemosynary institu-
tons have had less cash and smaller
amounts of supplies placed in their hands
for distribution than az any other time ir
their recent history. The inference Is as
ldlscreditable TO the nations largest ant
wealthiest city as it Is obvious.