Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-07-16
SCORING FOR SOCIETY.
Mrs. StuWesant Fish Roundly
Condemns Its Methods.
PREDICTS A CHANGE SOON.
Prominent Woman Says Riches Are
Not Enough and That Brains Should
Count More-Tired of Being Lad
der For Climbers"


Count More-Tired of Being a LAD
der For Climbers"
Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, wife of the
former president of the Illinois Cen
trail railroad and for many years one
of the bright particular stars in the
social armament at Newport and in
New York, recently made startling
statement condemning present day So
ciety and its methods and declaring
that some change will come soon.
Mrs. Fish remarks at the beginning
that real hospitality is kindiness and
that If there was a little more kindli
ness in New York society there would
be more hospitality. She says she
doesn't want people to come to her
house because they give her things,
but because she likes them.
"To be rich alone is not enough"
says Mrs Fish. She says many rich
people are dull, while plenty of people
have brains and money both, and
these people, says Mrs. Fish, must not
be barred She predicts that the time
will come when brains will count more
than money and adds that money Is
running Newport now. She thinks 1t
would be n great relief If the interest
ing people In the world could be
brought out and made to show them
selves and added:
Nobody is more tired than L of
these funny little people who think
themselves queens. They're too alb
surd, too ridiculous. They are making
Newport the Iaughingstock of the
country today. Personally l am tired
of Newport 1t is dead, barren, spoil
ed We are not going there this sum
mer. We shall travel in Europe in
stead What do we find in Newport
now? Climbers? Yes, to De sure.
Anybody who wants to get into so
ciety-and has enough money-only
has to go there for four or five years
and he or she VIII get into society-if
they are willing to take the snubs and
the insults which are dealt out to them
day after day. I've seen plenty of It.
"rve seen them struggling TO get in.
I've seen them take the frfghtful re-
buffs which some people are so fitted
! TO give. Yet I've seen these same peo-
pie succeed If they only took it long
| enough. Yes, there are plenty of peo-
pie at Newport who have no business
there.
"I truly think that society should be
made to dignity the country, not to
hold 1t up to ridicule. I would have
| our society made more exclusive, more
dignifed. l would have 1t harder to
! be accepted. l would have 1t SO that
! just the possession of mere money
would mean little without birth, breed
| ing, good manners, intellect. Yet look
/ at the people who do get into society
4 with nothing except money! How few
know of the kicks and the insults they
have endured just to get in!'
Mrs. Fish says she greatly prefers
her country life at Garrison-on-the-
Hudson to Newport because she can
have with her whoever she pleases
and no one can object as long as she
/ is satisfied ,r,--..~q-~', =.,er'r''-
! New York society, according to Mrs.
Fish, is deadly most of the time, the
average dinner being a bore. She says
/ the same people so to the same houses
| always and that they would actually
shudder to meet a stranger. She tells
/ of inviting man to her house to din
ner who was not known to the other
guests. One of the women asked her
how the man came to be there. and
two days later Mrs. Fish met the same
woman with the man. This time the
woman whispered. isn't he perfectly
charming?"
Because Mrs. Jones invites some we
man to dinner who is not liked Mrs
Jones will not be invited to Mrs
Smiths or Mrs Robinsons. says Mrs
Fish, adding, But these very people
seem to climb up into society" Con.
tnung. she said:
I'm tired being II ladder myself L.
fact, it is very unwise to hc Il ladder
l have helped many of them climb it.
l have had all the experience | want.
Those people who have climbed are
the most unkind to those who have
helped them climb, That's only human
nature
why? Because they want to kick
the ladder when they get up. When n
thief robs house he knocks down the
ladder so that nobody will know how
lie got In. So 1t is with these climbers
They don't want others to know how
they got in.
They hate the people who know
their secrets, They have no use for
the very ones who have helped them
climb, because they know how it was
done-and might tell
Nobody will catch me being lad
der again. l prefer to meet my friends
from above. They didn't have to climb
up. Neither did l."
In conclusion Mrs. Fish declares en-
phatically that New York society will
have to change. saying that lack of
money should not bar any person. land
the time Is coming when these other
qualifications will count or else there
will be n social revolution" she con
cludes