New-York tribune., 1909-05-30
They Deserve Every Encourage
ueut and Not RidiCule,
Saws Ex=AttaChe.
rcsBvr5rh, 1909. by the Brentwood comrany.l

rr--vrirht 1909. by the Brentwood ComTany-
Patriotic societies are increasing every year
tn number and are sgnalized by the pecuharl'H
Of being composed not of the people VINO nave
done something for the nation but OF 'i'eH ue
so.rd.r-e The newest Of these organizations
70 come into existence is one whl'A restrlc'S us
membership TO the descendants OF those per
sons who served the Union government during
.te 11-sr of the Rebellion in some civil capacity,
and they will take their place along Win lhe
daughters Of the American Revolution the
T,.,,r5,-e-s of the Revolution. the Danes of the
Revolution the United States Daughters OF ISL
the colonial Danes Of America the Sons OF the
Revolution the Sons OF the American ReNolu-
ton. the Society OF the Cincinnati the Aztec
Club. the Order OF Indian Wars, the society oi
Nravnoper Descendants, the Huguenot Society
and inrluuerable other associations In various
parts Of the country, each and every one oA
which exacts certain ancestral quahhcat'ohs,
That importance should he attached to the lat
- r.. ~ala,,t1x- 1aen made the theme of asser-
lions in the European as well as in the Alerl'ai,
--aee 10 the effect that the people Of the United
states are drifting toward an aristocracy. not
of wealth hut Of birth. It is pointed out lha'
a-istocracy implies the possession OF lineage ana
that II Is nothing more nor less than certain
social eminenoe and prestige. based upon 'lle
inheritance OF fonor and fame acquired o! an
cesfors While this is undoubtedly true YET
there * no reason whatsoever for ndulslng III
5t5es at the expense Of the patriotic societies III
o,,estion or to assume that their growth ana
,4orlari-y i.,1,l, departure from the principles
,,ror which the great American Republic Is
founded nor that it indicates a swing toward
= system Of nobility eliminating in monarchy
The possession Of ancestry, the respect loi
lineage and the preservation Of family FauluoHs
are in no manner Incompatible with true ue
rnocracv and sincere republicanism so long as
-, r,7eaz-or is made to invest these advantages
Of birth with special prerogatives and lnInu-
mites withheld from other citizens so long as
+be resreot for ancestry has other object
+l,a, rhe endeavor on the part Of those pos
eeesAd thereof TO live up TO the standard OF con-
7uct Of their forebears, to keep the family name
,Intarnished and TO maintain In all their IN
+egritv the traditions of the family, nothing puI
good can result TO the nation Anything that
tends to keep the moral tone Of the citizens al
8 certain height is conducive TO the welfare Of
the commonwealth. In no country OF the world
ss -epublicanisn more advanced than In SWltz-
erIand. where the doctrine OF civic equality Is
,.--ia5 70 sucb a degree that the $1,000 year
chief magistrate is not permitted TO hold office
for longer than twelve months lest ne shouio
become imbued with sense Of superiority Yet
not even in Austria or in Germany Is there Inoie
,ronortance attached TO ancestry, lineage and
family traditions matter whether the fafhly
he Of the peasantry, Of the great merchant uyh-
asties dating from the Middle Ages, or OF the
untitled patriciate, whose line goes back Wlthoul
q break 10 the era Of the legendary nauonaI
hero. William Tell
MASSES HAVE PRIDE OF ANCESTRY.
No greater mistake can be made than TO imag-
me that the respect for ancestry and the regard
for family tradition are restricted 20 the classes
Their influence is Just as potent with the
masses q fact readily comprehensive when It is
borne in mind that people on the other side or
the Atlantic are as rule content with their
social status The yeoman farmer in England
takes pride in the fact that his ancestors for
hundreds Of years have been yeoman farmers
like himself often in the occupation Of the self
same land and educates his children TO live up
70 the traditions OF their forefathers. Thus at
VaynoI Charles Assheton-Smith's ancestral
place in Wales, which has been in the posses
sion Of his house for seven centuries, there are
eight families OF yeomen farmers who have
rented the same farms without any interruption
for over five hundred years. There are peasants
in Germany and in Brittany, we'll as in the
United Kingdom who can trace their descent
back TO the Middle Ages. knowledge which
imbues them with sense Of responsibility and
dignity. IN the same way the retail and whole
sale traders OF Europe, in Switzerland and
France well as in the monarchical countries
take an honest pride in the fact that their fore
bears were traders like themselves. and It is the
traditions Of their ancestors which constitute
the principle incentive for preserving unfair
nished by any failure or commercial dishonor
the good name which they have inherited In