The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-05-17
BEST SOCIETY.

Herbert Spencer, at eighty th ee years of
age, has recently sent some Shall shivers
down the spines of the Leisure Glass in
England by saying, ''The society represent
ed by our so-called best families is essential
ly barbaric."
This remark, coming from COMMONPLACE
man, would have excited no comment, but
when Herbert Spencer stands behind SEN
tence 1T is apt to mean much. The "Pall
Mall Gazette" quoted the comment and ad-
ded: Poor old man. he is certainly in his
dotage"
The worst about Spencer's remark is that
1T is tue. Society moves in circle things
are IN swirl, and civilization could never
exist at all were it not for the fact that
country boys, born in families of no social
standing and no wealth are constantly going
up to the cities to take the places where ONLY
men OF power can exist
The society represented by our Best Fam
lies is esentially barbaric-n America and
elsewhere. And the reason is that it has
ceased to produce and now only consumes.
1t lives on the labor of others.
The thing which does not serve-that has
no use, is burden to somebody if contin-
ued.
The self-appointed Superior Class is an
awful handicap to civilization.
Our Best Society destroys, consumes and
lays waste. The Child Slavery of the South,
the Sweat Shops of the Cities and the un-
ending toll OF most farming folk is direct
result. of our Best Society this so-called
Superior Glass;
There is a certain amount of work to do
IN the world, and the reason some people
have to work from daylight clear into the
night is because others do not work at ALL
fhov
some one must labor to make good the def
cheney.
Our Best Society is intent on honoring
the man woo wastes and consumes. In fact,
II you are mere producer, and nothing
else, the Best Society does not deign to no
tlce you, much less admit you into it's
charmed circle.
In order to belong to the Best Society YOU
must dress so you cannot be useful-you
cannot shoulder trunk, carry out the ash
es, cook, hitch up a horse, nor dig in the
ground. The raiment that Society demands
you shall wear, 1orbids your using your
muscles in any useful effort. At the Wal
dorf-Astoria seventeen hundred servants
are employed, and this is just the capacity
OF the hOtel--there is one servant for everv
guest. And in meat and drink each guest
wastes five times as much as he consumes.
This fact is also true of all the so-called
First-Class Hotels in our large ciiies.
Some one has got to make good this vast
ageand it is the social outcast who does it.
Only few years ago all useful work was
done by slaves. These slaves were bought,
sold, worn out, beheaded and tossed to hell
at will by the Best Society.
Things have gradually bettered, but the
distinguishing feature of the Best Society
yet is that it attaches disgrace to useful
effcrt---it associates itself from toll.
In everv town and city in America there
is this little Smart Set that patterns its life
after that of the Turk 1t is waited on, and
spends its days in having "a good time"
The religion of our Best Society is artist
ic, painted, powdered. carved, curled and
curious in its disguised form. 1t is so un.
Objectionable!
Education is to fit one for this Best Socie-
ty Ito avoid work and do it gracefully.