Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-09 | Page 1 | Bishop Rebukes the Smart Set

Democratic Simplicity Has Vanished. False Ideals Wake Social Pleasures the Real Business Busi-ness of Life. Society at tho National Capital Taking Tak-ing on an Unhealthy and Dangerous Dan-gerous Tone. WASHINGTON, May S. Bishop Satterlee of the Episcopal church tossed a bombshell into tho smart set of Washington when he denounced their doings in unmeasured un-measured terms. "Washington society consists not only of the old residential class and diplomatic and olnclal circles, but is largely recruited from the wealthy leisure class of . the United States, who come In increasing numbers each year and make their homes here during the session of Congress until the beginning of summer. Bishop Satterlee said: "Dangers have arisen that in the nineteenth century Washington was free from. A simplicity pervaded the social atmosphere; men were classed for what they were, not for what they possessed. "In tho twentieth century the tone of life in Washington has become less natural;. social conditions' have changed, and for the worse; new residents resi-dents of the wealthy and leisure class, who hold no responsibility for the welfare wel-fare of the community, create a sense of careless irresponsibility In our citizens. citi-zens. "These have false ideals and make social pleasure the business of life. Their influence percolates to all classes and lays the foundation of character. "The democratic simplicity of the nineteenth century Is a tiling of the past. In ita stead we have the 'smart set,' the 'rough set" and the 'fast set,' attracting abnormal attention and exercising ex-ercising enormous influence and giving an international capital tone to Wash-' ington which is unhealthful and dangerous." dan-gerous." ,