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Show "M" Phiases Med g A Woman's Letter to the New York Sun I havo endured without complaint tho silly and meaningless uso by our nowspapors of tho word "society" as an ndjectlvo to describe women who Bo far Indulgo their hospltablo in Btlnct ns to entertain their friends nt dlnnor, tho theater or in tho ball room. I havo writhed In silence when with this sensoless term tho sordid word "wealthy" was coupled. Even when unassuming and virtuous ladles of my acquaintance havo suffered suf-fered tho indignity of being publicly placarded as "prominent and wealthy socloty women" I havo restrained my rage. But today, when Uio Innocent chfl-dron chfl-dron ot respectable parents aro labelled label-led "society children," I must pro-tost pro-tost against this practice ot tho press grotesque In its idiocy abomlnablo In Its snobbishness and offenslvo to every ev-ery precept and practlco of good tasto and good mannors. If there oxlstcd In this country an olllclal caste, to which ontranco was obtained by birth, publig office, governmental gov-ernmental recognition or formal acknowledgement ac-knowledgement by somo constituted authority, tho word "society" with a capital "S" would havo a clear slg' nlflcanco. But no such caste exists. Instead, wo associate with thoso who please us and who reciprocate that Interest. My own experience has taught mo that thero uro bore numerous num-erous groups of persons who tako tholr social pleasures together, Judging Judg-ing their associates by the congeniality congenial-ity ot tholr dispositions and enjoying ono another without thought of "wealth" or "promlnenco" or "socloty." "socl-oty." Vet tho newspaper rcador would bo justified In bellovlng that a sharp lino separated "sotloty" from tho bulk ot the population and that within this lino theie existed grades distinguished by "wealth" and "promlnenco," all subordlnato to Bomo most prominent, most wealthy, most society authority. How utterly false this is oven a moment's thought will disclose. How lightly "wealth" and "promlnonco" offset tho cholco of companions by thoso who boar the press conferred lltlo socloty leaders" tho experlenco ot ovory person who has mado tho slightest effort to bntlsfy himself on this point will show . So why not drop Uio silly custom of wasting good whlto paper nnd black Ink on thesfl meaningless words? Particularly, tho children; why H should they not bo protected agalnBt H this degrading form ot tuft hunting, jJJ In tho hopo that another generation H shall not sco tho creation hero of a B snobcrncy bulldod on tho stupid fawn IPJ lng of tho present. H (From a Now York Sun Editorial) H Wo agree heartily with tho self- M respecting woman. Wo aro oven un- H ablo to plead not guilty for our- JJ selves. Our columns havo sinned at M times and in places. It is a tact M that tho newspapers do misuse abom- H lnably the words "society" "wealthy" M "prominent" and others ot correlat- M ed signification. Thoso terms havo j como to mean nothing, save only IH when they denote carelessness or im- 9H ply tuft hunting. They are In the IH samo category with "young, beautl- H ful and expensively (or daintily) ap- Hj parelled," whon that familiar form- jH ula Is applied to the female victim Hj ot a tragedy. Wo strongly sUBpect H that not Infrequently thoy appear In H print as tho product ot subconscious H cerebration. H |
