Life — December 18, 1884 — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE EVILS OF AN ARISTOCRACY. DaAR‘S DEGRADATION FUR YER. MONEY DON’T FETCH NO RESPEC Dat's DE FOUF TIME DAT GAL'S CUT ME, AND HER MUDDER'S BEEN DOIN’ MY LAUNDRY FER MO" EN SIX MONTHS BACK. IN DIS TOWN. GOOD NEWS, IF TRUE. HE human imagination finds diffi- culty in conceiving anything more hideous and unbecoming than a pair of trousers. It will be a glorious day for mankind when they go out of fashion, as they are sure to sooner or later, and we welcome with hilarious delight any signs of achange in that direction. A Paris correspondent of the London World writes that the black and obstin- ately persistent swallow-tailed coat threat- ens to pass, for the gentlemen of leisure, whom “Gyp” delights to portray, are gaining ground in their campaign in favor of color. The red coat and breeches were accepted last season in the ceremonial meetings of high society. This season variety is to be obtained by the introduc- tion of the blue coat and brass buttons, white waistcoat and light gray trousers and powdered hair, which latter detail will be considered extra-vilan ; and by the brown coat and brass buttons, shawl-pattern waistcoat, brown cloth breeches, garters fastened with diamond buckle, and square- toed, high-heeled shoes. The black coat will be worn by the pschutteux only at the theatre, and in places where uncalled- for remarks of the cads might mar the serenity of the spectacle of contemporary calves. PRESIDENT ARTHUR is to open the New Orleans exhibition by electricity. The standards of time are to be changed to accommodate his excellency, who will press the button on rising at eleven o'clock. The machinery starts at nine. lion sterling per annum, and the marvel has grown a hundred fold!” Still further, our author in considering the cost of the crown makes these startling remarks: “ The community is divisible into three great classes—beggars, robbers and workers. The robbers make the beggars and the workers toil for both. Now is it not very remarkable that among so many philan- thropic advisers it should seemingly occur to none that the first thing to be done is to get rid of the robbers? An ill-de- fined company, doubtless, but their chief, their shield and buckler, is, as a matter of course, the occupant of the throne. | Hereditary royalty at the top of society necessarily implies hereditary poverty at the base. “ But though it is surprising enough that the nation should | have to pay over £600,000 a year to a Queen Do-Nothing, it is yet more astounding that the lady cannot maintain her own family out of that sum. Witha grasping avarice that noth- ing could exceed, she has called on Parliament time after time to quarter her sons and daughters on the taxes wrung from the toiling masses. The sin of bringing into the world chil- dren whom they cannot or will not support is one frequently hurled at working men and women. When their offspring come on the rates there is not a voice uplifted in their justifi- cation. But what does this royal person (sé) do with impu- nity? She charges the nation £170,000 per annum for the maintenance of her able-bodied sons, daughters and rela- tives. “ Now the amazing feature of this unheard-of imposition is that the whole family are absolutely unfit to render the state any responsible service whatever, The royal superstition aside, what part, for example, in this world’s business would any discerning man be disposed to assign the Prince of Wales? Could he be trusted to drive a bus or a hansom? If so that would be about the likeliest occupation for him, When