Life, 1894-04-05 · page 8 of 14
Life — April 5, 1894 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Questions of the Hour" - First Families & Social Climbing This satirical piece critiques American social pretension. The text argues against selecting future "First Families" based merely on wealth, advocating instead for those with established aristocratic pedigree and refined manners. The author mocks wealthy industrialists (appearing to reference the Rockefellers, Astors, and Vanderbilts) who lack the cultural sophistication of European nobility, despite their financial power. The lower illustration, "A Wedding on the Heights," depicts a working-class ceremony with crude humor about refreshments. The caption's "Englishman" joke suggests Americans' awkward attempts to imitate European sophistication. The overall satire targets the gap between American wealth and genuine social standing—money alone cannot buy class or respectability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*- LIFE: Ra\UESTIONS OF tue HOUR WHERE ARE THE FIRST FAMILIES? . ce IRST FAMILIES” in Europe are descended whenever possible from those warlike yet cautious gentle- men who encased themselves in good armor and won renown by slaughtering peasants clad in homespun. In America we have not these impressive traditions. Such hereditary glory of this character being denied us, we are driven to recognize other claims to social precedence. Those having a first claim would seem to be the descendants of our Revolutionary heroes, but the great majority of them occupy subordinate positions, generally in the employ of richer citizens whose ancestors were by no means Revolutionary heroes. This places our only aristocrat underneath the pile, with all society on top of him. There is consolation in the knowledge that every aristocratic family, in whatever country, has owed its influence to the possession of wealth, cither in acres or in gold. This might almost solve the problem for Americans, as we are wallowirg in both, yet there seems a reluctance among cultivated people to accept the Rockefellers, Astors, Mackays, Floods, or Joneses as the full flower of our gentility. Neither do they thoroughly appreciate the fashionables or “smart set” who paint a coat of arms upon their carriage door and outrival Solomon in their reverberating style. As it is obviously impossible for us to possess real first families constructed on European principles, it behooves us, if we must have this luxury, to organize something new and striking on our own lines. Now, a First Family with neither money nor warlike traditions is like a peacock without atail. Therefore, as we must consider wealth an absolute necessity, it might be wise to select founders of our future First Families from millionaires, who are not bow-legged or are over six feet high; or from heavy capitalisis who do not chew tobacco or, have never been in prison. Quicker results would be obtained by selecting millionaires whose wives were thoroughly trained snobs, as a First Family with modest, self-effacing tendencies is worse than no First Family at all; for other snobs will never respect a class by whom it is not itself despised. In the meantime we A.WEDDING ON THE HEIGHTS. Lookout: EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IS A DRINKIN’ RED LEMONADE, AN’ A EATIN' YALLER ICE CREAM, AN’ | aN THE BRIDEGROOM 13 A KISSINK THE BRIDE LIKE ANYTHINK ! must not be annoyed by a little ridicule, but keep bravely on and play that our gods are real. J. AM. A WISE BOY. ** TOHNNY,” said the teacher, a jackass a biped or a quadru- ped?” “ Please, sir,” said Johnny, “that depends on the jackass.” ILLIAM- SON: Don’t you think it was out of place for you to be telling jokes at a funeral ? HENDERSON : Oh, no. IT was telling them to English- man, comicbooks.com