_American Society from a Park Policeman's Point of View_
Am in New York city, upper part--visit Central Park almost every day
(and have for the last three weeks) off and on, taking observations or
short rambles, and sometimes riding around. I talk quite a good deal
with one of the Park policemen, C.C., up toward the Ninetieth street
entrance. One day in particular I got him a-going, and it proved deeply
interesting to me. Our talk floated into sociology and politics. I
was curious to find how these things appear'd on their surfaces to my
friend, for he plainly possess'd sharp wits and good nature, and had
been seeing, for years, broad streaks of humanity somewhat out of
my latitude. I found that as he took such appearances the inward
caste-spirit of European "aristocracy" pervaded rich America, with
cynicism and artificiality at the fore. Of the bulk of official persons,
Executives, Congressmen, Legislators, Aldermen, Department heads, &c.,
&c., or the candidates for those positions, nineteen in twenty, in the
policeman's judgment, were just players in a game. Liberty, Equality,
Union, and all the grand words of the Republic, were, in their mouths,
but lures, decoys, chisel'd likenesses of dead wood, to catch the
masses. Of fine afternoons, along the broad tracks of the Park, for many
years, had swept by my friend, as he stood on guard, the carriages, &c.,
of American Gentility, not by dozens and scores, but by hundreds
and thousands. Lucky brokers, capitalists, contractors, grocery-men,
successful political strikers, rich butchers, dry goods' folk, &c. And
on a large proportion of these vehicles, on panels or horse-trappings,
were conspicuously borne _heraldic family crests_. (Can this really be
true?) In wish and willingness (and if that were so, what matter about
the reality?) titles of nobility, with a court and spheres fit for the
capitalists, the highly educated, and the carriage-riding classes--to
fence them off from "the common people"--were the heart's desire of the
"good society" of our great cities--aye, of North and South.
So much for my police friend's speculations--which rather took me
aback--and which I have thought I would just print as he gave them (as a
doctor records symptoms.)