There could be no real equality so long as some people were cultured and refined and others were uneducated and vulgar.

Shirley believed in an aristocracy of brains and soap.

She insisted that no clean person, no matter how good a democrat, should be expected to sit close in public places to persons who were not on speaking terms with the bath-tub.

In America this foolish theory of a democracy, which insists on throwing all classes, the clean and the unclean, promiscuously together, was positively revolting, making travelling in the public vehicles almost impossible, and it was not much better in the public parks.
In France--also a Republic--where they likewise paraded conspicuously the clap-trap "Egalite, Fraternite," they managed these things far better.

The French lower classes knew their place.