Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-04-08
SOCIAL TYRANNY IN WASHINGTON.
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The Louisville Commercial, in a sensi-
BILE article on the extravaganza of social
life in Washington, pictures the life of
Cabinet Minister'S family in this style:
1t is on members of the Cabinet that the
burden chiefly falls. Let us see how heavy
it is. The ladies of a Cabinet officer must
reveive every Wednesday afternoon during
the session, and refreshments are ruled to
be indispensable on these occasions at
least few flowers are also Indispensable
In these receptions the favor is considered
to be done by the visitor, and it is the
edict that it must be acknowledged in each
case in two different ways first, by q call
from the ladies of the family, who also
leave the minister's official card next by
an invitation to at least one evening recep-
ton. A Cabinet officer must also give
few dinners. The ladies of the family must
attend other receptions and return in per-
son calls made on them. This seems
simple enough list of "social duties,u
but let us see what it involves. Six
at least of the Wednesday receptions are
given during the season, besides the New
Years reception, for which more costly pro-
vision is expected. The rlainest refresh
ments, the two extra walters needed, and
the few flowers essential, make the cost of
the series aggregate about 81 900. The eve.
ming receptions are more elaborate and eX-
pensive affairs. AS everybody who has
attended a Wednesday reception must
have an invitation, crowd is inevitable,
and, to prevent the crowd from being too
great, there must be at least two evening
| receptions. One Cabinet lady this winter
found that for her first evening she must
| issue 1900 invitations. The cost of 9 200
invitations, such as the wife of Cabinet
officer may issue, is of not slight conse-
quence. The plate cost about Sl2, the
| cards and envelopes and the engraving
about four cents for each in invitation, or IN
| all S8S, making the invitations cost 500.
Extra servants are of course required, and
the character of the refreshment, always
| of course more costly than those for We'd
nesday, must depend, after certain limit
that is essential, on the pecuniary ability
| of the host. OF course these receptions are
hideous jams, at which pleasure and even
comfort are unattainable. They are the
occasions on which the devotees of fash
ion let the Juggernaut' of society crush
them. In order to give these receptions
| the Cabinet officer must have large, hand
somely-furnished house. Such a house
costs at least So, 900 year.
The duty of returning calls which de
wolves on cabinet officers wife compelS
the keeping OF carriage, and with the
carriage, in order to save time at tile door.
where calls are made, there must be a foot
man. The horses and carriage cost nearly
5000 a month. We were about to forge
the dinners. There must be a few dinners
given. Twenty is the regulation number
of guests at cabinet dinner. A fairly
good cabinet dinner is put at SIS plate
which makes such feast cost $3.50.
To carry on an establishment in which
such entertainments are given, not les
than five regular servants are indispensa
BILE. Their wages will be 500 month.
If these necessary expenditures of Q
| or off hO RI IN In hot
Washington society says he must do, arr
footed up, it will be seen that what is lief
of his $4,000 of official salary is represent
ed by large minus quantity.