The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-04-03
Ar The American Court.
Washington Post

For To- these many years lively war has
been waged as to which should be greatest,
cabinet or senate?'' The point is who shall
take precedence on occasions of ceremony?
Sometimes this war has occasioned much
acrimony, and in 1920 society was absolutely
divided into hostile parties on this question.
John Quincy Adams, then secretary OF state,
wrote and published a letter on the sub.
ject of first calls between senators and
their families and the members of the
cabinet and theirs. The war went on,
however. but in time the senate got the
bsst of it, and up to the present day the
first calls each winter are made by the cabi-
net families on those of the senator's Con-
siderable comment, but no acrimony has
been occasioned by a reversal OF the order of
precedence claimed by the senators. At the
| state dinners given during this season at the
white house, contrary to the custom observed
during the late administration, when "cabi-
net dinners" supreme court dinners"
congressional dinners and diplomatic
dinners were given separately, the three
state dinners of this wear have mixed the
officials. Two or three of the cabinet and a
few of the supreme court have been sand
wiched with senators and representatives;
in fact, the congressional filling has been
literally used. But it has been observed
that whenever the cabinet and the senate
dined together, the former were more hon.
i L
minated that this preference was made at
the suggestion of Secretary Evarts, who, I'M
like his colleague, the secretary of the navy,
wishes to eXalt the executive branch of the
government. Secretary Thompson, on the
contrary, disaDproves of granting the chief
executive the veto power. The latter secre-
tary, by the way, has not dined in state at
the white house since the dinner was given
the grand dukes last spring. He found the
protracted sitting tedious, and requested
that he should not be invited again unless
his presence was indispensable. AS is we'll
known no excuses, except dire illness or
atfliction, are valid when one receives an
invitation to dine IN state at the executive
mansion.
/ Apropos of official etiquette it is curious
/ to note how exactly two ladies soon to be
nearly connected with each other according
| to official etiquette changed places within a
/ year. During the season of 1877 Miss Cam
eron, as the daughter of a member of the
cabinet was obliged to make the first call
! on all senator's families, including that OF
Senator Sherman, where her future step
mother was assisting in doing the honors.
During the season of 1878 the first call was
due from Miss Lizzie Sherman as one of a
cabinet ministers household TO the daugh-
ter of Senator Cameron. In this connection
it is proper to mention that a lady to whom
Senator Cameron was speaking of his engage
ment asserts that he positively assured hel
of the pleasure each of his children hao
expressed at his choice. By a curious coin
cidence, In view of the disclosilr' of hi!
betrothal following soon afte " ards, il
CHANGED that the democrats lost tl,e election
of the presiding officer of the senate through
Don Cameron being paired"