The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-26
shoddy Agitatod a, Washington.

ttrhing utlvif stf = ciJ'n.
shoddy Agitatod at Washington.
Society at Washington is said to be Sc
riously agitatcd from centre 70 circumfer-
cnce, because Mr. BLANCHE X. BRUCE, the
colOred Senator !rom.Misslssppi, has taken
his bride to the capital, fresh from tour in
Europe, expecting that she will be received
with the civility which is uniformly extended
to the wives Of all Senators. OF lnte years,
and especially during the era OF Grantism,
when shoddy ruled supreme, official distinc-
tious have been asserted with as much pre-
tension as at any inferior Court Of Europe,
with nothing but musty traditions and the
ancient forms OF etiquette to fall back upon.
Polite usage always recognized certain so
cial rules at Washington relating to the
executive, the judicial. and the legislative
branches Of the Government without the
necessity Of any assertion by the incum-
bents. II they were not respected, the oinis-
sion was ascribod to accident or to igno-
rance OF the customs. Judges Of the Supreme
Court, members OF the Cabinet. Senators,
and Representatives were considered above
any little contest for precedence or any ex-
action of Difference from station alone. hut
the vulgar set who swarmed about the White
House in GRANTS time. ami who sought to
establish sort OF shoddy court, were not
content with this simple and proper prae-
uce. They mus. have ranks and classes
broadly defined. and they would have created
orders by law had they dared go that far.
All the officials, from a Secretary down ~ q
chief clerk, were regularly classified, and all
the accepted observances of ceremoniOus life
were mHgniiel and enforced so as 10 be-
come absolutely ridiculous in the eyes Of
we'll bred people. According 10 custom, the
families Of Senators receive the first visits
from the families of members Of the Cabinet.
of members of the House VI Representatives,
and OF other official persons.
This usage was affirmed dogmatically as
right by tine Senatorial class, and Was
regularly Incorporated in the shoddy code.
When the system was in full blast, PINCH
BACK appeared from Louisiana as a colored
claimant for n seat in the Senate. The Re-
publicaps welcomed him as man and
brother admitted tho principle upon which
his claim rested, and recognized as valid
the Legislature which had elected him But
there was always some secret obstacle in the
Nay az his admission. They kept him hang
ing by the eyelids for three years, and then
dismissed him, with some sixteen thousand
dollars from the contingent fund TO soothe
mis- wounded spirit
The real opposition TO PINCHBAcK came
rom the ladies Of the shoddy court. wives
II members of the Cabinet and others, who
would have been Obliged 10 call on Mrs.
PINCH, or 10 offend the colored voters,
whom their husbands and the Adminstra-
ginn .vnr... fuf uaafinanslxs DTNnIT.
BACK himself was recognized as power
among his race. and every care was taken
TO treat him accordingly; but when the
question came Of inviting both Mr.. and Mrs.
PINCH to dinner or TO a ball, at the Secre-
tary Of States table or house, all the race
prejudice revived a. in 0Hfe-bfUiuA days, anS
1t was decided in the boudoir, and not at the
Capitol, that PINCH should stay out OF the
Senate.
These same social influences prevailed in
the rejection OF LASDAULEr WILLIAMS
when GRANT nominated him for Chief Jus
tice In thai position Mrs. LANDAULET would
have had precedence socially, according to
their own code, over the protentious danes
Of the Cabinet and other aspiring leaders
in court circles. The lady herself was not
dsincined to maintain all the authority Of
any Office held by her husband, as her asso-
eiates had discovered while he was Attorney
General. A boudoir council was held, at
which il was decided for these reasons and
for others that were conveniently alleged,
that WILLIAMS must be rejected for Chief
Justice or be Withdrawn irom the Senate.
The latter alternative was adopted reluct-
Rntly by GRANT who had personal motives
for adbering to IA nomination which Mrs.
WILLIAMS had procured. From that day
forward her star declined. for her enemies
had trumphed. Here, however, the color
line was not IN question, though the power
that overthrow her was the same which put
down Mrs. PINCH.
The case Of BRUCE differs from that Of
PINCHBACK in this material respect, that
one is an actual Senator, while the other
Sought to be admitted as a Senator and
failed. Both are mulattOes. sharp In the
worlds ways, trained in politics, and regu-
lar TURvEYDRoPs in department. In Eng
land or France or Germany or Russia the
color OF q Senator were he as black as ebony,
would make 10 difference Ia his social recog-
milton. But at Washington, where they
affect equality, and profess immense con
Germ about the rights Of the colored voter,
especially II he refuses to vote the Republi-
can ticket, r woolly head makes all the diff
ference in the world. even when its wearer
occupies a seat In the Senate, and is entitled
TO superior social recognition.
Democratic Progress in switzerland
&C. .