The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1880-02-25
Our EashIngton Letter.

now takes a recess, AFTER several weeks
of unusual gaiety. For time the
round of parties and receptions cease,
and the devotees of fashions follies get
a respite from their designations. Lent
must be to them most welcome rest
The receptions at the White House this
season have been more largely attended
and brilliant than any since the fraudu-
lent president took possession of il. At
the last public reception on Saturday
night there was Il rush, and good part
of the crowd appeared to have come i'm
from the street on the way home from
their daily labors. 1t is one of the forci-
BILE illustrations of the spirit of this gov
eminent to see high and low, capitalist
and laborer alike welcome to struggle
ca nldsSe through the spacious and ele-
CANT parlors occupied by the chief mag
istrate of the land, and grasp their
rulers by the hand.
But the heightened and aristocratic
reception occurred on Tuesday evening,
when Mr.. and Mrs. Hayes received the
Diplomatic Corps. 1t was really bril-
liant, not to say gorgeous affair. When
Mrs. Lincoln reigned in the White
House she inaugurated the plan of
making division of Society after the
guests had entered. She had door set
apart for the Judges of the Supreme
Court, Senators, army and navy and
foreign Ministers. Members of Con-
gress were herded with the common
people, and actually forced through the
same door. When Mrs. Julia Grant
succeeded TO the sceptre she realized
that any distinction of this kind would
make any administration unpopular; so
she decided that all persons who entered
the front door of the Mansion were en-
titled to the same social privilege, and
all doors should be alike to the guests.
But to get over the difficulty and please
royalty as well as democracy, Mrs.
Grant discovered a side door, a sort of
sneak entrance, where those who wished
to avoid the crowd could pass in, take
up their positions in the rear of the
throne" and glare upon the struggling
crowd of humanity as il passed by in
single file. Mrs. Hayes aristocratic
notions have led her to revive the sys-
tenn of Mrs. Lincoln and she has doors
for the common people and other doors
for the great.
1t is said that one of the most impress
sive and gorgeous receptions ever given
in the White House occurred toward
the last of President Lincoln's term.
The White House looked old, worn and
dingy, for this preceded the golden
splendor of the Grant regime, but the
brilliancy and magnificence was made
up by the scarlet uniforms of the Marine
Band with the gilt buttons and shout
der straps of the brave defenders of the
Union, who clustered about the Capital
in those historic days. The same strug-
Cling tide of humanity inundated the
doors of the Executive Mansion, but at
every turn a soldier was stationed to
keep the crowd within the limit of Mrs.
Lincoln's law. Bavonets glittering
over the daintily dressed heads and bare
shoulders of the beautifully dressed la
dies who declared that "mob law" was
now inaugurated and "they should
never visit the White House again.
until change" u But if the guests felt
insulted at the presence of the bayonets
what was their establishment upon<going
into the presence" to find a genuine
crown OH Mrs. Lincoln's head. 1t was
made of. gilt, but looked precisely like
those which are found ON the heads of
those distinguished women about whom
we read i'm Agnes Stricklan's "Lives of
the Queens of England" The stones
or gems were wanting, but the tinseI
and gilt was all there. There was only
time allowed to note that dear old Abra-
ham looked down at the little "bobbing"
woman at his side, as he might at q
frolicsome kitten. That ''crown was
hcad-dress invented by q Phil
adelphia miliner, and Mr.. Lincoln ridi-
culed il so severly that its debut and
withdrawal all took place the same
night.
The bill introduced in the House at
the extra session to make the Commits
sioner of Agriculture Cabinet Officer,
has got favorable report from the
but it will never go beyond
this. The proposition has generally
been regarded as one of LeDuc's crazy
schemes. The tax-paying people of this
country are opposed to any increase of
their burdens in the shape of additional
Office-hOlders. Then, from political
point of view, there is very little proba-
bility of the passage of this bill. A
democratic Congress will not be likely
to enlarge the powers and add to the
patronage and influence of republican
administration. This bill will have
arrayed against il all the interests except
that of agriculture. Whenever it comes
before the House, amendments will be
offered to create department of COM
merce department of manufactures,
and departments representing other in
terests, each to be presided over by
cabinet officer with the usual assistants,
and secretaries and other accessories.
1t will be contended that commerce, for
instance, is as much entitled to a posi-
ton in the cabinet as agriculture. The
opposition to the bill is so strong that il
will be defeated, notwithstanding
favorable report from the committee.
There are rumOrs on the street to-day
of a little unpleasantness between Mr..
Hayes and John Sherman. 1t is re-
ported that Hayes took the Secretary to
task for using the Treasury to forward
his presidential aspirations and charged
that he had "Stultified" the Admins
tration. Report has it that Rutherford
got right up on his ear and informed