West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-04-13
THE WINE QUESTION.
Correspondence Cincinnati commorcial.

WASHINGTON, March 10.-The
question which is agitating the
souls of those who are not agitated
concerning officc-seeking, IS wheth-
er the new President proposes to
serve bottled cider or coffee On
grand occasions. OfTice-seekcrs,
strange to say, make this no object,
and will take a place as Willingly
from the hand that does not turn
down the wine-glass as one that
does But the hearts Of many Wor-
thy people are sorrowful because
/ their ideas of right are not prac-
ticed by the Chief Executive, or
that he gives no promise of keeping
up the rigid teetotalism Of the past
Administration.
1t is fact that whether owing
to Mrs. Hayes example, or because
there is different set of leaders
here at present, from that of former
| times, wine is almost banished
from high life receptions, except in
the case Of entertainments by the
Foreign Ministers AT one of the
latter homes ! saw guests order
champagne as if they were ut Il
public bar, instead Of visitors at a
private house. Here, Jack, cham
payne! more champagne! another
bottle; bring me some more" And
corks flew, and the beautiful dia-
mond fluid dubbed, and the invi-
ted guests treated friends as if they
themselves were hosts, and were to
pay the bills. | saw ladies, with
bright cheeks and CLASSY eyes, pull
over the floral decorations in tile
supper room and select from
epergncs long-stemmcd rose-buds,
until they had q large boquct stolen
from the table They carried these
flowers boldly when saying good
night to the hostess, and the follow
ing day, at kettla-drum, appeared
with theirpurc bosoms ornamented
with these same lovely buds. /
could give the names Of the ladies,
whom | saw pilfcr rare flowers from
the japanese Minister'S. They are
high in social life, not young in
years, and acted III manner that
anywhere but in W ashington
would turn them from respectable
doors. | cannot say whether the
wine they drank led them to APP
propriate the blossoms and disar
range. the tables | cannot say
whether the sight OF baskets of cost
Iy liquor induced the men to throw
away politeness and become pigs
But | can say that | never hap
pened to see such actions in dwell
ings where wine was not served,
and yet the same people are pres
ent as general thing; and fur
Their, the very ones who drank when
it was set before them, do not have
it at home, and are supposed, per-
haps, to set their faces as flint
against it. So they do, when they
have to pay for it. 1t is 4 saving
in pocket, not in principle. A sort
Of a fashion, going on deeper than
custom. If the head of the Nation
discountenances it in the White
House, so will they do without it
at their parties. If a foreigner is
used to the vintage, and furnishes
it freely, they of course partake
freely. That the majority of the
foreign legations accepted the
White House rulings without com
ment, is true but that they did
not respect the cold water doctrine
of Mrs. Hayes enough to refrain
from the use of strong drink before |
entering her stately presence, my
olfactories bear witness. The I
strong, sickening feverish smell, T
that came from that gorgeous, Jew |
eled, gold-decked parterre of diplo-
mats, banked beside our President |
and wife at the recent diplomatic
reception, seemed the odor of the /
accumulated and rotting remains
of all the ettete monarchies in the /
world. And it cannot be denied |
that some of our own statesmen
brought a strong suspicion of hay
ing seen in some form, the golden /
maize, the dropping barley heads,
the crisp green tangle of the pun I
gent hop vines, somewhere near the
White HOuSa dnar.