Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-12
WASHINGTON SOCIAL LIFE.
THE DULLNEss OF SOCIAL LIFE UNDER
THE HAYES ADMINISTRATION.
The Closing Parties of the Old Rule
Some Social and Personal
Gossip-Etc.
WASHINGTON. January 81. 1851.

WASHINGTON, January 81, 1881.
The last days of one Administration and
the coming on of another have in them
that which suggests to the reflective mind
the Uauitas uanitatan1 of the preacher. The
slowly-dying Administration retains the
pomp and formalities of power, but little
of the real substance. No one cares alb
sorbingly now what the Hayes view Is on
any given subject, except the few who still
look to him for fat appointments before
March 4th. He seems principally occupied
at present with putting in place the few
remaining friends who were not already
provided for, and civil service reform, the
heavenly maid, gets black eye every
dav afresh. Here is the Incidental testi-
mony of Geo. NJ. Lockwood, Chief Clerk
of the Interior Department, which has
been supposed to be the chosen haunt OF
that fair goddess. Secretary Schurz has
meant TO have the reform of the civil
service a real thing in his Department, but
the men Immediately around him have not
helped him. The Secretary Is great IN the
abstract, but it is not given to every great
man to know an INSCRIPTIONS man at sight,
and if the thing which Mr.. Lockwood
complains of is true, no man is more likely
to be responsible for it than himself at
meeting Saturday evening, of the Execu-
tive Committee for the promenade ball
and reception the night of March 4th,
Mr.. Lockwood, as reported IN the public
prints, said Z" that during the canvass just
passed through, the clerks OF the Interior
Department had been raked over three
times, as with tine-tooth comb, to aid IN
the election of MIR. Garfield. Many of the
clerks in the Department had embarrassed
themselves for months to come" II these
things are done in the green tree, what
shall be expected in the dry? Washington
people know so well the hollowness of the
Wanted civil service reform that it is a
standing joke here.
ADMINISTRATION PIETY.
1t is not expected of the incoming Ad-
ministratlon that it will indulge in so much
early piety as did the old. General Gar
field is practical politician, schooled in
all the arts of the trade. Men do hope for
considerable lively common sense IN his
methods, but they do not expect ostenta-
tious saintliness 1t is sure to be an inter.
esting administration to the correspondent,
with such red-blooded man as General
Garfield in the Presidency, and such an
other red blooded man as Mr.. Blaine in
the Premiership. There is plotting and
counter plotting now over the other Cab
met places and the Speakership, and GER
tain outgoing Congressman are fixing a
longing eye on various foreign missions.
What pity that the whole machinery Of
Government must be taken to pieces and
set up over again so very often Our re-
publican institutions lack the one great
essential of repose. A correspondent
ought not to complain, however, for these
things are the life of the profession-the
meat it feeds upon.
SOCIAL REVIEWS.
There is cheerful effort at social brisk.
ness this winter, but a lethargy is felt
under it all, or rather prudent furling of
sails by all the sidecraft till the ship of
state gets under weigh again. The Cabi-
net receptions languish. Our present
Cabinet families are not society people
nothing is palmer. With the exception of
two parties given by Secretary and Mrs.
Evarts the first winter, and three of
moderate size by Secretary and Mrs. Sher-
man last winter, there has been nothing
general among them. Each Saturday
evening Secretary and Mrs. Evarts are at
home to the diplomatic corps and few
other invited guests but most of the Cabi-
net families have gone through the four
years without entertainment at all, except
the perfunctory Wednesday afternoons
Z" at home" to callers. The Nc
Crarys were crude people their
successors, the Ramseys, are elderly, with
no child at home, their only daughter,
Mrs Furness, residing in Philadelphia and
only occasionally visiting her parents.
Mrs Ramsey is this winter an invalid, and
Secretary Ramsey has just lost a bachelor
brother, devoted to his interests-by sui.
eide, it is said, at the Secretary's failure to
secure the Minnesota Senatorship in place
of Macmillan, who becomes his own sue
cessor. The Postmaster General and Mrs.
Key were confessedly poor, and lived very
quietly at the Ebbitt House, entertaining
no one, except that he took his turn in CIV
ing the solemn semi monthly Cabinet din
ners. His successor, Mr.. Maynard, is thin,
long haired, and dyspeptic. His wife is a
patient. looking invalid. On basement
window of their residence is the card,
{" Rooms for rem" "a quaint adornment for
a Cabinet Minister'S house. Secretary and
IL. G ~
themselves. They 60 out freely, but do
not entertain. One musicale to a limited
number of guests at their house is the only
festivity to be recalled there in the four
years. The Attorney General is bachelor,
and entertains only gentlemen at an occa-
sional dinner. The Vice President is child
less widower, and on Wednesday even.
ing of this week will give at Worm
ley's his first dinner during the
four years of his administration, to personal
friends in the Senate. Secretary Thomp.
sons family were perhaps the rawest ma
terial that has entered into Cabinet life
for generation. They came here from an
Indiana farm. There are two single daugh-
tiers, neither of them young, and son,
who was his fathers private secretary and
is now a Department clerk. They went
out as opportunity offered, but were never
known to reciprocate. The ex-Secretary
himself is quite polished old gentleman,
and fond of
SOCIAL ATTENTIONS.
Secretary and Mrs. Sherman are well
versed in the amenities of social life. but
they like to entertain a few personal
friends at time. They are to give re-
ception tomorrow evening The Speaker
of the House and Mrs. Randall have a
young lady daughter and go out quite
freely in society, but they live on Capitol
Hill in one tenement of an unimpresslve
brick row, and are little heard of socially
beyond their Wednesday afternoons.
Well, no one blames the Cabinet or the
Speaker for not entertaining the multitude
on SIS, 900 year; but there is great deal
of frank speculation as to whether it may
not be compatible with the interests of the
public service to have few rich and hos
pitable men in the next Cabinet. Had it
not been for our wealthy Representatives
the last and present Congress, and for the
occasional party giving in Supreme Court