Middletown transcript., 1884-02-22
Society in Washington.

The writer of an illustrated article
on 4" The New Washington" in the
March Century, characteriZes Wash
ington society thus: 6 Leaving aside
the question of political morality, few
people who have passed winter in
Washington will deny the charm of its
society. Acknowledging all its faults,
itscrudeness- s-narrownessp perhaps
its lack of form, it must yet be ac-
knowledged that it differs from all
other American society in the fact that
it is not founded on wealth. 1t is the
only society which is really Republican,
though it has little resemblance to the
Republican court of the first admin
iStration, the only one in America
which has well-defined basis. And
that basis is public station, temporarily
conferred, whether directly or indi-
rectly, by the expressed wishes of fel-
lowmen. The holding of such public
station necessarily implies intelligence,
and such it is intelligence, as distin-
guished from lineage or wealth, which
is the fundamental basis in Washington
society. Such a society does not feel
obliged to adopt certain customs be-
cause it is reported at second hand
that they are good form in London.
Its opinions are robustly independent,
it's information is extensive, and its
subjects Of conversation are many and
varied.
1t is not to be imagined that such
society is well defined, OF that its
rules are clearly established-th it
is true that the Etiquette of Social Life
in Washington has been most elaborate
ly formulated in little pamphlet, of
which a fresh edition is perennially pro-
duced, and which is said to sell in
great numbers. It is, undoubtedly,
open to the criticism of being raw, to
the same extent-but no more-that
society in London is subservient and
snObbish, and in New York illiterate
and commercial. Nothing can be more
ridiculous than the public levees of the
President, where the doors are thrown
open that every person in the street
may enter them in crush, and stand
in slowly moving procession for two
hours, in order that during half
minute Of that time the President may
be seen and his arm may be Wrenched.
But this is not peculiar to Washington
alone. Such public receptions are in
f1icted upon presidents in all cities
which they visit. Hardly less incon-
gruous are the Wednesday afternoon
receptions of the wives of Cabinet
officers, when their doors are also
thrown open and hundreds of strangers
tramp through their parlors 'to pay
their respects The wives of Judges
and Senators and Representatives have
to endure the same thing on other after
moons of the week. 1t has come to be
considered as part of the price of pub
lie station. But, no matter what
Office a man may hold, no one may
come to his dinner table without an
invitation. And it is in dinners that
Washington society excels. Diplomats
and travellers from every part of the
world men distinguished in political
life, on the bench, and in war men of
science and men of letters women of
intelligence and culture, with the
native grace and beauty for which
American women are justly celebrated
there is no such wealth of choice in
any other American city, and there are
no other dinner-parties so entertaining
as those Of Washington"