Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-03-28
Society i'm Washington.

Ooclcly Ill washington.
The writer of an illustrated article
On The New Washington, in The
March century, charactcrizes Wash
lngton society thus: Leaving aside
the question of political morality, few
people who have passed II winter in
Washington will deny the charm of its
society. Acknowledging all its faults,
its crudeness s-narrowness perhaps
and its lack of form, it must yet be ac-
knowledged that it differs from all
other American society in the fact that
1t 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 admins
tration,-the only one in America
which has well-defined basis. And
that basis is public station, temporarily
conferred, whether directly or in
directly, by the expressed wishes of
fellow-men. The Nolding of such pub
lie station necess rily implies intelli-
gence, and such it is intelligence, as
distinguished from lineage or wealth,
which is the fundamental basis in
Washington society. Such society
does not feel obliged to adopt certain
customs because it is reported at sec
ond hand that they are good form in
London. Its opinions are robustly in
dependent, its information is extensive.
and its subjects of conversation are
many and varied.
1T is not to be imagined that such
society is well defined. or that its
rules are clearly established though it
is true that the Etiquette of Social Life
in Washington has been most elabo-
rately formulated in little pamphlet,
of which a fresh edition is perenniallv
produced, and which is said to sell in
great numbers. 1t is, undoubtedly.
open to the criticisms of being raw. to
.he same cXtent-but no more that
society in London is subservient and
SnObbiSh, and in New York illitcrate
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
lourS, in order that during half min
ute of that time the president NAV be
seen and his arm may be wrenched.
But this is not peculiar to Washington
alone. Such public receptions are in
tlicted upon presidents in all cities
which they visit. Hardly less incon-
grous are the Wednesday afternoon re-
ceptions of the wives of cabinet officers.
when their doors are also thrown open
and hundreds of strangers tramp
through their parlors TO pay their re-
spects. 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 public
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 travel
ers from every part of the world; men
distinguished in political life, on Che
bench, and in the war; men of science
and men of letters; women of intclli-
gence 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
dinncr-partieS SO entertaining rs those
of Washington.