Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-31
White House Etiquette,
Miss Cleveland VIII Abolish the
Stiff old Social Guard.
A Reform that is Much Needed
to Cure Washington Feuds.
Washington Special to the N, Y. World.

WALL VI oOS1CLJ 1oOICo oNONl
the programme Of exercises at the
white house on New Years day. She
has as much independence as her
brother, and after having listened
very carefully to the opinions and
suggestions of the ladies, who are ia
miliar through long experience with
what is expected in Washington, she
has arrived at certain conclusions, and
has already arranged the programme
of exercises for that day. Mrs. Hayes
brought in fashion Of having very
large number of ladies to assist in re-
ceiving. The result of her numerous
invitations was to build up a precedent
which has occasIoned q great deal Of
heart-burning and has been at the bot
tom of sonae of the severest Washing
ton social feuds. Mrs. Hayes would
arrange the ladies' she especially invlt-
ed in a stiff row upon her right in
stead of having them scattered a
their ease back OF Aer IN the blue par
IOr, where the receptions were held.
These ladies would stand with their
hands folded, with look of rapt bliss
and calm superiority upon their faces
and take no part IN the reception be-
yond nodding stiffiy to their friends
as they passed. Through this arrange
ment all semblances of sociabilIty was
destroyed.
To the grotesque awkwardness and
stiffness of this line was added the
question of place. Certain official
ladies held that it was their right to
stand nearer to the presidents right
than other official ladies. The wife of
a Justice of the supreme court once
made national reputation by SEEING
a dlminutlve cabinet officers wife and
bringing her between herself and the
lady whom she claimed had usurped
her position in the line. The stories
told in Washington over the fights for
position in this line of the social
White house guards are many.
Miss Cleveland found this line a
legacy which had been handed down
long enough to be considered as a
precedent. She soon learned of the
bitter rivalries and jealousies involved
in the maintenance of this line, and
she has very sensiblY and independ-
emily gone to work to see if it cannot
be abolished. In order TO accomplish
this she will limit hec invitations to
the wives of cabinet officers. AS there
are only five of these ladies this will
make the line shorter, and as the
question of precedence in the cabinet
has been all settled there can be no
differences of opinion as to where
each lady shall stand. It is possible
Mrs. Whitney may not be present, as
she is in mourning. For several
years it has been the custom to invite
the wives of the chief officials of the
two houses of congress to assist al the
New Years reception. This has
brought into the line ladies who have
claimed precedence over the cabinet.
The wife of the vice oresidence, or the
acting vice-presidence, ranks next to
the wife of the president, and in the
absence of such a lady she socially
stands first. The speakers wife is
supposed to come next. Mrs. John
Sherman is to-day the lady of the high
est social rank in Washington. Miss
Cleveland avoids all these questions
this year by combining her invitations
to the administration family. This
may result In a futter among the
wives of the republican senators, bat
Miss Cleveland is actuated by the
right kind of motives, and will be
criticised by none except the extreme
sticklers for place and burdensome
etiquette.
If Mrs. Sherman had been invited
and given precedence over the wives
of prominent democratic officials, then
there would have beer a disturbance.
If she had been invited and not given
a place, Mrs. Sherman's followers
would have been outraged. Miss
Cleveland has found happy way out
of the difficulty. She thinks that it
would not be delicate to have the wife
of the acting vice president prominent
at the White house reception so soon
after the death of Mr.. Hendricks.
Another vexed question has also
been settled by Miss Cleveland. For
number of years Mrs. Bayard has
been something of an invalid and has
gone into society but little Her eld-
est daughter, Miss Katherine Bayard,
has represented her. She has claimed
the precedence belonging to her
mother, and as natural consequence
this claim has been disputed by the
married ladies of officials near Mr..
Bayard In point OF position. Miss
OAofO1uA~0 las ASduCStCd nuASs Day oil u
to be present at the New Years recep-
ton, and as Mrs. Bayard is in very
good health now she will occupy first
place there, next to Miss Cleveland,
thereby saving the dissatisfaction
which would follow her being repre-
sented by her daughter. 1t is expect
ed Miss Cleveland will have these
cabinet ladies assist her only on very
formal occasions, and at the regular
weekly receptions she will not main
tain stiff line at her right, but will
have the ladies scattered informally
about the room, SO that no question of
precedence can be raised. There is no
doubt that this social policy outlined
by Miss Cleveland will give satisfac-
ton to the best people in Washington
society.
differentiation of Imports.
Harpers Weekly.
The special treasury report On the
collection of d11+;aS opd tho rooo,,f