Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-17
The Merry War Impending in Wash

WASHINGTON, April. l3.-Ihe war,
which at one time seemed to be brewing
over the question of rank and precedence
among the ladies ola new Administration,
has been postponed until next winter,
owing to the intervention of the lenten
! season and afterward to the lingering
/ illness of eX-President Grant. The con-
tending forces are on the alert, however,
and any attempt by either to define the
boundary lines would be as likely to bring
on a general engagement as would
similar effort ON the Afghan border by
Russ or ButOn.
The people Of the land may not be
aware that at this our republican court
there is, and has always been, almost as
1 fierce a contention as to the order of pre-
cedence among the ladies Of Ofiiceholders
on social occasions. and in the in exchange
of civilities, as there IS among the danes
of high degree who langush or shine
amid the regal splendor of the etiete mon
archies OF the Eastern hemisphere. Yet,
alas. such is the case. A venerable SEN
atOr, who took his seat in
/ the Senate in 1851, and be-
/ came one of its leaders, said to me a few
/ days since: lit is wonderful, sir, how
some women will push others aside i'm the
struggle for social precedence. Why,
sir, when l came to the Senate / found
the order among officials, carrying
/
follows:
1.-The President.
1.-THE Vice President.
lII.-The Speaker Of the House Of Rep
resentatives.
IV.-The Chief Justice.
N-The Senators.
VI-The House of Representatives.
NlI.-The Associate Justices Of the
Supreme Court.
VIII, and last-The Cabinet officers.
"By the Lord, SIR" continued the old
gentlemen, warming up tc his subject.
81 never yielded a hairs breadth Of TIE
prerOgative Of the Senate. My wife made
no first call on those below her on the list
| have given you; and she never lacked
first calls from them. We entertained a
great deal, at a time when few did so. and
every year of my service I'm the Senate /
| gave Mrs. his wife 100000 year for
that purpose. But before we left Wash
/ ington the wives Of Justices Mclean and
! CatrOn had upset the social scale and
! pushed themselves far ahead of all those
/ who would submit to it."
The slmmerirg of the social stew which
is to be served piping hot next December
may already be distinctly heard at times.
/ Ii begins with the disposition to be made
| of the lady Of the White House. Miss
/ Cleveland. There seems to be no inten-
I lloh w AfHblb " hlOithtfs us mas SOlue-
/ times been done at White House recep
| tons. Miss Cleveland is to be permitted
at the White House TO be the first lady of
! the land. But there, according TO the law
Of the social female Congress now in
secret session, her dominion is TO end.
Outside OF the Executive Mansion and
grounds the Vice Presidents wife is 10
rank as first, and the Presidents sister
second. The second in Importance
among the already celebrated cases pend
ing is that Of Miss Bavard. the daughter
of the Secretary of State, who. when her
mother is in, assumes her duties. This is
not 10 be endured by the wives of other
Cabinet officers. Wives are 10 come
before sisters and daughters. even though
their husbands be somewhat lower in
station.
The exact status Of Mrs. Blaine as the
lady Of the defeated candidate for the
Presidency has not yet been decided upon:
but II 10 is not somewhere high enough up
% create connection ana resistance. 10 Will
be because James G.. has forgotten his
diplomacy and Gail Hamilton her love of
mischief.
The women Of the country will certain
ly he treated to their fun share of enter
tainment IN the settlement of great ques-
ions az the national capital next winter
Mingled with the debates ON tariff revision
ana silver coinage will come over the
wires exciting details Of the battle raging
10 establish the order 10 which the wives
OF uluelM nabObs shall smile at those
below them' and gaze with unaffected
wonder upon some Of those above.
.Jeuersonian simplicity may do Cor bmn
on fellows ike Garland, Randall. and the
President himself; but little OF IL goes
great way among the gentler sex.