Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-01-19
Ibc Ganfastrr 1ntclliocnfcr.
LANCASTER, JANUARY ls. 1855
The Social Vendetta.

There seems to be Il social war raging III
Washington which threatens to excite
more interest than any impending political
issue which disturbs the serenity of the
federal capital, Ever since the Blaines
retired from the department of state and
the Frelinghuysens came into it, the feel
ing which gave rise to this condition of
things has been becoming more intense :;
the events of the late presidential campaign
brought it to white heat.
Mr.. Arthur, who was always a society
man in New York, brought to the manage
ment of the White House an elegance of
entertainment and gorgeousness of uphols-
terry that had not for many years pervaded
that establishment.
Partly from prefeTment, no doubt, and in
some degree because of the political pri-
macy of its head. the Freinghuysen
household has been the special favorite of
have chiefly directed the management
Of the White House; indeed so close
have been the relations of Arthur and
the Frelinghuysens, that the mildeSt form
of resulting gossip has been the report of
his matrimonial engagement with one of
the daughters. His recent appointment Of
another's husband, John Davis. to va
caney in the court of claims--for Which
pace. it is avowed by the anti-adminis-
tration people that he has no fitnesS--has
reopeued the social war. Another phase of
it is the charge that Arthur is scheming to
gel his secretary of state OH the supreme
bench of the United States, even into the
highest place thereof, and that should
any vacancy occur between this and March
4th, Frelinghuysen will certainly succeed
Waite.
Mrs. Blaine is a woman of vigorous in
tellect, with sharp tongue and strong
social preiudices her cousin, " Gail Ham
ilton, member of her household, wields a
trenchant pen and is the BlaineS' strong
ally. They resort to no diplomatic arts to
conceal their resentments and avow them
possibly more often and more vehemently
than their friendships. II is reported and
generally believed that Mrs. Blaine,
when invited to help receive the White
House guests on New Year day, an,
swered IN no uncertain tone, expressing
her very candid opinion of the treatment
of her husband by the administration set
during his candidacy for president.
The matter now seems to have been
transferred from the drawing-roOm to the
newspapers; and each side can find cham
pions in the Washington correspondents of
the newspapers. Most bitter of the assail-
ants OF the Arthur-Frelinghuy party is
a correspondent of the New York World.
who in every form thruStS at them: while
the North Amcriraa, one of whose editors
is marshal of the District of Columbia
and major-domo of the White House.
comes TO the defense of its inner circle
in a gallant manner and resents most
vigorously the attacks which have been
made upon ii.
1t has been many years since social
rivalres and female quarrels were a large
factor in Washington politics. It NAV or
may not be the result of president trying to
run the White House without u wife. Mr..
Cleveland should give the subject care
ful consideration. For while the Ere
lnghuysen-Blaine vendetta might be
terminated with the retirement of
Arthur, it may be succeeded with a fresh
lot of troubles when bachelor president
comes in.