Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-08


! creased, or that the eXactlons in a sOcia
way made upon officials must be dimin
Ished. Washington is a very different
! place from what it was before the war The
| enormous expenditures made by the Fed
eral Government in the erection OF public
buildings, in the improvement of streets
and by the erection of many new houses
| by private enterprise, have tended tC
make Washington very popular winter
residence. An important element in the
| popularity which brings visitors to Wash
| ingtOn from every part of the country is
| the ease of access to receptions and other
| social entertainments given by Officia
/ persons. Even the rental of a house sui
| ficient for such entertainment in a very
/ quiet way will not be less than some
| $4,000 per year. and may 90 as high as
! twice that sum. 1t only needs to exhibit
/ this condition of things to demonstrate the
need of some sort of a remedy or reform
! Twenty or thirty years ago very few
members of Congress or Senators owned
| the houses in which they lived. That con.
| ditiOn of simplicity is now quite reversed
! so far as Senators are concerned. Wash.
| ington is rapidly initiating the social Gus.
/ toms and pecuniary extravaganza of ex-
| penditure which characterize the very
! rich people in London and New York. All
OF this may be well enough, and not be de.
! plored, If confined to private individuals
but it becomes public calamity when Of
| ficials in w aShingtOn feel bound to imi-
| tate such social display.
MONEY A FACTOR IN WASHINGTON So
SOCIETY.
1t is only recently that money has be-
become such an important factor in
Washington society. For a long time
money alone was not enough to give one
standing in Washington. Probably there
is no place yet in the country where men
OF brains, education and talent occupy so
good position without the support of
money as here. With the older class Of
public men money counts for very little.
But 1t is easy to see its influence is grow
ing year by year, and it threatens within
very short time to abs olutely dominate
all other influences in Washington lie.
/ This will entirely change the character Of
| Washington society. Where it has been
simple and natural in the past it promises
to be snobbsh and artificial in the future
Rich people began to be attracted here
about the time of the discovery that they
could come here and live practically free
from taxation. 1t has become through
this migration of rich people a fashiona-
bic winter resort. The coming here of un-
Official rich people would not have had
much effect upon general Washington So
ciety if their coming had not stimulates
OFFICIAL
places at the capital. The creation of a
mOney-bag standard for admission to the
Senate has created here wealthy class of
high officials who regard money and its
possession as the tOuchstOne of merit.
The growth of this element has been
farther encouraged by influences around
the White House. Grant was worship
er of money. He entertained and gave
preference 20 rich people. This was par
u z IL Fri u u Of bn
White House to pay visits.
HAYES WORSHIP OF RICH PEOPLE.
Hayes adulation of people with money
was only equaled by his careful saving Of
his own pennies. His worship of rich
people was never more clearly shown than
at the last diplomatic reception given by
him at the White House. The
diplomatic people were his guests
| of honor. All Of the other
| guests present were invited to meet them.
| Sir Edward Thornton was the dean OF the
! Diplomatic Corps at that time. He was
! given precedence over all his associates.
| These gentlemen are the greatest posi- bic
sticklers for etiquette. Any man with the
slightest knowledge of the world or the
commOnest notions of pOliteness would
have been very particular to have OBJ
served every requirement to contribute to
| their pleasure. When the hour Tor going
]
there was only one thing for the Presi-
dent to do, and that was to give his arm
to the wife of the principal guest of the
evening. Sir Edward Thornton had al
ready given his arm to Mrs. Hayes. Mrs.
Aston happened to be present In chsrge
| Ofpolcemen who We're guarding her extra
! ordinary display of diamonds. the gilt
| tering vision OF this concentrated wealth
/ coming under the notice OF the President,
ht irp1Vu a tnl n al n I n.t
most unctuOus manner asked the priv
! ilege of escOrting the diamonds and black
| pearls to the dining-rOOm. Lady Thorn
/ ton was left without an escort. She re-
/ scented this as an insult, walked upstairs
to the dressing-rOom, ordered her car
! riage, and with her two daughters went
directly home.
Arthur is Just such another wOrshiper
/ of money. He associates only with rich
/ people, and while he goes out in society
more than any other President who has
| ever held the office he never yet darkened
the door of any of the houses Of any pub
lie men whose poverty cOmpels them TO
! live in moderate fashion. He goes out
more than is compatible with the dignity
of the office. He is seen with great regu-
larity at the houses of people who have
| nothing but money to recommend them to
the notice Of any one. From the time that
he first came into tue W hlte House, Gen.
| Logan was very frienuIJ. he dla ali thal
he could to uphold him. The General Was
! frequently at the White House and his
opinion was freely sought by Arthur. Yet
| with all his gaddings about as a society
man President Arthur never called upon
Gen. Logan, probably because the latter
| lived in a clearinghouse in much more
humble quarters than are occupied by
some of the chiefs of the government
! bureaus. The President has run after
rich people. Take the case OF Senator
Miller, OF California. Senator Miller is
| a man of no public record. He secured
his seat in the Senate with the proceeds
of a share Of the profits Of the Alaska
Seal Fur Company. Yet the President
has run after the Millers as he has after
other rich people of a kindred character
WASHINGTON sNoBBIsHNEss.
1 noticed an instance of Washington
snObbishness last night in one OF the
! leading groceries OF the capital which
| well illustrates the character of one class
/ of our high-tOned court society. l was
waiting to buy some little things and d
very pretty and modest lady was standing
| at the counter watching the clerk do W
| some packages for her. Another lady
the wife OF an old Washingtonian, was
also waiting, as l was, when Mrs. Gen
, a leduGE VI tue Cdp1ldi3 caAO OuG vi
| the newest of the pOuCedU rlcbe, came
strutting IN, dressed in velvec and seal
skin. She was a tall, angular woman
with nose which seemed TO turn up al
| everybody and everything. She had al
! eye-glass attached to long handle in hel
| right hand. and this she presented in front
| of her right eye and began looking super
cilfously around the store. All of the
clerks were as Dusy as they could be. But
in the most arrogant air she turned to the
one above spoken of and said:
$40 you not see, sir, that L am wait
ing?'
The clerk dropped the bundles he haC
and rushed over to her. She then pointed
with a majestic air to a lot of tomatoes
marked y cents can. She said:
Il Will take one OF those cans Of toma
toes YOU may carry it out to my car
riage,v and with that she swept out of tht
store in the same regal way in which sh,
had entered. AS she did so l noted (
smile OF contempt on the countenance o
the old Washingtonian, who has the bloOC
of some Of the most noted families in th'
country in her veins. She quietly waited
until her turn came to be served, and tax
ing her purchases, which amounted t
many times that of the snob who hat
pushed into her place, in her arms, sh