Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-19
WHITE HOUSE ETIQUETTE.
Miss Cleveland Concludes to Abolish the
Famous Social Guard.
From the Nel0 York World

From the Nsao York World.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Miss Cleve-
land has been consulting with number
OF society ladies about the programme of
exercises at the White House on New
Years day. She has as much indepen-
dence as her brother, and after having
listened very carefully TO the opinions and
suggestions OF the ladies who are familiar
through long experience with what is eX-
pected in Washington, she has arrived at
certain conclusions, and has already
arranged the programme of exercises for
that day. Mrs. Hayes broughtin fashion
of having very large number OF ladies
10 assist in receiving. The result OF her
numerous invitations was to build up a
precedent which has occasiOned a great
deal OF heartburning and has been at the
bottom Of some of the severest
of the Washington social feuds.
Mrs. Hayes would arrange the ladies she
especially invited in a stiff row upon her
right instead Of having them scattered at
their ease back OF her in the Blue Parlor
I where the receptions were held. These
ladies would stand with their hands
folded, with IA look Of rapt bliss and calm
superiority upon their faces and take no
part in the reception beyond nodding
stitf1y to their friends as they passed.
AutOuEu tuis ARRANGEMENT al SSAupluHNt
OF sociabillty was destroyed,
To the grotesque awkwardness and
stiffness Of this line was added the ques-
ton of place. Certain official ladies held
that ir was their right to stand nearer to
the Presidents right than other official
ladies. The wife Of Justice of the SD
| preme Court once made national repu-
tati0n by seizlng a dimiputive 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 lineof 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 ieal-
ousies involved in the maintenance OF
this line, and she has very sensbly and
! Independently gone to work to see II 1t
cannot be abolished. In order to accom-
pllsh this she will limit her invitations TO
the wives of Cabinet officers. AS there are
only five of these ladies this Will make the
line much shorter, aud as the question Of
precedence in the Cabinet has been all
settled there can be no differences Of Opin-
ion as to where each lady shall stand. II
is possible Mrs. Whitney may not be
present, as she IS in mourning. For sew
eral years it has been the custom to in.
yite the wives of the chef officials Of
the two houses OF Congress to assist
at the New Years reception. This has
brought into the line ladies who have
claimed precedence over the Cabinet. The
| wife of the Vice President, or the acting
Vice President, ranks next to the wife Of
the President, and in the absence Of such
lady she socially stands first. The
Speakers wife is supposed to come next.
Mrs. John sherman is to-day the lady of
the highest social rank in Washington.
Miss Cleveland avoids all these questions
this year by combining her invitations to
The administration family. This may re-
suit in flutter among the wives OF Re
publican Senators, but Miss Cleveland is
actuated by the right kind of motives and
will be criticised by none except the eX-
IRENE sticklers for place and burdensome
etiquette.
If Mrs. Sherman had been invited and
given precedence over the wives of prom
inent Democratic officials, then there
would have been disturbance. II she
had been invited and not given a place,
Mrs. Sherman's followers would have been
/ outraged. Miss Cleveland has found a
happy way out of the difficulty. She
thinks thatit would not be delicate to have
the wife Of the acting Vice President
prominent at White House reception so
soon after the death ofMr. Hendricks.
Another veXed question has also been
settled by Miss Cleveland. For num-
Der of years Mrs. Bayard has been some
thing of an invalid and has gone into So
ciety hut little Her eldest daughter,
Miss Katharine Bayard, has represented
her. She has claimed the precedence be-
longing to her mother, and as a natural
consequence this clam has been disputed
by the married ladies' of officials near Mr..
Bayard in point Of position. Miss
Cleveland has requested Mrs. Bayard
to be present at the New Years
reception, aud as Mrs. Bayard Is
in very good health now, she will
occupy first place there, next
to Miss Cleveland, thereby saving the dis
satisfaction which would follow her being
represented by her daughter. 1t is eX-
pected Miss Cleveland Will have these
Cabinet ladies assist her only upon very
| formal occasions, and that at the regular
! weekly receptions she will not maintain
stiff line al her right, but will have the
ladies who assist her scattered informally
about the room, 80 that no question of
PRECEDENCE can be raised. There is no
doubt that this social policy outlined by
Miss Cleveland will give satisfaction to
the best people in Washington society.
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BOB INGERSOLL REGULATING.