The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-04-28
THE PRESIDENTS s1ARRLAGE.
The Social Lenders of the National Cap
ital Generally IncreduIous about Recent
Reports of his Engagement.

Reports of his Engagement.
(Wassington Letter to the Neic York Hsraid)
Curiousas it NAV seem, the talk about
the Presidents marriage to Miss Fol
som has not yet produced amy agita-
ton here. The simple truth is, nobody
believes ii, else there would be a fer
meut. The sensation has been worked
up from Buffalo, and for the benefit Of
certain social interests there. When
the subject was first preached, about
| ten days ago, a very near and personal
friend of the President authorized
positive denial of the report. Miss
Cleveland, prior to her departure for
Atlantic City, also gave it q most un-
equivocal contradiction, though it is
untrue that she expressed any disap-
proval of such an alliance for her
brother. Miss Folsom and she are
warm friends, and the Younger lady
was the guest of the former at the
White House last fall. There might
| have been some excuse for the rumor
at that time. Not that the engagement
| is by any means unlikely to be true,
but because of the manner in which
the story has been circulated is any
real doubt cast upon it. The union
would certainly be a desirable one for
Miss Folsom. That may 60 without
saving. To be raised to the position
of first lady Of the land by such an
| alliance would charm any won,an,s
imagination. The close personal friend
ship that existed between Mr.. Clcrc-
land and his now deceased law part
ner is known to every citizen Of But
falo. Nothing could be more natural
than that the former should interest
himself in the welfare OF the widow
and the daughter of his friend. If the
most positive denialS given here go for
nought, and if President Cleveland
really is 10 be married IN June, there
| will be social upturning here such
as Washington never before has seen.
Despite Miss Cleveland's scholar
ship, her position and her many @raccS,
it is an undeniable fact that She has
been socially overshadowed by Mrs.
William e. Whitney, the wife of the
secretary Of the navy. This lady,
with her vast fortune, her splendid
residence in New York, her commodi-
Gus house on street in this city and
her country seat Just outside the bor-
ders of the Capital, has been the recog-
nized social queen Of the present sea-
son. Previously unknown to the
country and unhcra!ded on her ap-
pearance in Washington, Size has, in
one short year, become the dictator at
the Republican court and the leader OF
fashion | am aware that many Wash-
ington ladies who read this will shake
their heads, if they do not dispute the
assertion even more warmly. But the
less impulsive among them will recog-
nize its truth. Where is there any
lady in any way identified with the
! present regime that can dispute with
her the place at the top? She cannot
be named. Mrs. Manning had all the
charms that fitted her for such 8 posi-
ton. The treasury department out
ranks that Of the navy in the unwrlt-
ten code Of precedence, but the dam
gerous illness of Secretary Manning is
likely to keep the lady of Albany out
VI The social field for some time TO
come.
Everybody who knows anything
about this season at Washington ad-
nits that Mrs. Whitney has been ap-
pcalcd 10 when a triumphant success
in any charitable or social enterprise
was desired. Her house has been al
the disposal of her friends when she is
at home, though it must be admitted
that some of her associates felt very
hadly because she recently declined to
permit them to take possession Of her
home and servants when she was sud-
denly called to Cleveland, Ohio, by
the death of her grandmother. She
was resolute in her postponement OF
the neWsboys' charity reception, how
ever. For one woman to make secret
enemy of another is a serious affair.
There is no such word as "forgiye-
ness" in the feminine lexicon. have
been convinced Of sincere womanly
delight at the scandal which Mrs.
Potter's reading of an obnoxious poem
brought upon the Whitney coterie. 1t
was the only serious misstep prior to
the closing Of her house, and, Of
course, she innocently suffered for her
friend. Nobody supposes for a mo-
ment that Mrs. Whitney would have
approved of such nauscating rubbish
as "Ostier Joe'-a species of verse
that has for months been sold in beer
| gardens and in the smoking cars Of
trains, but never mentioned in the pres
ence of ladies. The unforeseen act of
her guest has placed Mrs. Whitney in a
position of considerable difficulty. 1t
is believed to have given rise to the
remark in certain high circles that it
was high time to make the White
House the social centre of the Capital.
Womanlv malice had everything to do
with this remark. 1t probably was the
precursor of the wedding sensation
now having its run. Some curious
things have been told me by ladies
during the past week regarding the
channels through which the prospcc-
tive marriage has been given 10 the
world. do not dare repeat them, for
l should have the leaders Of the social
factions about my ears like 80 many
| hornets.
If Mr.. Cleveland is 10 marry in the
near future-and l believe it is right
guaranteed even to Presidents under
the Constitutional means the iuaugu-
ration Of o merry war for social
supremacy such as has not been seen
in this Capital since the days Of the
Pierce Administration The local
nabobesses, now almost 4 uuit as