St. Landry democrat., 1886-10-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 81, 1886.

The President and his family nave re-
turned very quietly. They take an al
most daily drive to the country house,
overlooking Washington, which the
President recently bought. The heavy
ectapgular stone mansion has been
thoroughly remodeled and when COM
pleted will make an attractive country
home, if indeed, the rapid growth OF
Washington will allow it to remain
long in the country.
Life at the White House at present is
uneyentful-there will be no entertain
ments until the opening of the regular
season when the usual number OF re-
ceptions and state dinners will be given.
The President will begin the prepare
tion Of his annual message at once, SO
az to get it outlined at least before
Congress comes back. He has few VS.
itors now and no pressing business so
that he can take as much time as ne
pleases for his message. Meanwhile
the heads Of the Departments are pre-
uaripg the data which he will need I'D
his review of their operations during
the first wear of his administration. 1t
is needless to say that the bare state
ment of the facts will make an admlra-
BILE showing for all the Departments.
Everybody who has anything to do with
them knows that they never were more
honestly, economically, ably, and let 1T
be added with emphasis, courteously,
administered before.
The season" this year will be short,
but it promises to be brilliant. Inc
President, it is said, is not fond OF gen
eral society. He was evidently i'll at
ease, if not actually bored at some OF
the Diplomatic and State dinners which,
official etiquette required him to give
last winter. Mrs. Cleveland, however,
is fond of society, and society is thor
oughly in love with Mrs. Cleveland and
her social tastes may perhaps prove
foil to Mr.. Cleveland's recluse dlspo-
sitiop. Mrs. Cleveland will be sought
after and invinted, here, there and ev-
eryw here; but she will be able, as mis-
tress Of the White House, to accept very
few invitations. The President cannot
accept invitations to dinners or parties
where he is likely to meet one OF the
diplomatic corps for the President to
dine out with one Minister of foreign
nation would be to insult all the other
representatives and cause each and ev-
eryone to write polite letters to their
home governments, informing them of
the insult offered their sovereigns or
rulers. Here the Diplomatic corps is
invited as body. 1t is generally
known here by the people versed in so
ciety rules that if the President is in
yited no foreign representative is to be
invited. President Arthur loved to go
out to dinner parties, and he always
was enabled to tell beforehand who was
to compose the party. Cleveland has
never had occasion to enquire, because
he has never accepted invitations out
side his Cabinet Whether Mrs. Cleve-
land will accept invitations or give little
entertainments is one OF the problems
not yet solved, but anxiously awaiting
solution. She has made many friends
here already, and every one wants to
see more of her, for she is very Iowa
BILE woman. Mrs. Cleveland will most
likely begin her Saturday afternoon re-
captions as soon as it gets cool, but
those are more of an official character
than social, and do not count with soci-
ETY. here.
While the social season has not strict
ly begun, it may be said, in another
sense, that Washington is never out of
season. 1t is pretty full the year round.
People begin to come in from the sea-
shore and mountains the latter part OF
August and are all home by the first
week in September. Washington has
become very popular Autumn resort
People going south for the winter al
ways pass through here. Each yeal
they tarry longer. They begin to leave
the summer resorts earlier and delay
their trips to Florida later. The GUS
tom is becoming common to stop il
Washington the first OF October, OF
their way south, and to stay severa
weeks. The travelling public have dis
covered the attractions of Washington
as an autumnal and early winter resort
Before these birds Of passage hav'
flown, the social and political season
has begun. This brings in a differen
set Of people representing the wealth
and fnshion of all parts of the Union