Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-10-30
MRS. CLEVELANO'S CHANGE OF MIND.
STILL THE PRINCIPAL TOPIC IN
WASHINGTON SOCIETY
CIRCLES.
The White House Explanation Ac-
cepted by Comparatively Few.
The SkeptICs All Agreed That There Was
Quite Another Reason.
Special Dispatch to the Enquirer.

WASHINGTON, ID. O., Oct. o.
There is no end to talk and tu-
mutt and vain conjecture here as to
the whyness of Mrs. Cleveland's
failure % visit Richmond with the
Presidential party on Thursday.
Everybody not concerned in the
business has an opinion and the
DRY or two on the subject which
he is free TO confess, but those who
are in a position to know thing
worth finding ont are as clans.
The popular notion is that some
body strong in council was afraid
to hold a reception in Richmond
that would identify the Admins
tratiOn with the lost cause Of the
Southern Confederacy.
"All know about It," said one
of the Cabinet ladies who was to
have been one Of the party, Sis
that on Wednesday afternoon we
we're notified that Mrs. Cleveland
was not gong. OF course the rest
of us could not 90. | suppose our
husbands thought it was going to
be too tiresome q journey for us,
and so decided we had better stay
at bOme.D
sit was a cowardly retreat out
of a bad piece of business" said a
shrewd society woman, commenting
on the matter. "Why did they say
they were going, and when it was
announced they should have kept
the appointment, come what might.
suppose there were reasons
enough for the ladies not going"
"Then social hObnObbing on
the part of the Presidents wife at
Richmond with the Lees and Day
ises would have entitled the return
courtesy of inviting Miss DAYS. to
be a guest at the White House for
a while during the season. Seer
SO the ladies' did not go, and the
country and the second nomination
and the united Democracy IL safe.
Don't You think so?
The story and the principal point
raised in connection with the oc'
currence reminds us of what Abra-
ham Lincoln said about the air
"Dixie.r He ordered the National
bands to play it. "For," said he,
"we took it when we captured the
Confederate army" There is now
no Confederacy, and, therefore, the
daughter of it is a hopeless orphan,
too impotent to excite feelings Of
fear, envy or reproach.
Mr.. Lamont made response to all
questions, "See the ladies' who
were to gow
Mrs. Cleveland, we are told, sees
no one save the ladies of the Cabl-
net and persons by special engage
ment, and few engagements are
made. She spends most of her
time in overseeing the work at
"Pretty Prospect" as 1t advanc' S
toward Misunderstanding stage where
the Internal decoration is n matter
CT artistic possibilities. The lady
of the White House lives in an
enforced scclusion from the world
that seems a necessity, for the del
icate diplomacy OF the situation
REQUIRES that she shall be at home
to everybody or to nobody abso'
lutely. And if she were to be gra-
cious to a few there would be gener-
al complaint, and if she were ac'
cessible to all she would be Oyerrun,
and the strength that is necessary
for the season would be disslpated
before the meeting of Congress.
The Star says: The failure OF
Mrs. Cleveland to accompany the
President to Richmond continues
to cause considerable comment.
There is a disposition III some quar-.
ters to attribute her absence and
that OF Mrs. Villas and Miss Endl'
colt to the fact that Miss Days,
the daughter of Jefferson Davis,
was TO be a member of the recelv'
ing party at the reception at the
Gubernatorial mansion, on the
ground that it would be impolltlc
for the wife of the President to par
ticipate in "a reception with the
daughter of the leader of the Con
federacy. Those who are in posi-
ton to know, however, deny en-
phatically that Mrs. Cleveland re-
NAMED in Washington for that
reason.
At the White House it is stated
that nothing was known regarding
Miss Davis presence, and that the
ladies themselves decided to remain
at home tor reasons Of their own.
There was a good deal of doutt'
about their going from the start,
and when first one and then the
other evinced an indisposition to
make the visit, they decided at the
last moment 10 remain at nome.
Matters of dress, &c, entered into
the question which men are not
supposed to know about,
The current rumors attributing
reasons why Mrs. Cleveland did
not 90 to Richmond yesterday were
referred to by Star reporter IN
the course OF a conversation with
Secretary Lamar to-day. The Sec
rotary said he knew nothing about
the reasons for Mrs. Cleveland re-
naming at home. He thought
that the explanation given in some
quarters that it was because a
daughter of Jefferson Davis was
visiting there was perfectly absurd
and ridiculous. 1t is more reason
able to suppose that Mrs. Cleveland
had some reason of her own, the
Secretary said, especially as 1t Is
known that she at first declined 70
accept the invitation to go to Rich
mOnd.
Among the Presidents callers to-
day was q lady from Atlanta. Up
on shaking hands with the Presl-
dent she said: "Sorry not to meet
Mrs. Cleveland, for next to Miss
Davis | was anxious to see the wife
of the President"
The President did not make any
reply.
LOUISVILLE KY, Oct. 25.-Al-
exander Hoard and John Paxton,
schoolboys and rivals in love, stood
~. n-orbf ford Ind |