New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-17
LONDON SOCIETY.
SPENCER HOUSEWIFE QUEEN-TliE PRIME
POLITICS IN TIE DRAWlNG-ROOM

POLITICS IN Tile DhAWiNO-hoO-"
ORION THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rrIBrsHi
London, June 6.
It is comparatively easy to discuss sociai ana
personal questions when they concern only persons
Of the very highest public positon-men hike Lord
Bcaconsfeld. especially since he is dead, and like
Mr. Gladstone, whose whole life has been passed
in the glare OF n great renown. Lord Salisbury
Is Prime Minister of England and Lady Salisbury
parties and even her qualities as hostess, are
freely commented on in English print, because Lore
Salisbury is Prime Minister Of England l. might Dc
hazardous to accept as precedent every thihg '"V
appears in English print. The society journal
This is not the name Of particular printed
sheet but generic term-concerns itSeiI at Times
with topics which might well be left to the snoN7
ing.room. or even be left alone in the smoking
room: still on the whole, certain respect is sui
Maid by all the better society journals to the
nr;vacics of private life. Much, l may add, OF
what is revealed in print is revealed by those VINO
are the sdbject OF these revelations; by them or
with their knowledge and consent But VIII
foreco all appeals TO precedent and l shall say
nothing in this letter, any more than III the asV'
about social matters except so far as they are
connected with politics and are matters OF no oricy
in London itself, whether III print or otherwise
Probably in America you have forgotten all
about Lady SpencerS Home Rule party put 'le
memory of it was revived here, and the Whoie SUD
iect reopened by the Westminster'Spencer III
cident which will refOr to in moment re-
roat therefore. that society was at the time dis
posed TO treat Lady Spencers act as oeclar@Iion
Of war. They said and said truly, that she had
NOT ON that occasion invited to Spencer House q
single nersoual friend unless Of the strict Home
Rule faith. This continued the astOnished mouth
n;aces of the fashionable world, is purely pohtl-
cal reccntion: the first Of the kind In our ume
Perhaps secretly they thought 1t was rather az
cepting than offering challenge; wen knowing
as they did how much politics have OF late had 10
do with the decision of questions heretofore re-
oardcd as entirely social Even from that poln'
of view they thought nobody on either sue
had before gone so far, and they asked Does Lazy
Spencer mean to rouse people TO sense OF WhaI
they have really been doing in SOCIAL matlers
since Mr. Gladstone proposed to establish an lrlsh
por,io,ocnte And they said: "Well, perhaps
she has succeeded in that" People have, Tor the
frst time become aware that such policy as has
becn adopted by portion of the London world
might end in completely dividing London INTO TWO
opposing camps, entrance into one OF when WoGiu'
as in Paris mean exclusion from the other. NOT
for long time had any social to>lc been debated
with more animation.
Persons interested in the matter were LETT, OF
course TO form their own opinions. Lady Spencer
offered no explanation; none was due from her vi
from Lord Spencer; the doors OF spencer HOUSE,
opened and closed then as ever 10 WhomsoeNer
the owners Of it chose TO ask or chose hoC 10 ASK,
What the people whom have been quoting said
was based upon their guilty recollection Oh whaI
they themselves had deliberately elected 10 40
IT, was not the Liberals, or any OF them VINO
began this warfare. 1t was not Home hule
shibboleth which any Tory or Unlonist was ever
in the beginning called upon to pronounce. Anu
q MIGHT be safe to say that Lord and Lady Spencer
had no more direct object i'll view than 10 oIins
together the members of their own party; an Cd
icot which involved no bellgerent purpose toward
those who were not members Of their party. III
,as sa;d that five Irish Members had been invited
Mr. Parneu Mr. Dillon, Mr.. O'Brien, Mr. OConnor
and Mr. Justin Mccarthy. Two questions were
raised by this act; first, whether other Llperal
hosts and hostesses would follow the example
~ It were meant as an eXample-thus SET them
and secondly, whether, supposing 1t TO be chat
lence. the Tories would take it up. But 1t was
at once understood among Liberals that TO SET
an example was no part OF Lady SpencefS pi'n'
There was no desire to enter upon campaign
therefore no allies were required. NO enemies
were recognized as enemies, either and so the
Tories felt themselves at liberty to pursue their
own line without reference to what at hrst they
seemed ready to regard provocation. Lady
Uayter as we have already seen, invited to heI
next marty those whom she had been IN the habit
of inviting, without reference to politics, ana no
other very important Liberal house has since been
opened
There i, an anecdote which may serve well
enough as sequel to this story. Lady Cadogan
had a party at Cadogan House on the same night
laroelv but not exclusively, Conservative. 1he
guests at Cadogan House had heard of what was
going Oh at Spencer House, and gossip was as
lively as usual, or more So MIR. Robert Spencer
toward the end of the evening, quilted his Home
Rule friends and went on to Lady Cadogan's. lis
host met him with the question: Well BOBBY
what sort of people have you got tonight al
Spencer House ?" Very much the same, Cadogan'
answered Mr. Spencer, as you nave here-ohy
rather better dressed
The Westminster-Spencer episode is one when
must briefly rctell; it is the most striking the
most sensational Of ALL in this politcosoclal
campaign. When two such families as the
Grosvenors and the Spencers fall out, London, ana
a world wider than London, has TO give It's at
tention to the matter. The Duke of Westminster
is one of the greatest mobiles of England; one OF
the greatest landlords; one of the leaders Of
society Grosvenor House, his London residence
IS surpassed by none other in its social Importance
The late Duchess delighted 10 gather about her
men OF letters, men Of art, men of any high dls
tinction as well as men and women Of rank ana
fashion Since the Duke remarked, it is perhaps
rather more exclusively the smart world which IS
TO be seen in those splendid rooms paneIed with
pictures by Rubcns and Raphael, Titan ana
Veronese Such parties as are gwen there are
small: reason enough why invitations 10 them
,hould be coveted. Well this great parsonage the
Duke of Westminster had invited to dine with
him at Grosvenor House Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Spencer. Mr. Robert Spencer is half-brOSher TO
Earl Spencer, and heir TO the title and estates
1t is not let me say in passing, because he Is
halfbrother 10 an" Earl, but because the Earl
is Earl Spencer, and because Mr. Spencer himself
is one Of the favorites Of society, that society IS
aGitated by this event. There are many EarlS
brothers half or whole about whose affairs society
inn