Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-24

the sewing society.
Mrs. Senator spooner is back from visit 70
Princeton, where her son is at school.
| Written for The EVENING STAR
CENTENNIAL ADMINISTRATION.
A Chapter Of Social History About Woe.
! Presidents and Their Families.
| MRS. ADAMS ASSISTANCE TO MRS WASHINGTON n,
! ESTABLISHING POLITE usAeEs FOB OFFICIAL
LrFE-HER SUCCESSORS IN THE LONG LIST OF
vIcR-PREsIpENTs' FAMI1IEs
| Although the time fixed BY the convention Of
17s7 for the Inauguration Of the new govern
ment fell upon the 4th day Of March, 1889, the
disfavor or indifference with which the new
Constitution was received by many Of the peo-
pie and the dilatoriness and irresponsiblity born
Of the lax system Of the old articles Of confed.
GRAFTON, delayed the organization Of the House
OF Representatives Of the FIRST Congress, owing
to the non-arrivsl Of q quorum, until April /,
upon which day the first Speaker, F. A. Muh-
lenberg, Of Pennsylvania, began his term of
service.
The Senate did not secure quorum until
five days after. BY the time the Senate had
counted the electoral vote and its messengers
had notiried George Washington, at Mount
Vernon. and John Adams at Braintree, Mass,
Of their election to the presidency and vice.
presidency. many more days had elapsed.
1t WIS April n when John Adams was re-
| celved on the floor Of the Senate by the presi-
dent pro tempore, and conducted to his seat,
where he delivered an address extending his
Fluctuations to the Senate upon their organiza-
ton and the prospective inauguration OF new
| government. The Vice-Presideut, however
presided over the deliberations of the Senate
for one month and twelve days before he took
an oath OF off ce. In the meantime, on April
3d. or one month and twenty seven days after
the constitutional time for the Inauguration
OF the system Of government Of 1857, WASH
ington, the first President, took the oath of
Office prescribed by the Constitution, but John
Adams. the first vice-President had to await
| the results Of q tedions discussion by Congress
as 10 the form in which he and the Senators
the Speaker, Representatives and all civil,
Judicial. national aud state and other officers
with full constitutional powers. That culminst-
ing act took place on June 8, 1889, or three
months after the constitutional day, But not
withstanding all these delays Benjamin Har-
rison, OF Indiana, will be the centennial Presi-
dent and Levi p. Morton the centennial Vice
President, when the one is inangurated at the
head OF the executive and the other at the head
OF the Legislative branches of the government
THE vIcE-sREsIDESrIAL OFFICE.
Among the trainers of the Constitution the
vice-presidential Office was not regarded a. q
sort Of ffth-wheel adjunct to the government
machine and an official nonentity, AZ the consti-
tutional heir presumptive TO the first place,
waiting around to be on hand should the chief
magistrate, by natural or unnatural process
shufie of this mortal coil, but az the presiding
officer Of the Senate and the second officer in
the scale of dignities. That view of late years
has fallen into state Of "inocuous desuet1de."
put put there a prospect that the centennial
NlCA.RrR6ldQnf WI hptn
70 some OF its ancient dignity, officially
| and socially. In the midst of the
adulation of the President and his official and
social surroundings for the past 100 wears.
Ine Viee-president has been overshadowed
and lost And yet out Of the twenty-five Presi-
dents in office seven have succeeded TO the iryt
place, three by the choice of the people and
four by the will Of God. The frst President.
through the tardiness Of Congress, ran his I'd,
ministrstion nearly Ave months before he bad
| cabinet officer to relieve him of the details of
executive business During that time he fre-
quently called the Vice. President into consul
tation upon affairs Of state
| President Washington had not been In Office
| three weeks before he was so beset BY Office
\ seekers, even in those ancient and infant days
| OF the government, that he addressed a note Of
| queries to Vice-President Adams, asking his
opinion o. TO the proper code Of official discip-
nne ana social propriety which should govern
branches Of the government The same in.
quiries were sent to Jay, Hamilton and Madi-
son, but the reply Of the vice-President was
| the most voluminous and was practically the
| groundwork of the code Of manners which has
been substantially in vogue at the executive
mansion, with the exception Of the regime Of
Jefferson, ever since.
AMONG TIE LADIES
who have presided over tho Official households
Of the vice-Presidents are found some Of the
most brilliant figures in the fashionable life Of
the seat Of government During the eight
years that vice-President Adams sat in the
chair OF the Senate In New York and Philadel-
pnis, Mrs. Abigail smith Adams took . promi-
| nent part In the stately social life which was
handed down from the colonial, evolutionary
| and continental days. She was Q woman Of
| suonS Character, As her trying experiences near
Boston when threatened by British soldiery
Britain, at . time when the chagrin Of King
George and his royal spouse, Charlotte, over
the loss Of their American colonies was keenest.
she nled her part with wonderful tact, and on
occupants Of the British throne. When the
new government was inaugurated Mrs. Wssh-
ington and Mrs. Adams led the social world
and put into practice the rules Of oiyicial fash-
ionable life which have come down through Q
century substantially unchanged. It was, there
fore, very appropriate that Mrs. Adams should
succeed to the place Of first lady Of the land
upon the retirement Of Mrs.. Washington. She
was, also, the nrst Lady to occupy the executive
msnsion, and on New Year day Of 1901 inauRu-
| rated its social festivities.
During the four years Of JeNsrsonb Vice
proficiency his daughter. Martha, who married
Thos. Mann Randolph, IT,, her cousin and hel
fathers ward, and 70 whom she had been ~
| tached from childhood, occasionally Visited
her father and snlivsned his social surround.
ings.
AA1oN Du11's DAueHr4R.
The brilliant but politically unscrupuloul