The Washington critic., 1888-04-14
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
How Presidents Wives Are Said to
Address Their Husbands,
A GROUP OF FIVE SENATOR'S,
a story About General Brewster =
The Mystcry of the Electric
Buttons,

mont into his confidence. Iu-snch
cases It is hard to get au-admission of
Llsis-oft Of the Colonel 1t is his role
TO play the omniscient, and for the
purposes of the White House to have
known all that was coming. 0cca-
sionally, however, the sharp observer
will startle an acknowledgment out
of Lamont, getting a glimpse of the
fact that he knew almost nothing of
what was coming Hero is one little
indication that helps show to what is
due some Of the lack of close
and warm friendship between
the President and his men. The
former is too secretive, and the change
in his life from his former habits is so
great that he has not vet come TO
adapt himself to the latter in such q
way as to have intimacies spring up.
In the old days Of the shricvalty ut
Bufralo--even in the times OF the
Cuhernatorial term at Albany-therc
were moments Of leisure to be spent in
quiet rooms over cigar and bottle
Of cool Bass; and there were old
chums who went off on fishing cXcur-
sions--little ones. This perforce has
fallen aside, but in the new life there
does not seem to have come any new
iuNullN VI hlllbNllilk lliNal INlSNh0lNs
The President is good listener, but
not an open answerer. lie hives up
his information, and makes his callers
talk If he gives answers, they are
apt TO be open to all sorts of con-
structions. In o political contest,
when caller comes. he Is likeliest
torun over the whole list. and speak
with mild approval of all of them,
seeming to parcel ont his approval
with almost mathematical accuracy.
So the men in his party come and go.
They see him solely in n business
relation. They have their requests to
make, and make them and 20 away.
There is not time for anything else.
Mr.. Cleveland's fondness for attend
ing in detail to the small clerical
duties of the office keeps him so
thoroughly occupied that he takes the
business and pushes aside the rest.
1t sets him apart from warming and
softening personal intercourse, and
substitutes dry routine that were as
well done by proxy. The fact that
the President so often seems to
wholly overlook fayors done for him
nodoubt has also helped contribute
to the lack of personal loyalty existing
between him and the men highest in
alAN llNitO bObiOi ANNNOiNs
NV
James M. Mason of West Virginia,
son Of Confederate Commissioner Ma
son Of Trent seizure fame, and grand
son of that Mason who signed the Dec
laration of independence, can say as
many clever things in half an hour as
any man who comes to New York.
One OF his hobbies, saws the New
York Press, is the study of public
debts, and he has at his tongues end
an astonishing array of facts and
figures on this subject. "My grand
father stands with other COOL Vir-
ginians on pedestal in a public
square mt Richmond said be, land
my children have had their ancestor s
statue pointed out to them with pride,
but carry in my pocket the bond
that was issued to pay for that monu-
ment, and / can't collect this evidence
of indebtedness"
~.
Says Morgan in the Boston Globe:
Most wives address their husbands by
familiar corruption of their Chris
tress of the White House address the
President of the United States? The
problem has probably confused not a
few wives of Chief Magistrates.
Martha Washington as bride al
WAYS addressed and referred to her
husband as "George;" but during the
last 25 years of his life she called him
"General." BY this martial title Mrs
Grant addressed her husband for q
years, although in earlier days she
knew him only as lis Mrs. Hayes,
not necessarily because she doubted
his right to an official title,
used to address her husband simply
as "Mr. Hayes" II was plain, un-
changed "JiIn" with Mrs. Garfield
and many q curtain lecture did poor,
martyred Abraham Lincoln receive
with an Introductory "Abram." But
Mrs. Cleveland is the first lady of the
White House to address the master o.
the mansion by his regular oiiicia
President" although when q little
girl she knew him-according to {
story that have seen--ls "Unclt
Cleve" The President continues his
early custom under the altered cir
cumstances, and to him Mrs. Clcye
land is still Frank
~
Says the New York Mail and Er
press. Five United States Senator
were in the lobby of the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel recently, not on inspection
but simply Willing away few mo
ment. They were Messrs. Sawyer
Vest, Palmer, Cameron, and German
Senator Sawyer was restless ant
walked around, looking like SOM
honest backwoods farmer in tow
with load OF hay to sell He car
ried q buckhorn penknife in his righ
hand and constantly, bat uncon
sciously, opened and shut it, using hi
thumb to push the blade open. III
likes Senator Vest and had a pr
vate oonfab with him. The senio
Senator from Wisconsin is worth mil
lions and is not flattered by news
paper notorety. He is n friend TO tn
newspaper man and says he is yer,
rarely misquoted. In conversation
he frequently mentions his oldes
daughter, who is young lady O
superior ability. Senator SAWYER
trousers are short and inclined to ba
at the knees. senator Vest look
dyspeptic and has salIow con-
plexion. lie is very quiet and pei
mits the black slouch hat that h
wears TO assume most any shape O
position on his large, well-forme
head. II was reported that he IN
tended TO retire from political lif
after his term expires. He prC