The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-09
IF | WERE HIS WIFE"
SOME AMERICAN WOMEN TELL
WHAT THEY WOULD DO.

Variety of Opinions Which All Agree
in This: That 1t Would Be Great To
be the Wife of the President-Differ-
ert Schemes of Reform.
NEW York, Sept. s.-''If l were the
Presidents wife l would have a spanking
a pretty little Chicago woman, in answer to
one Of my odd questions the other day.
The unpre ending little country girl who
captured the heart of the President and a
home in the white house has set all her sex
to wondering how it would seem to be
struck by the same kind OF lightning.
Instead Of a bob tail nag many women
would prefer to harness up some rough shod
hobby horse and drive it at a gallop into
the capital. Some women whom have in
| terviewed on this subject would make the
white house the seat of temperance reform,
| others would make it visionary bureau,
and still others would turn it INTO a temple
of woman's rights. But there are many
with more sensible views.
| Mrs. William A. Hughes, the wife of a
prominent physician IL Kansas City, said,
as she pointed to row of shining heads
what can you expect me to answer but
this if | were the wife of the President
should try in my humble way to be the
mother of future President"
Mrs. Governor ST. John of Kansas City
| writes from Olathe:
81 do not know of any political reforms
| the Presidents wife could institute without
condemnation from her hui bands pa ty.
! Il would be nonsense 10 sxpaco such thing
| of her, under the circumstances. | would
suggest socially, however, that she might
change the hours of evening gatherings so
that people could disperse before twelve
O'clock"
Mrs. Cora NJ. Stockton, a well-known
poetess and political factor In Kansas, said
when put the question: Politically | am
quite sure | should do nothing, since politics
is the sphere of the governing class. The
great misfortune lies in the fact that male
capitalists coltrcl the industrial classes of
women. The present pre- -ogative of the
Presidents wife seems to be to charm uni
versally by a womanIy gracousness. tap
pears quite impossible to me that she should
NEEDLE with any of the political reforms If
| we're the Presidents wife, however, i should
like to dignity the honor of the name and
office by doing something in my day and
generation for a multitude OF workers who
as yet have failed to be very conspcuouslv
the objects of public philanthropy. Sup
pose a great boarding home supplied with
hospital nece ,sities, with a library, baths,
musical instruments and sewing machines
controlled by trustees and directors, en-
dowed by good women, should be erected
in the city of Washington for the benefit of
honest but homeless working girls. Sup
pose again such place should be started
and fostered by Mrs. Cleveland, for in
stance"
Mrs. Lawrence F. Rieger wife of one of
the successful real estate men of Kansas
City, said she thought it was the duty of
the Presidents wife to discontinue extrava-
CANT dressing, as good clothes were certain
lY running the pockets of half the men in
the country, whereupOn she continued to
give her order to the dry goods clerk, which
ran about as follows: Two china silk toi-
| lets, S115 each; one embroidered dress, 5000
two tea gowns, at SS5 each; lingerie, S175
hosiery, $50; and send the bill to Mr.. Rieger,
| please"
| Mrs. Kersey Coates, one Of the wealthiest
and mast intelligent women in the west, said
| IF | were the Presidents wife, | should try
| and bear my Donors as meekly as possible
but should especially feel it my duty to en-
courage moderation in everything, dress
| and entertainment in particular. Common
sense is the best weapon of true American
| woman. First | would look we'll to my
household that my husbands hard earned
salary should not be wasted. | should want
to save enough out of it to enable him tc
rest the remainder of his days. | should
| familiarze myself with the political Ques-
| tions of the hour and have my own opinion
concerning them even if sometimes took is
| sue with my husband. | should rear nv
children carefully in addition to studying
| tine etiquette and cOnventionalities neceSsary
for the dignity of the position; above all
things would | frown on intempera lce and
| libertinism, making the same code of morals
for man as for woman. | would advocate
the higher education of woman and | an
right certain that | should put in plea for
woman's suffrage as the only remedy fol-
the regeneration of the filthy pool Of poll
tics On, if [ were only the Presidenti
| wife, how much good think could do.n
Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher says: "If
were the mistress of the white house
would be like Caesars wife, above repoach.
Mrs. Frances NJ. Black, wife of one of tn,
most prominent judges in Missouri writes
The best answer to the question. 'Wha
would you do were you the President
wifer will be found in the catechisn: 'TC
do my duty in that state of life into which
it shall please God to call me- With this *
guide one it would be impossible to go very
far wrong think to make the PRESIDENT
wife portion of the political scheme of hi
party is unwise and unkind. Every MAJ
needs the privacy of his nome after the la
bors of his office; if this is destroyed mucl
| OF MS peace Is taken from MIN.
THE true wife's ambition centers in he
husband, and do not agree with those whC
insist that the Presidents wife has even ab
solute social sway. America is not Europe
and American women are exceedingly indie
pendent, even in the matter of dress | an
not one of those who cry down dress anC
beauty. | regard the latter as a gift not tc
be desplsed, and the former, to a certain
extent, necessary for ones dignity How
quickly Bridget condemns her mistress i
she is a dowdy. In philanthropy a woman
with wide range of influence has many
opportunities for good, for after all, no mat
ter how brilliant the social life, or how Law
ish the encomiums that may co ne in a pub
lie manner, it is the glimpses of the woman
in the sick room and in the hour of trouble
which give us our best idea of her true
WORTH
Mrs. George II. Kingsley, of Paolo, Kan
Sas, is a conservative woman. She has reg
istered hut has never cast her vote in the
municipal elections, because as she once
said 10 me:
II have not made up my mind yet that
the matter is helped at all by giving the
vote TO women"
In response to what she would do if she
were the Presidents wife, she writes from
her green retreat:
"lt has always seemed to me that the
| Presidents wife does influence society more
or less perceptbly throughout the entire
country. The Grant family, for instance