The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-12

dition of the weather my speciality, and no
man on Manhattan Island shall surpass me
in meteorological erudition.
HE DOESN'T BLAME MRS. WHITNEY.
Then, as if the whole thing had been cast
off his mind, he went on in the same vein
cheerily and suggested with laugh that it
would probably be good thing to have a
could be sent to the different news
paper offices. His good humor being
thoroughly restored, he began on his fruga
| lunch again and soon despatched it. de
called down the stairs as the reporter
was leaving: BE sure and say dom
blame Mrs. Whitney; she only did what
she thought was right"
WHAT MR.. WHITNEY SAYS.
Secretary Whitney was found at hi:
residence, No. 2 West Fifty-seventh street
81 don't know anything about my wife:
interview" said he, because she is in
Washington and have not seen her since
it appeared. You can say, however, that
it sounds very much like her, and is prob
ably correct. She has mentioned the sub
jec5 to me very often. and begged me to let
her say something publicly about the way
the President was being slandered. Several
days ago the correspondent of tHe Chicago
Tribune came to see Mrs. Whit
ney and said he was going to
get statements from the leading
social ladies of Washington on the
subject of the Cleveland stories SO as to
effectually and forever set them at rest.
Mrs. Whitney understood that she was only
to be one Of many. She will doubtless be
surprised to see herself so extensively
quoted. Still, | must saw that it sounds
exactly like her" and the Secretary smiled
''She was very much incensed about the
many stories that were circulated, and
doubtless talked very freely"
The secretary did not care to discuss the
matter himself.
A World reporter called upon several
prominent society women and men, but one
and all declined to express any opinion on
the subject, stating in every case that they
did not wish to take part In any controversy
between Mrs. Whitney and Mr. Depew.
THE VERDICT AT THE CLUBS.
The feeling in the clubs was on the whole
in Mr.. Depew's favor. There was niue a
discussion as to the privileged nature of an
after-dinner talk between gentlemen in a
gentleman's house, and while it was con-
coded that Mr. Depew might have been in
discreet in mentioning or relating any
stories about Mr.. and Mrs. Cleveland
private life, the facts that these storie;
were in universal circulation and probably
| well known to the other gentlemen preSen
| and that the CONVEX Satlon was privilege
| one, relieved him of blame. The gentleman
who wrote to Mr.. Watterson afterward
and asked him whether Mr.. Depew's
| giving him as authority for one of the e
stories was authorized, was severely cri
csed, especially by republicans and ant :
Cleveland men. Had he any reason to ques-
ton Mr.. Depew's veracity or the reliability
OF his sources of information, they argued,
he should have done it politely then aud
there, or at least he should have asked Mr..
Depew's permission to write Mr.. Waiter.
son. His not doing so, it is held, was hypo-
critical, insulting to Mr.. Depew and an
abuse of the Inequalities of his host. He
was really the man whom Mrs. Whitney
should have attacked, as his letter to Mr..
Watterson was the indirect cause of Mrs.
Whitneys statements and the attention ii
again called to the very stories it aimed to
refute, and which, with the echoes of the
election, were fast dying away.
WHY MR.. DEPEw?
Said prominent clubman, who, althoul b
Cleveland man in 1884, voted for HarIi-
son this year: "There is no doubt that Mrs
Whitney's interview, as printed in the Chi
cago Tribune, was an inspired one. | know
personally, and l certainly do not blame
him for it, that Cleveland has smarted
under these stories regarding his treatment
of Mrs. Cleveland and the unhappineSs OF
undertook the task of refuting these stories
with pleasure. With true womanly feeling
and lack of business judgment, and perhap:
unconsciously smarting herself little as the
wife of a cabinet official whose party-and
in consequence himself-was about tc
go out of power, and whose defeat
was due, perchance, she thought
among other causes to these very in
furious stories, went too far and attacked
NJ and Snnatnr Tnna1ls wit bnut
sufficient grounds for so doing. Mr.. Depew
makes such vigorous, if not polite, rejoindeI
that do not blame him for momentary
want of courtesy. His position in the New
York business, social and political world il
too we'll assured to be injured by this affair
These stories which Mrs. Whitney accuses
Mr.. Depew of circulating have been tod
repeated and discussed in every club of the
land. l do not believe them. | do not ap
prove of their circulation, but why should
Mr.. Depew be singled out for attack be
cause he repeated story in private house,
in private conversation, which was public
property and which / myself have heard
democrats themselves tell and repeat ii
public places~
AS ETIQUETTE PROVIDES.
The etiquette of after-dinner converse
tions which bears directly on the sensational
episode above related was naturally much
discussed yesterday. Said an old club man
and diner-out. There are no set rule.
which govern the conversations INDUCED in
by the male guests at dinner party after
the ladies have left the room and the coffee
liquors and cigars are brought in. As G
rule it varies with the personnel of the mer
present and with their number. At large
dinner, say of twenty to thirty covers, the
men generally separate into small knots
of three or four, or into couples,
those who know each other best
drawing their chairs together, but at a
smaller dinner. such as was probably that
at which Mr.. Depew committed the fault
| for which he is accused by Mrs. Whitney,
| the conversation generally takes in the en-
| tire company and is informal in character.
| As rule, political and religious subjects
| are tabooed, but if the men are well ac-
auainted, and especially If they are all
| friends, much latitude is permitted, and
| any subject that comes to hand may be dis
| cussed, unless some guest or the host, who
| is supposed to keep his hand on the lever of
| the social engine and watch the track ahead
| objects. Such an informal after
| dinner conversation is an unu-
sually privileged one, much more
SO than one in club parlor, and, although
there is an unwritten law that ladies' names
should not be used in general conversation
among gentlemen, it is more and constantly
honored in the breach than in the observ-
| ance at such times, with rarely any result
ant i'll effect as in the present case. The
| fact of lady's occupying prominent po-
sition. such as that of mistress of the white
| 4 L.. nxlN .