The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-29
WINE OR NO WINE.
Washington Ladies Discuss the
Serving of 1t IN New Years.
THREE CABINET LADIES SERVE IT
Mrs. Chief-Justice Fullers 0piniOn-The
Views of Mrs. Sherman and Mrs.
Senator Hale-A Timely Tip.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 70, looJ.-loPecla
correspondence of THE HERALD. l-Th'
New Years reception is dying out il
Washington. Year by year the ladies re
ceiving calls decrease in number, and the
reception of the first of January, 1890, viii
be confined to the White House, the man
sions of thecabinet ministers and
THE HOUSES OF SOME FEW LADIES
of the Senate and the supreme court. The
wife of the President and a number OF
the senatorial ladies tell me that the rea-
son for this comes from the custom of serv'
ing punch at New Years, and the day
when New Years calls make the excuse
for a grand Washington spree will soon be
gone forever. This year, Washington
society, with the exceptions above spoken
of, will leave the butler and a basket to re-
ceive the cards of the backwoods Congress-
men and others who have not kept up with
the times Many of the girls will go to the
matinee in the afternoon, and there will be
a number of big balls in the evening. In
all probability, not a dozen houses which
will be open next Wednesday will have a
punch bowl.
THE SENTIMENT AMONG THE PEOPLE
which has made Kansas, Iowa and Maine
prohibition states, has affected, in great
part, the rest of the Union, and a Senator's
wife tells me that the leading ladies in all
the aid societies of the churches in her
little town held prayer meeting Just be-
fore she started for Washington, and asked
God to enable her to resist the evils and
corruptions of the capital AS she said
this, looked at the lady, and it seemed to
me that the Lord had helped her, for she
appeared as pure as spring water and as
pretty as peach.
1 have, during the past week, called upon
the leading ladies of Washington society
and interviewed them as to their New
Years receptions. have asked them their
opinions as to the use of wines, and l find
that though they object to the serving of
punch and port on New Years, many of
them think wine should be part of every
dinner.
A SENATORIAL TEEToTALER.
There is indeed only one public man who
dares give dinner without wine. He is a
Senator, and when he came in few wears
ago he announced brashly that he should
give as many dinners as he chose with
never drop to drink
He did give them, and on each occasion
his roof covered more suppressed swearing
than the roof of a cowboys ranch.
One Senator went into the dressing room
after the seven course dinner, and yio-
lently asked of every incomer if such a
course should go unrebuked.
THE DINNER GIvERs OF 1890.
in this administration there will be only
four besides the President who will give
President Morton, Secre-
tary Blaine, Secretary Tracy, and proba- /
bly, Secretary Window.
The postmaster general would like to dc
so, for he is the soul of hospitality, but it
will be noticed that his entertainments will
run to receptions and balls. Mrs. Wanna
maker says dinner is not a dinner with
out wine, and as she disapproves as
strongly as her husband, because of the ex-
ample to the young, there will be no formal
dinners at the Wanamaker house.
MRS. HARRISON WILL NOT DICTATE.
Nearly every social law but one emanates
from the executive mansion, and that, luck
lily, is the serving of wine at the New
Years reception.
Custom has it that the multitude need
not be dined or wined at the White House
on that day, and the whole business of de.
cision falls on the vice-president and the
cabinet.
Now, Mrs. Harrison is known to be
liberal, and as she makes glorious punch,
she will not dictate to the cabinet ladies
their policy on the question.
How many of them will do it?
All but Mrs. Proctor will keep open
house, and but three will serve wine.
MRS. yIcB-PREsIDENT MORTON.
When 1 preached the subject to the vice
presidents wife, she smiled winningly and
said
s'Really, don't you know I have been
away from Washington so long that have
forgotten the customsl l really do not
know waat they do serve here on a New
Years day."
There is a deep-rooted opinion, however,
that no one will leave the vice presidents
mansion thirsty next Wednesday.
AS the wine-bibbers of the capital, the
foreigners and navy officers form the bulk
of the guests of the secretaries of state, and
of the navy, they will have punch bowl and
decanter.
SECRETARY WINDOW.
Secretary Window has the kindEest feel
ing in the world towards people who do
serve wine, but he will have none of it
Wednesday.
In little talk at the Presidents table
few weeks ago, when Mr.. Wanamaker was
also present, the secretary of the treasury
advanced the opinion that every cabinet
member should follow his own principles
on the subject.
ooh, of course, we will keep open
house" said Miss Nellie Window, when
asked the question, ''but 1 am quite sure
papa Will not have punch or wine, al
though he does not disapprove Of them on
all occasions"
MRS. SECRETARY MOBILES STORY OF DANIEL
WEBSTER.
tLy husband and l have had one quar-
rel" said Mrs. Noble, when 1 asked her
whether she would serve wine at her first
New Years reception; sit is the Daniel
Webster anecdote, and it comes up every
wear. 1t seems that Daniel Webster went
to the house of friend for weeks visit,
and when he found that his friend did not
serve wine, he packed up his goods and de-
parted the first night. Mr.. Noble says that
a man of Daniel Webster's genius should
have had his wishes respected. I say that
the other man had as much right to his
principles as Mr.. Webster to his wine.
j shall not serve wine at any of my re-
ceptions or dinners. Two or three years
ago. in St Louis, Mr.. Noble wanted to
give a dinner in honor of some Judge. He
felt that he could not give it without some
wine. l SAID that there should be no dinner
then. We'll, he gave the dinner without
wine, and the day following, one of the !
guests cOuBIdLuiaU-d LIN OI MS cOur fEc !
Don't praise me- he said, 1T was my wife |
who had the courage p"
"What will you substitute for wine New
Years day?" l asked.
"Substitute! There is no substitute !
II is a case of wine or no wine, for !
nothing will take its place. Wine is good /
| like it, and keep it on my sideboard, but |
that is no sign l mean to serve it to young
men and mixed companies"
tsWhat will you do, Mrs. Noble, when the !
foreigners drop down upon you?"
81 am not foreigner"
MRS. ATToRNEY-GENERAL MILLER.