Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-05
III.
Social Life in Washington.

Unavoidably the entire life of Washing
ton is affected by the official element. In
this also it is strongly contrasted with all
other cities of the country. In Boston the
class which sets the social pace is veneered
by mixture of money and culture. Money
must be real if culture is fancy. Gas
sumo culture if you have it not" is the
unwritten law. In New York the Stock Ex-
change is king. In Chicago it is grain and
pork. In Cincinnati, st. Louis and Mil
waukee it is beer, and in New Orleans, Sa-
vannah and Charleston it is cotton. Here
it is the army and navy, the President and
Cabinet, Senate and House, and all the
officials of the department who are exalted
enough in rank to be counted.
The army and navy influence is tremen-
dous. 1t is cohesive and continuous, while
other circles are forever breaking in pieces
on account of changes of administration and
competition for place. For instance, at this
very time we are noting the demise of a
social clique, the most brilliant and extrav-
agant that has ruled society in Washington.
LEADERS OF SOCIETY.
That the Whitneys have been the leaders
of capital society during the last four years
goes without saving. The place OF the
President and Mrs Cleveland in social life
has been notable because he was President,
and she "Mrs. President" Their enter
tainments have been eminent because they
were at the White House. Without being
even at the head of the Cabinet in point of
rank. or succession" (for it must be re-
membered that every Cabinet officer. except
the newly-created Secretary of Agriculture,
is possible President) Secretary Whitney,
or, rather, Mrs. Whitney, has set the social
pace, and the lavish expenditure of money
in this circle has forever obscured the old
and inexpensive methods of giving enter
tainment and pleasure in the highest circles
of the capital.
It will not do for the Harrison regime
to "let up" on the striking brilliancy
of the entertainments of the exalted social
circles. OF course there will be the same
round of formal calls and receptions, open
house occasionally for the mob, and exclu-
sive receptions and balls for the fast set.
The reinstatement of the Republican party
will be marked by social as well as po-
itical glorifcation.
REPUBLICAN LAvISHNESs.
1t is saying constantly on the tongues
of Democrats as we'll as Republicans resi-
dent at the capital that there is always more
money spent when the Republicans are in
power. The mass of the rich men of the
country are Republicans, and they come
to Washington, naturally, oftener, and stay
longer when they can meet their political
friends rather than their enemies During
the Cleveland administration great bulk
of the visitors at the capital were men and
women of the South, who had to be content
with modest expenditure. With the return
of the Republicans the tide of visitors will
come from the North, and the superior
wealth of Northern society will make
things hum" to use a common local ex-
preston.
Already it is apparent from the prepara-
tions that are in progress, that the reign of
the coming administration will be brill
liant one socially. If only the Secretary of
War led the racket during the period of the
Cleveland's, with Villas, and Bayard, and
Lamar, and Garland, not even furnishing
lively background, the regime of the Har-
risons will be kept on tip-toe of social ex-
citement by such rich social lions as Blaine,
Morton, Wanamaker and the rest, and the
royal entertainment of the Whitneys will
be discounted by half dozen owners and
occupiers of mansions whose spreads and
routs will be the wonder of the day.
AN ELIGIBLE PARTI.
This depression is for the purpose of illus
trating the character of the leadership OF the
purely political circle. The aristocracy of
the army and navy cannot indulge in such
lavish outlay, but they go into the most ex-
elusive assemblies and give to them that
dash of military life that is so dear to the
society of every country. A Washington