Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-25
PROHIBITION ENFORCED.
How Mrs. Hayes Bauished Wine From the
White House-A Diplomatic Move at
the Diplomatic Dinner-Re-
grets That Are Sincere
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1spAr,


rsPFcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.l
WASHINGTON, June 24-The news that
Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes is dying has been
received here by all sorts of people with ex-
pressions Of profound regret On every side
words Of sympathy are heard, even from
those who, while she resided at the White
House, were disposed to make sport of her
old-fashioned views of things. Though
rigid in her adherence to conviction, she was
at all times so pleasant, 30 grateful in her
treatment of all comers, so unaffected
and so sweetly dignifed, that she had the
deep respect of persons of every party aud
quality. Many Of her most ardent admir-
ers was of the statesmen of the South, who
were supposed to be bitterest in their feel
ing toward the North and all that was Re-
publican. The most interesting episode of
her domestic rule in the White House was
her revolutionary act in abolishing wine
from the banqueting table. For the first
time in the history OF the feasts of that man.
sion no wine appeared at the table, and the
innovation caused comment of every shade,
and color throughout the wide world.
The change was comparatively easy in so
far as the entertainment of people of this
country were concerned, but when it came
to the State dinner for the Diplomatic Corps
it became a disagreeable problem indeed,
for to the foreigner of fashion and standing
a dinner without wine was simply ridicu-
lous, and many were the prophesies that In
the anteprandial discussion of this mo-
mentous affair Mrs. Hayes would be obliged
10 weaken in the face of worldwide custom,
and sacrifice principle to the demand and
precedents of public Office. But the
lady of the White House proved to
be equal to even this emergency. While
maintaining the name of the diplomatic
dinner, she actually abolished its usual
character and with it the wine which was
deemed to be its necessary accompaniment.
She had cards elegantly engraved for a
diplomatic dinner" but instead of con-
fning the invitations to the corps diplo-
matte and a few chosen ones outside of
them she invited Senators and Representa-
tives and citizens to fill the mansion FROM
garret to cellar, and had tables set not only
In the state dining room but in the domes-
tic apartments and public Offices. The
menu was Of the most elaborate and elegant
character, but it contained nothing stronger
than ''soft drinks and tea and coffee. No
body could find fault with this, for it would
have been msuilestly out of place to fur
nish wine in immeasurable quantities to
such mob as was present.
The dinner cost upward of S., ,000 There
was no parsimony about it. To compensate
for the lack of the wine the extreme of ex-
travagance was indulged in the edibles, and
the mouths of those who sneered at the
abolition of wine as q movement in the in
terest Of economy were quickly and effect
lively closed. Mrs. Hayes purity of char
acter, her answering adherence to prin-
ciple, her brilliancy. her rare good sense,
her familiar coming and going among the
people, left an impression here such as
has probably been made BY no other mod
ern mistress Of the White House, as one
may easily gather from the expressions one
hesrs on every side az the lady lies at the