The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-05
FAST WASHINGTON LIFE.
so..vrv gz SOCIAL PERILs OF
.LE NA4IONAL CAPITAL.

Mystery ofthe Chinese Legation.
z.shfnoton Correspondence st. Louis Globe
Democrat.
washington society is the most dissi-
mated in the world How often that state
ment has been madel And yet the asser-
ton is not at all warranted by facts. There
sunouestionably "fasi set at the national
capital. but IN what city of size is there not
a rapid fashionable clique2 Even staid old
Ouaker Philadelphia has small and ex-
elusive crowd in its uppermost social stra-
tpm the CELEBRITY of whose behavior is unsur-
nassed. New York has an exceedingly fast
set. composed of very rich people, who
move to great extent in circle of their
own not less swell than that led by the
Astors and Vanderbilts, but more
given TO reckless dissipation Of a
politely gilded sort. Wall street
brokers of large wealth and earnest appe-
tites for entertainment compose consider
able fraction of this circle, which is much
given to sport Of all sorts, including high
poker, and to ate champagne suppers, at
which everything becomes surprisingly in
formal: the gentlemen put on the ladies'
bonnets, the ladies' assume the gentlemen's
stoye-pipe hats and every one is expected
20 take little more wine than Is quite
sufficient. In London what is known as the
"Pripce of Wales setn is fast enough,
though not at all to be identified with fash
ionable society at large. and SO it is every
whore; there are dissipated rich people in
every big city, and a cosmopolis like
Washington is not likely to be an exception.
The fast set IN society here is composed of
the foreigners-mainly people of the Lega-
tions who have occurred the reputation in
Washington of being astonishingly dis
sipated. 1t is not that they are giving to
drink; on the contrary. they are rather
abstemious than otherwise, atfording USE
full example of discretion in the employ
ment of stmulants But the impression
seems to be that they are decidedly wicked
in other and even more harmful ways,
though it is only doing them justice to re-
mark that such vices as they practice are
pursued as quietly and unobtrusively as
possible Not often do they give occasion
FOR scandal such as brought about the
withdrawal, while ago, of two attaches of
the Spanish embassy.
Mammas of the more conservative sort
here in Washington are disposed to look
upon the men from abroad with an eye
somewhat askance. Their attentions are of
a sort calculated not lnfrequently to be COM
promising. 1t is said of them that their
manner to women in the ballroom and the
"intense" way they have of conducting con-
versation with them in society is objection
able. They are apt to be classed as 'tdan-
gerous," too, designation sufficiently well
calculated TO excite an interest In their
behalf in the average young female bosom.
At the same time, it must be understood
that these foreigners are very much courted
aud run after even by the best people. There
is q glamour that surrounds the diplomat
othay. lands lItalU xsyith hon
to his name, though mayhap he is only a
sort of supernumerary in the profession and
person of the smallest consequence in his
own country
Your Frenchman or Spaniard is likely,
also, to be more graceful and higher-bred
person specifically, and in his ways with
women, than the typical drawing room
American. Unfortunately, it is all on the
surface; monsieur-and it is very much the
same with senor-is educated to despise
women as inferior beings, and his polite
worship Of them is only a veil to hide his
brutal contempt. 1t is hardly possible that
either of them can regard American young
ladies with the respect that is desirable
infringing as the latter constantly do every
rule almost of what these foreigners have
been brought up to consider as ordi-
nary decency aud propriety. In
France girl is thought to be
seriously compromised il she is seen walk
ing on the street with her own brother. It
Is enough that she was alone with a man in
public place How, pray, was any stranger
to know that the man was her brother? She
has deliberately subjected herself to a mis-
apprehension injurious to her reputation,
which suffers correSpondingly thereby. In
Spain young lady is considered equally
compromised if she is seen out walking
alone with her own father. What are men
VINO have been trained to such ideas as these
to think of the Washington girl who goes to
the matinee or drives with a gentleman of
her acquaintance without the shadow of A
chaperon to superintenda
To estimate the rightly of the chaperon
idea as it is followed out in France. il must
be remembered that among the best people
over there 1t is considered necessary that n
young lady shall be chaperoned for one
year after she is actually married. AS for
the operation of the system in Washington.
IL Is not true, as certain newspaper reports
recently have chosen to assert. that
onaperons are habitually dispensed with by
glris IN society here. Usage in the matter
dlI1ers widely in local circles, but the prac-
tlce In the best set is reasonably strict
necessarily. people coming here to live
from all parts OF the country bring all sorts
OF notions on the subject with them. Those
VINO nail from Philadelphia, New York.
boston, and the northeast generally, as a
RUE insist upon the chaperon. Southern
ers are more careless about the point enter
tanning greater confidence in young mems
ulSposltlon TO behave themselves But the
innuence of the west is thrown dead against
1ne cnaperon. Hence arises confusion of
practices. Speaking of this question the
oener day a matron well known in society
her decided the argument briefly and to
ner own satisfaction thus:
man doesn't amount to much who
won KISS pretty girl when he has an
opportunity; therefore he oughtn't to be
gwen the opportunity. The average Young
sentleman is not to be trusted in such mat
1s. 90 not blame him; mine is the fault.
a l Tempt his discretion by handing NV
GGeuignter over to his care unguarded. A
everything safe."
Foreigners in Washington do not fail
fuSVonarlly to exhibit their want of respect
a AL american girls by talking to them with
. lIeedom verging on improperly, if not
Ginr'esrstepping the line. Their habit OF max
iags oTenslvely risky conversations with
n ~r'eS mas become well-nigh notorious, and
ns; lew OF them have a clever way of
iI anss thelr partial ignorance of the English
r. ~ eage to cover up Objectionable remarks
IouSe is taken at these remarks they can
was ~ look innocent and pretend that it
eybib ~ unlntended lapsus. If no offense is
eccart 'eu IL is tantamount to an amiable
mtpSance OF the liberty, and tine expert
vii may proceed further. The skill
a, NsH HH1Cn q Dracticad hand nj fhia eorr ~