The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-12-03
WASHINGTON ETIQUETTE.
Thteresttng Facts About the Social Regdta.
tions of the White House.

Ihteresting Facts About the Social Kegdta.
tions of the White House.
The social regulations of the White
House vary with the Presidents John
Adams, who made a report on the sub.
ject for President Washington, Gould
not conceive it s'proper for the Presi.
dent to make any formal entertain.
ment," and he specially deprecated his
attendance upon tea parties" and
Thomas Jefferson endeavored to estab.
lish the pelemele system of precedence,
which is Simply no precedence at all.
More recently we have witnessed the
hosp tality of General Grant, the intro
duction OF total abstinence by Hayes,
the dining OF the whole Government by
Arthur, and the conservatism of Cleve
land. The reception upon the Fourth
of July, too, that used to be a feature
in White House festivities, has entirely
passed out Of date, the New Years
levee being the only formal day recep
ton given The order in which the of.
fcers Of the Government are shaken
hands with upon that occasion is as
follows: The Vice-President the mem.
bers OF the Cabinet. the diplomatic
corps, the Judges of the United States
courts, Senators, Representatives, the
army and navy, the officers of the de-
partments who are commissioned by the
President, and finally the people. The
announcement in tho newspapers few
days before the reception takes place OF
the above order may be considered the
nearest approach to authoritative prom.
ulgaton of order OF precedence in WASH
ington.
During the winter the President gives
his formal evening receptions, to which
people are invited by card. The first
one is to the diplomatic corps, the army
and navy, the judiciary and Congress
being invited to meet them. At the
second the diplomatic corps and the
judiciary and Congress are invited to
meet the army and navy, and so on,
three receptions being given. A fourth
is generally added, when tho people are
received.
State dinners are given, when the
high dignitaries of tho Government
solemnly feed themselves under the
Presidents eye, and there is at least
one dip omatic dinner This must be
the most charming entertainment The
Chinese Minister, for instance, can not
speak a word of any thing but Chinese.
and does not love knives and forks; tho
Corean Minister knows nothing but
Corean; the others speak Spanish,
French, German and English. Their
costumes are various. Some wear fezes,
others enormous horse-hair hats, others
little caps. Their compilations range
from the pink tints of Northern Europe
to the dusl<y copper color of the Orient
They are paired off without regard to
congeniality, and altogether the diplo-
matte state dinner is looked upon as a
solemn duty both by the giver of the
feast and the gentlemen and ladies who
are ordered to attend it. An invitation
to dine with tho President is an order.
What the writer's on etiquette call the
"Drawing-Rooms of the Presiding Lady
of the Executive Mansion" are the Sat.
urday afternoon receptions of the Presi-
ients wife. Anybody can go to them,
and the order of precedence is a ques.
ton of physical strength. There are
even the Clearinghouse of the ladies
of the Cabinet" receptions which, as a
handbook of etiquette has expressed 1t,
are open to ''all persons of reputable
character and becoming dress" That
the visitors are of reputable character
| is, doubtless, fact, but the becoming.
ness Of the dress is a question of taste.
At these receptions there are generally
refreshments but the same writer very
considerably hints to his readers that
ut is not suitable to set in for a square
meal. z" 1t is not presumed that these
'drawing-rooms' constitute the ''court
circles of tho republic" and there
is actually a book on this subject
which bears that title. In reality they
are entirely harmless and essentially
democratic. Anybody may 20, and all
are treated equally, whereas the draw.
ing-room'' at the British court is a
formal and select assem- blage of people.
Chicago Globe.