Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-27

White House, it may as well be said mere
that the correspondent is wrong, since plenty
OF visitors to Washington can testify that
the only room ordinarily held open to the
public is the great East Room, and that there
are lackeys and ushers enough around to
prevent the prying of those who would fain
see more of their property.
The White House is historic mansion,
and the associations about it have endeared
it to the people who own it, and who desire
to visit it and to see it. Mrs. Hayes under
stood this feeling, and when delegations OF
ladies visited her by appointment she took
pleasure in showing them all over the house
General Grants room, Garfeld's bedroom
where he spent so many days and weary
nights of pain; Nellie Grants maiden med
itation room, and others-and in pointing
out the furniture and pictures of ancient re-
nown or note. The growing complaints of
It's latter day inmates SAVIOR of affectation, or
desire for royal privileges that do not all
into concord with republican ideas. All OF
the discomforts groaned over and deplored
by those whose aggrandizement is due to ac-
cldent, to preponderance of votes to popular
favor, to the intrigues of parties, or machine
politics, are merely the penalties of great
ness that should be submitted to graciously
and endured heroically. Those who aspire
to the Presidency should count the cost, and
If the game to them is not worth the candle
it can easily be given up.
THE CRANES AND BoREs.
Mrs. Harrison has to put up with the
bores and cranks who annoy her with letters,
and importune her for autographs and silk
patches, and solicit opinions on marriage,
and chaperones, and Christmas dinners, for
publication, but she should remember that
even the sweetly private home in Indianap-
oils was not secure against incursions OF
book agents, ticket selling 6ends and ped
dlers of every sort and size and description
that are as tiresome and exasperating as the
bores of society.
Having to get along without a sitting
room or private reception room is depriva-
tion most deplorable, to be sure, still life
can be happily lived without one. If his
tory can be relied upon Grandfather Har-
rison, of log cabin and hard cider fame.
lived in a log house with one room and
loft, as did also the sainted Lincoln in his
youth, and for that matter, many of the old
first families of the country have done the
same. No complaints are on record from
Mrs. Lincoln as to the "meager accom-
modations" of the White House, or
any remarks as to how the beggarly
appropriations were to be made to stretch
oJer the expenses, and yet LIncoln's salary
may have been that she was not accustomed
to so large and luxurious home, or because
the war was more absorbing subject to
everybody. Mrs. Grant, as related, always
denounced the White House as Presi-
dents residence-but whether for the sitting
room grievance or the ''meager accommoda-
tions" is not stated-but as she had lived in
very small way at home before the war,
and had to exc out expenses on a salary OF
$500, it is likely that she could easily ac-
commodate herself to close quarters and the
absence of palatial splendor.
MRS. GRANT AND MRS. CLEVELAND.
But whatever she may have said of the
peoples house, it is evident she greatly en-
joyed 1t, since she has also said that the
eight happiest years of her life were spent
within its walls, and the great General gives
testimony in his memoirs that she wept
long and bitterly upon leaving it, and would
gladly have spent tanother term therein-not-
withstanding its narrow accommodations and
its lack of sufficient splendor and luxury
for an American royal family. Mrs. Cleve-
land could secure all the privacy she de-
sired by having a country home where she
could swing in hammock and read novels
to her hearts content without being beset
by bores, but even the Clevelands COM
planned of the "dear public's" desire to get
glimpse OF the White House and its in
habitants, they not seeming to recognize the
fact that the sweets of private life were
never beyond their grasp. People there are
who do say that Mrs. Cleveland enjoyed the
publicity and felicity of the position of the
Presidents wife, but Dan Lamont was the
man who cut off callers and exercised arbi-
trary sway at all times in social matters.
But Mrs. Hayes, at least, was charmed
with the White House, and showed every
thing in it with unaffected pleasure. An
through the house, she said: "No matter
what they build. they will never build finer
rooms than these"
As to the further fault findings, such as
being talked over, and criticised and per-
haps abused, these are the accompaniments
of the position. When people hire ser
want they soon become alive to his excel
lences, his faults. his capacity and fitness,
and they have no scruples as to expressing
themselves upon the subject. Mr.. Harrison
has been
HIRED AS HEAD SERVANT
Of the American people, and every man and
woman who helps to pay his wages feels
perfectly free to enlarge upon his virtues or
to critieiss his faults. He and his vile,
under the law are one, for better or for
worse, consequently she gets her share of
praise and blame as we'll. When a good |
Presbyterian deacon gives ball and per-
mits the wickedness of dancing in his house |
he can hardly complain of the pious Presby- |
.erian elders who 60 for him in |
good plain English all over the
and. When member of church |
80 highly respected as the Presidents wife
goes to the opera and the play it is not sur
prising that the brethren and sisters pray
ior her in open meeting. II the admins
ration is too pious to appoint a postmaster
who plays cards, it is natural that the world
ings, who see no harm in pieces of paste
board should raise howl over such dis
play of prejudice.
The correspondent claims that such
changes should be made in the White House
Is would make it more comfortable for the
inmates, but no fact is better established
han that those who get there always want
% stay, and like their quarters exceedingly. |
The White House, in Its plain simplicity,
tands for repulicanism. and no palace cost
ng millions and possessing all the luxuries
md refnements of ROYALTY will ever be so
lear to the hearts of the American people.
BESSIE BRAMBLE.