The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-12

his time to an effort 20 keep awake.
president pro tempore Of the senate Is
veritable king in power compared 10 the
constitutional president. lie can step
down from the chair and speak, he can
sit in the chair and vote, and as the rec
ognized leader Of his party in the senate
he has tremendous influence upon legs
lation.
1t is pretty certain that the trainers OF
the constitution did not intend making
this Office one Of such little Importance
They did not foresee that it was to be-
come a sort Of fifth wheel In the govern
mental machine. The first president
ran the country nearly six months with
out q cabinet officer, and during that
time frequently called upon the vice
president for advice and assistance. The
earlier vice presidents were all treated
with more consideration than Is now
accorded the occupants Of that Office.
Mr.. Morton will not be able TO change
the system which has been so long in OBJ
tanning its growth. He must bow to the
inevitable. happen TO know that Mr..
Morton, who is by no means a brilliant,
but An earnest and conservative, man,
has for months been studying with a
good deal Of application and zeal to pre-
pare himself for the discharge OF his
duties as presiding officer Of the senate.
Inasmuch as that task is imposed upon
him by the constitution, it is his desire
TO perform it as well as possible. 1t is in
the social field that the vice president
will be compelled TO seek his greatest
triumphs. and in this there is peculiar
fittingness, from the fact that 1T was
vice president who made the social laws
which 10 this day govern at the national
capital.
Washington had not been long in office
before he discerned that polite society
Of an official sort needed rules and forms
if it were to proceed tremendously and
successfully. In other words, the new
republic must have social code, un-
written but obligatory, as well as stat
ute book. So he asked the vice presl-
dent. Mr.. Adams, and the members OF
his cabinet, Jay, Hamilton and Madison,
TO prepare a plan Of court etiquette
The rules presented by Mr.. Adams IN re
sponse 10 this request were substantially
adopted. and have continued the code
Of manners at the executive mansion
through all administrations, that OF JEFF
ferson alone excepted.
But few vice presidents wives have
reigned with anything like such bril-
lance as is likely TO mark the career OF
Mrs. Morton in Washington. 1t is note
worthy coincidence that the first and
the last vice presidents wife had many
things in common. Mrs. Adams, who led
society in NewYork and Washington dur
ing the eight years Of her husbands in
cumbency Of the Office Of vice president,
was a woman Of strong character and
great experience. At the court of Great
Britain. at a time when the cbagrin OF
King George and of his royal spouse,
Charlotte, over the loss of their Ameri-
can colonies was keenest, she filled her
part with rare tact, and on several occa-
sions with better manners than were dis
PLAYED by the occupants Of the British
throne. Jefferson, being a widower, did
not contribute much as vice president to
the social life Of the capital. Aaron
Burr's beautiful daughter occasionally
presided at her fathers house while that
brilliant but INSCRIPTIONS man was vice
president.
The wife of Elbridge Gerry, the fourth
vice president, died in the first year OF
the administration. Some fatality like
this has attended the Office with great
persistency. Vice President Daniel
| Tompkns was a widower. The wife OF
Vice President Calhoun reigned brilliant
| ", proving that all rules have excep-
tions. She was a great friend Of Mrs
Dcnelson, the presiding lady OF the
White House during the stormy reign OF
| Andrew Jackson, and sided with her
against the president in the famous row
about Peggy O'Neil. Martin Van Buren,
| as vice president, attained some social
| prominence by doing entertaining which
| Mrs. Donelson wouldn't do, and then
the Office relapsed in social dignity till
| the Tylers came. This was eminently a
| social family, but in a month they were
| called to the White House. With the
| exception Of the Dallases, who brought
| TO Washington some Of the best social
manners Of Philadelphia, there was no
brilliant woman representing the vice
| presidential Office till Mrs. Schuyler Col
FAX appeared, and first after her, as we
| have seen, is Mrs Morton.
If the fates, which have hitherto been
so unkin /. will withhold their unfavora-
| ole touch, Mrs. Morton will do well. She
is a woman Of fine manners and tact.
Though speaking with a slight accent,
| acquired abroad, she is without aifecta-
| ton, simple, earnest and not a subscriber
to the theory that polite society is hypoc-
risy refined When Mr.. and Hrs. Nor
ton were going to Chicago q few weeks
ago to be present at the opening Of the
great Auditorium, there was some ques-
ton as to who should entertain them.
The family of Mr.. Ferd Peck, who had
| built the Auditorium, were to entertain
| the president and Mrs. Harrison, but for
some reason, which at first appeared
rather mysterious, they did not appear
to wish TO have the Mortons also. Final
| ly the reason became apparent. Mrs.
Peck, herself an accomplished woman Of
society, was actually afraid Of Mrs. Nor
ton, upon whom she looked as "a grand
dame, leader of. society in Paris and
New York, who would be likely to over
awe and overshadow a simple Chicago
woman. But Mrs. Peck did entertain
Mrs. Morton, and the two became fast
friends.
"If i had known how simple and Iowa
ole she was, Mrs. Peck afterward con-
fessed, II should have been as eager to
have her with me as was, in fact, timid
about it," A cabinet minister said TO me
the other day: "Mrs. Morton is woman
of the finest culture, with great big
heart in her. She is woman whom one
would naturally 90 to if he were.in
trouble. If any one can put heart and
humanity into this cold official society
of ours she can, and heaven knows that
is what our society needs"