Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28
WINE ON NEW YEARS.
The Ladies of Washington Inter-
viewed on the Old Custom.
YOUNG MEN ARE TOO FREE WITH 1T.
Originally Intended for the Elderly Men
Who Had Coed Nerves.
DRESS COATS ARE UNDER THE BAN
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH,

WASHINGTON, Dec. ,T.-New Years
comes next week and with it come the vexed
questions that have to be solved on that day
Shall we hold New Years receptions
Shall we offer wine or strong drinks to our
gentlemen friends :? And shall we require
them to appear in morning dress or In swal-
low.tail coats?
The leading ladies Of Washington hold
widely different views upon these questions.
Mrs, Foster, wife of the ex-MInister to
Spain, said; IL think New Years recep-
tions should be continued. They should be
held at Washington if nowhere else in the
country. The President and Cabinet must
keep open house on that day, and the Off
GERS of the army and navy and other young
men can use the occasion to pay their duty
calls. have spent much of my married life
abroad. and am attracted to the custom by
its ihospitable associations. 1 have, how
ever, seldom keptopen house myself, but 1t
has been because nv daughters and myself
have usually been invited to assist other
ladies on that day.
''How about the serving of wines to
callers?" ,
DOEoN L rANOh w In
"Well," replied Mrs. Foster, 81 am not
total abstinence advocate as, I believe
there are often occasions when a glass OF
wine is physical necessity. But do not
approve of offering liquor to young men, or
as general thing older ones either. Of
course the latter have in most instances a
better control OF their appetites and do not
so easily succumb to such temptations.
Tboro
tleman's dinner, for instance, when wine
Mr.. Foster always follows the rules in this
respect. Ii, however, give any large en-
tainment, 1 always confne myself to coffee
and bouillon in lieu of liquors.
ION the other hand, my daughter Eleanor,
now Mrs. Lansing, is an advocate of strict
TEMPERANCE, and upon the occasion of her
marriage last winter positively opposed the
suggestion of having wine or punch of any
kind. Many young men are tempted every
New Years against their better resolutions
to take a glass when offered by some fair
friend to whom they fear to give offense. 1t
would, however, be. pity to abandon the
institution merely because some are weak
enough not to be able to resist over indul-
gence in drinking while upon a round of
social calls, and hardly think that there is
any serious danger threatening Washington
in this respect"
THE OBSERVANCE ABUSED.
Mrs. Mcpherson, wife of the New Jersey
Senator, said:
II think the custom of keeping open
house upon New Years Day a most at
tractive one, that is. when not carried to too
great an extent, such as one is inevitably
drawn into in Washington, where the prac-
tice often degenerates into a mere form. OF
late years the habit has largely died out in
New York and New Jersey, and the New
Years hospitalities are now extended in an
informal way only to relatives and personal
friends, among whom the observance is kept
up right royalty. The reason of this falling
off is that so many abuses have crept into
the observance that the original significance
of the custom had almost entirely disap-
peared. ,r. -s-s.5-. ..-s -.
THE old Dutch settlers were the origi-
nators ofthe fashion and even as early as the
days of old Peter Stuyvesant the dignifed
Knickerbockers INDUCED in overdissipation
while upon their New Years rounds, and
seemed to consider their duty only half per-
formed unless each home became the scene
of a regular ,drunkenly bout. 1t is we'll
known fact, though one generally suppressed
among the descendants of these early set
tiers. that the first Governor lost his leg
through a fall sustained while overcome
with wine on New Years night, after day
of social roistering.
AFRAID OF YOUNG MEN.
"Although I personally approve of the
pleasant CUSTOM" Mrs McPhersol con-
tinued, 81 seldom individually carry it out
because am generally opposed to the offer
ing of wines or liquors of any kind to young
men, and it is impossible to draw the line
without giving offense. I would not like
anyone to urge drinks upon nv son, who
fortunately is exempt from such weakness,
and L would not care to be the one to tempt
any other youth. OF course, would con-
fine my refreshments to non-intoxicants, but
the Senator is so. -imbued with the old
Scotch habit of offering hospitality in a
glass of whisky that he would never consent
to the total omission of wines"
81 believe, however, that such questions
should always he left to the individual con-
science. An example of the futility OF
this plan may be drawn from the result of
that memorable temperance dinner given by
President Hayes, where the guests departed
from the White House only to indulge to
an unlimited extent in the forbidden LIQUOR.
either at their clubs, or at the residence OF
some one of the company. Seldom have
the annals of the city recorded such
general.
ABANDONMENT TO INTEMPERANCE
Is that night among the prominent guests
who but lew hours previous were the re-
,ipients of the generous and, in all respects
,ut one, lavish hospitality of the Chief
Executive. A lady who was present at the
ime remarked to me afterward that she
had never before or since INDUCED to such
IN extent, but that on that evening she with
others had returned home TO a champagne
supper that was prolonged tar into the night.
Doubtless kind of reaction set in with the
ess temperate which extended to the entire
company. The dispensing OF hospitalities
IN New Year s is OF such ancient origin and
10 pleasant feature of our social code that
would regret to see it entirely disappear.
In the absence of Mrs. Harrison 1 called
Upon Mrs. Dimmick to learn her views upon
he subject. She was reluctant at first, but
inally said: ITO me the fashion is most
attractive one, especially as it is conducted
N Washington, and / do not think it will
,ver be abandoned so long as public levees
Ire held on that day at the White House
md homes of the Cabinet. In a place of
'uch cosmopolitan character as Washing
on the day has a charm that is exclusively
Is own. For instance, the officers OF the
lrmy and navy upon that day don their uni
orms lor the first and only time during the
rear, and so pay their duty calls and enioy
social visit with their friends prepared to
eceive them.
dRs. HARRIsoN's TEMPERANCE VIEWS.
''In regard to wines or offering of punch"
aid Mrs. Dimmick, prefer not to ex-
,ress an opinion, and I would rather have
'ou await Mrs. Harrison's return and con-
ult her. / am confident that the Woman's
christian Temperance Society would be
irhI ILL IL.