The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-28
There Are Believers and Disbe-
levers in Open House.
THE QUESTION IN WASHINGTON.
Leading Ladies Discuss the Matter Pro and
Con-Engiish House Parties are Also
Advocated.

receptions Shall we offer wine or strong
drinks 70 our gentlemen friends And
shall we require them to appear in morning
5ress or swallow tail coats
The leading ladies of Washington hold
widely different views upon these ques-
tons. have talked with some of the rep
resentative women among them this week,
aud give you here the opinions of eight OF
them.
MRS. EN-MINISTER FOSTER.
Mrs. Foster, wife of the ex-minister to
Spain, said
Il think New Years receptions 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 officers of the
army and navy and other young men can
use the occasion to pay their duty calls. I
nave spent much of my married life abroad,
ana | am attracted to the custom by it's
hospltable associations. 1 have, however,
seldom kept open house myself, but it has
oeen because my daughters and myself
have usually been invited 10 assist other
ladies on that dayn
"HoW about the serving OF wines 10
callers.
We'll" replied Mrs Foster 81 am not a
total abstinence advocate, as | believe there
are often occasions when ii glass of wine is
physical necessity. But do not approve
o. oherlng liquor tc young men, or, as
general thlng, OLDER ones, either. Of course
the latter have, il most instances, a better
control OF their appetites, and do not so
easily succumo TO such temptations. There
are special occasions. such as gentlemen's
olnner, Tor instance, when wine should
never be omitted from the menu, and Mr.
roster always follows the rules in this re.
spect. Ii, however, give any large enter
talnment ] always contine myself 10 coffee
ana ooullIon IN lieu of liquors. On the
other hand, my daughter Eleanor. now
MRS. Lansing, Is an advocate of strict
temperance, aud upon the occasion of her
marriage last winter positively opposed the
suggestion OF having wine or punch of auy
Alnd. Many young men are tempted every
New Years, against their better resoIu-
lions, TO take a glass when offered nv soma
fair friend TO whom they fear to give offense
IL would, however, be a pity to abandon
the institution merely because some are
weak enough not to be able to resist over
indulgence in drinking while upon round
OF social calls, and L hardly thin, that there
Is any serious danger threatening Wash
ington IN this respect.
MRS. SENATOR MCPHERSON.
Mrs. Mcpherson, wife of the Jersey
senator, said: Il think the custom of
Keeping open house upon New Years day
most attractive one, that is when not car
fled TO too great an extent, such as one is
inevitably drawn into in Washington
Where the practice often degenerates into
mere form. OF late years the habit has
largely died out in New York and New
Jersey and the New Years hospitalfties
are now EXTENDED IN an informal way only
TO relatives and personal friends among
whom the observance is kept up riphf
royalty. The reasons of this falling off 10
that so many abuses had crept into the oh
serVance that the original significance of
the custom had almost entirely disappeared
The old Dutch settlers were the origina
tors OF the fashion and even as early as the
Gays OF OLD Peter Stuyvesant the dignified
knickerbockers INDUCED in over dissina-
ton while upon their New Years rounds.
ana seemed TO consider their duty only
nall performed unless each home became
lae scene OF regular drunken bout.
II is well known fact though
one generally suppressed among the
descendants of these early settlers that the
hrst governor lost his leg through n fan
sustained while overcome with wine on
New ears night, after day of social
boistering''
Although l personally approve of tho
pleasant CUSTOM" Mrs. Mcpherson ron
tlnued, II seldom individually carry if ont
because l am generally opposed to offerinG
wines and liquors of any kind to vounS
men, and 1t Is impossible to draw the line
without giving offense. ] would not like
any one to orge drinks upon my son. who
fortunately, is exempt from such weakness
and would not care to tempt any other
youth. OF course l would confine INV re-
ireshuents TO non-intoZicants, but the Sen
ator IS so lmbued with the old Scotch habit
OF CHEERING hospitality in glass of whisky.
that he would never consent tn the totoi |
omission of wines.n
MRS. PRESIDENT HAYES TEMPERANCE FEAST.
Il believe, however, that such onestions
should always be left to the individual CON
science. An example of the futilitv of this
plan may be drawn from the result of that
memorable temperance dinner given hv
PRESIDENT Hayes, where the guests de- |
parted from the White House only TO in
oulge TO an unlimited extent in the forbid
oen hquor either at their clubs or at the
residence OF some one of the company. Sell
dom have the annals of the city recoroed
such general abandonment to intemner-
ance as that night among the prominent
guests who but few hours previous were
the recipients Of the generous. and in an
respects but one, lavish hospitality of the
CHEF executive. A lady who was present
at the tune remarked to me afterwards
that she had never before or since INDUCED
TO such an extent, but that On that evening |
she with others had returned home TO 2 |
champagne supper that was prolonged far |
INTO the night. Doubtless a kind OF reac- |
ton set in with the less temperate. which !
eAteheeu 10 tue entire company. Yet [ do |
not advocate taking This incident IS an ex- |
ample, Tor each must be governed in this
matter as IN all others, by the prcmptipgs |
OF conscience. The dispensing of hosni1
taliles on New Years is of such anciant
origin and so pleasant feature of our CO
CA code that would regret to see II an
tirely disappear"
VIEWS FROM TIE WHITE HOUSE.
In the absence Of Mrs. Harrison caued
upon Mrs. Dimmick to learn her Views
upon the subject. She was reluctant st
first but finally said:
! scarcely think my opinion of sufficient
Importance TO the public to require an ey
preston. Tome the fashion is $ most %
tractve one, especially as il is conducted
In Washington, and do not think If will
ever be abandoned so long as public levees
are held on that day at the White House
and homes OF the cabinet. In a place of
such cosmopolitan character as Washing
ton the day mas charm that is exclusively /
Its own. For instance the officers of the
army and navy upon that day don their
uniforms Tor the first and only time during
lhe year and so pay their duty calls and |
enjoy social visit with their friends, pre-
pared to receive them"
MRS. HARRIsoN's TEMPERANCE VIEWS.
IN regard TO wines or Offering of
punch, - said Mrs Dimmick, 81 prefer not to |.
express an opinion and would rather have
you await Mrs. Harrison's return and con-
suit her. am confident that the Woman's
Cnrlstlan temperance society would be
delighted with her sentiments and immediN
ately set her upon pedestal in their adj ,
miraton OF her strictly temperance pro
chVites. Were it not that she does not feel