The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-10
WASHINGTON ETIQUETTE.
Leading Women Agree That q Reform
Is Greatly Needed.
From the ST Louis Republic

From the 81. Louis Republic.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 2-Washington So
ciety has already begun to discuss matters
OF Official etiquette. Washington etiquette
is different from that Of any city In the
United States, and many of our most promi-
nent ladies are at a loss about many con-
ventionalities during their first year in
Washington. Strangers here always make
the first call, and the person Of lower rank
always call upon those who are above
her. The wives Of pubic officials
are expected to return all
calls made upon them whenever the caller
leaves a card. These calls often amount to
a thousand on a single reception day, aud IL
| is impossible to know who the representa-
tives of the cards are. When Mrs. Senator
Sherman was the wife of the Secretary of
the Treasury she found herself once calling
upon the wife OF her butcher, aud another
cabinet officers wife, In making her return
calls, found herself taken up a back stairs
over a corner grocery, and recognized the
lady whose call she was returning as her
maids dressmaker.
CHAT WITH MRS. MILLER.
During the past week have had num-
Der Of talks with the leading ladies of the
different off 3ial circles as TO their perplexi-
| ties in Washington etiquette. My first chat
was with Mrs. Miller the wife of the Attor-
ney General. Said she;
81 we'll remember the embarrassments of
NV first year at Washington. My entire
| time was spent in asking questions, and
after all my asking l never seemed to get
the right view of the situation. The matter
| of returning calls worried me considerably.
l had sometimes 800 10 1000 calls a day.
Some Of the cards contained no addresses,
and found after long searching that many
Of them were left by strangers in Washing
ton for only that day. returned such calls
as could. and had to let she rest go.
averaged from twenty to thirty calls every
day of the week during the season, and upon
my reception days | received hundreds.
can make from twenty to thirty calls day
myself, but returning 800 is a different
thing. 1 think we should have here at Wash
ington a master of ceremonies, who should
be appointed to decide all questions at issue
upon social topics, and whose word should
be law. Such an officer lives at many Of
the foreign capitals, and if a proper method
could be got OF appointing one here it would
be good thing for all classes"
THE DAUGHTER OF SECRETARY RUsK.
Miss Rusk is her mothers right hand in
all her social entertainments, and she
answered for her mother as to official ell
quetbe. She said:
~ think some new rules should be made
as to returning calls in Washington. We
get great many cards every reception
| ys
them. You cannot imagine the embar-
rassment under which the wife of a cabinet
minister is placed in such matters. A new
order of things comes in with each new adj
miElstrstion, and the only rule By which
one can he guided Is that Of good nature
and common sense"
MRS. DoLPH'S OPINION.
One of the handsomest women in Wash
ington is the wife of the Oregon senator,
~. MI - - -
and knows w ashington society as well as
any one in it. Said she:
J II recall many amusing experiences IN
: official etiquette, and one Of these especially
irritated me at the time, though l must
| confess was very foolish to allow 1t to do
SO. My pile of cards had accumulated to
an alarming extent and among them |
found one of young lady of Washington,
who is known only In private circles and
who had no official standing. l noted her
card and was anxious not to give her
offeuse So, as a kindness to her, laid my
! plans for the days round Of visits 80 that it
would include her. / alighted from my
; carriage and entered her house. The
! young hostess was at home, and after a
few moments of delay she entered the
j., parlor and rushed up to me, saying: i am
I 50 delighted 30 see you. Mrs. Dolph, but
scarcely hoped for such an honor, knowing
how many calls you have on your list, when,
. after all, / merely sent my card by my
brother, feeling too sick to accompany
!. him.
9 There are many questions in calling
: which should be settled. Ought one to
q shake hands both on entering and leaving O
! houses Where there are so many calls and
so many short ones as there are here,
should say not; and then this matter of
leaving cards is one that puzzles most PEG.
= pie. Is IL proper when calling upon Severa
| hnun ha mr.
corner OF the pasteboard, or the lower
( right-hand cornerl Or should one split the
difference, as have done, and double the
y cards in the middle when wish to include
0 more than one person in my call9 All o.
= these questions are matters of conversation
n among strangers when they first arrive a
J. Washington. and the mazes of society her,
a are past the understanding OF a novice"
o MRS. SCHoFIELD.
!. Mrs. Schofeld, the wife of the general o
y the army though a comparative strange
u in Washington official society, will be on
u Of the leading ladies of the present season
y and though she hesitated before expressing
Z her opinion upon social matters, sh
l. finally said:
II could give you more honest view 0
my experiences Of the situation in yea
% from now than l can to-day. Still, l hav
IT attended many pleasant receptions here, an
10 l have seen many curious things. Last yea
o | received with Mrs. Andrews, Gen. Scho
a fields daughter, and we had large numbe
Y of army callers. We were standing sur
10 rounded by circle of officers, when
a young man, neatly but plainly attired, en-
W tered. He was apparently out for a day
ot holiday. He had on a clean whit
in shirt, his Sunday clothes, but no crevat.
le received him as cordially as any of my othe
al gueses, and after shaking hands with him
is watched him follow the other gentlemen [
the dining room. Here he accepted til
IL refreshments from the hands of a waiter
Or and then quietly filled his pockets with th
~ fruit from the center piece of the table
IN and with his coat tails bullying out, cam
a back and composedly made his adieux. A
IN to Washington etiquette, this city is so CO..
t. mopolitan in its character, and has so man
m diverse clements OF society that it ought {
ce have a code Of etiquette of his own. TT
only plan that would appear possible to u
would be meeting Of the old residents {
re Washington society, together with th
prominent ladies Of official circles, VIII
e- should discuss mooted questions of society
or and form q new constitution by which the
at could De ruled in the future.n
rs MRS. FOSTER.
n. Mrs John W. Foster, the wife Of the ez
ar minister to Spain, has had a long experenc
ss In official life In the courts of Mexlc,
a Spain, Russia and Washington, and 81
views social matters from u cosmopoita
vn standpoint. Said she:
,.,.s,S.