The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-09

some measure therefrom, as did most of
his predecessors. If he did not he would be
to great extent, so far as his social inter
course in Washington is concerned, almost
like prisoner in magnificent state jail
President Harrison occasionally dimes with
senatorial friends, or with old friends who
are in private life, and two or three weeks
ago he was guest of the newspaper cor
respondents of the capital on the occasion
of their annual dinner. All this is violation
of the code of etiquette, but the president
probably feels that he has as much right as
other people have TO get little fun out OF
life as he goes along. An odd feature of
the social code governing presidents OF the
United States is that they may go as much
as they please while away from the capital
Ito dinners and parties and everything
that attracts them-but in Washington
they must be sober and stately.
One Of the pretty presidential traditions
is that as the chief magistrate walks about
the city all men who meet him should
salute by uncovering their heads Presi-
dent Harrison, for instance, is fond Of
walking, and frequently is seen pacing up
Connecticut avenue.
Not all the men who meet him sa-
1ulc, all SOI1y W Jul q ludjOEllN O
them do, whether they have personal ac-
quaintance with him or not. This is not
an acknowledgment of sovereignty or any
thing of that sort, as in the case of giving
him the head of the table, but a mere cour-
tesy, polite mark of respect TO his high
Office and his exalted character as citi-
zen. Another pretty custom that is grow
ing in general use in Washington is for the
mothers of young ladies who are just
about to come out in society to present
them to thewi of the president by ap-
pointment before they make their debut.
OF course there is no ceremony about this,
and it does not at all correspond to being
presented to the queen of England, but it
is a mark of respect to her who is conced-
eddy the first lady of the land.
In some respects the unwritten law gov
erning the social phases of the presidential
Office is modelled after the English model.
For instance, an invitation to dine at the
executive mansion may not be declined ex-
cept in case of death in the immediate
family of the invited guest. In this event
the reason should be stated in a letter Of
reg4et, or in a subsequent communics-
ton in case an acceptance had already
been signifed. Any invitation of a social
nature from the president is regarded in
Washington not only as courtesy. but as
a command not to be lightly set aside or
treated.
A large number of people who ought to
know better persist in speaking of the
president, or in addressing him through
the mails, as "Your Excellency," or some
thing equally high sounding. The chief
magistrate of the United States is not en-
titled to any such appellation. In CONVEX
sation he is always addressed "Mr. Presi-
dent" In official documents he is always
"The President" and the superscriptions
of communications from congress, from
the departments of the government or
from the supreme court are invariably ITO
the President" Even in the informal re-
lations of personal friends he is properly
''Mr President" and any other form of
address is presumptuous. To members of
his own family in conversation with others
he is 1.-THE President" He is neither an
honorable nor an esquire, not an excel
lency" nor yet "highness"-he is in the
constitution, in law, in tradition and So
cial precedence simply 1.-THE president" and
nothing else.
The proper relations of the president and
his household to other officers of the gov
eminent and to the people are now well
understood, and if Mrs. Noble had stopped
to think of the difficulty our forefathers
had in bringing order out of chaos in these
matters it is not likely she would have en-
deavored to change the custom of a CEN
fury all by herself. When Washington
became president the social customs of the
new government had TO be created along
with the government itself. There was
neither rule nor precedent. The people
were to great degree unaccustomed to
the conventionalities of official station
Washington himself related how for time
after he assumed the presidential Office
his house was thronged night and day by
people who had no business with him, and
who were for the most part actuated by
mere curiosity. The eager crowds forced
their way into the private apartments of
the president, and even Mrs. Washington's
bedchamber was invaded.
To relieve himself of these and many
other embarrassnents, Washington pre-
pared large number of queries which he
to Vice President Adams and
the members of his cabinet for their ad-
vice The president wanted to know
W nCIHCl SnOuId VACUUM iTOfu
all sorts of company; whether one day
week would suffice for visits of compli-
ment; whether the president should or
should not receive persons ON business;
and he asked advice as to the number OF
dinners he should give each year, whether
or not he should go out to receptions and
teas in an informal manner, and, finally,
whether it was not his duty during the
of congress TO make a tour of the
country so as to acquaint himself with its
needs. 1t is worthy of note that Vice Pres
ident Adams thought the president should
as a rule have no intercourse with the pub
lie except at his levees, and that public
business should be carried on through the
ministers an audience with the president
himself being held as a rare favor, and to
be arranged through one of the ministers.
There are public men today who think
L would have been better to adopt that
plan, and that il ia not too late TO adopt II
now in order to relieve the president Of the
United States of the burden of receiving
hundreds of callers every week, many of
them about trifiing matters which . cab
net officer should be competent TO deal
with. The country has grown so large
hat the democratic idea as carried out in
he presidential Office is fast becoming nui-
'ance, and the chief magistrate Of the ma
ion is compelled to give up two-thirds Of
ais time and energy 10 matters Of such
mall importance that in q railway corpo-
-ation they would never be taken beyond
bureau chief, or at most division super
ntendent, TO say nothing OF the general
manager or president
Neither John Adams nor Alexander
hamilton, John Jay nor Washington him
elf ever contemplated that the president
houid assert sovereignty and ultimate
.rrsr,nrt ~ H. sitting AZ the head Of his /.