The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-17
WASHINGTON SOCIETY"
A Dress Suit and an Engraved Card
the Only Things Necessary.
From the New York Advertiser.

1t has Eeen said that all a man needs to
open the doors of Washington society"
is dress coat and an engraved card and
this is scarcely an exaggeration, at least
so far as a certain kind of society in the
Capital City is concerned. For of Wash
ington society it may be affirmed that it
is unlike that of any other city on earth.
The official society of Washington is
an 'omnium gatherum," comprising
whose wills to seek an alliance with it.
To begin with, it has at its head the Off
Gals Of the government, who are obliged
to receive and entertain the representa-
tives, official or otherwise, Of the Ameri-
can people, resident or happening to be
here. Its chief functions are public re
ceptiOns in the season, TO which are eligi-
bic even those who have not the dress
coat or the engraved card. The Presi-
dent in the white house must at certain
times during the season receive his fellow
citizens, "bar none The members Of
the cabinet usually follow his example at
their own homes, although the obligation
upon them and members of the two
houses of congress is not so imperative.
There are of course other functions at
which these officials are at liberty to
draw the line 10 a certain extent-tO in
ute those whom they really wish to en-
terrain; and these functions may take the
The eXigencies of politics, however, do
not always leave them free to exclude
from the receptions all whose presence
they would like to dispense with. They
can compose their dinner parties as they
choose.
PICTURESQUE FEATURES.
} The result of this is very picturesque,
and in Washington society" it is posi-
BILE for one to meet the most exclusive,
while he rubs elbows with all sorts and
conditions of men. Defaultiug officials of
the government who have done time, -
escaped punishment through TECHNICAL
ties of law or the pardon of the executive
or who have never yet been brought to
trial, or are out on bail, find themselves
cheek by jowl with the attorney who is to
! prosecute them or the judge before whom
they were or will be arraigned tine
naughty daughter of The senator who
bought his seat must be polite TO the
pretty typewriter in the treas
ury department; the soldier with a
world wide fame has been
seen to pay his respects with
most profound courtesy to the man who
bought substitute, and to be studiously
courteous to the coward who deserted in
face of the enemy but who lived 10 secure
seat in congress and place on the APP
preparations or military committee; while
the bluff old admiral has found it neces-
sary to be extremely polite to the ex-
confederate who sunk his ship in Mobile
Bay or at the mouth of the Mississippi
and the chief justice of the supreme
court, plnioned in a corner, has been com
! PEELED to exert himself for the entertain
! ment of the messenger who with batcd
| breath and oDsequious bow takes his
! card in to the senator or representative
! In congress. Sweet and modest virtue
would have blushed with shame il it had
known that IT, had hppn eIbOyvp1 IN
the background by Haunting vice, and
the daring adventures has reiOiced to
see how she dazzled the eyes of honest
women and made fools of men who cursed
the infatuation which they were power
less to resist.
OF course these extreme contrasts are
usually found in the more public Official
functions of society but it is impossible
to avoid them sometimes even in more eX-
elusive affairs. Men whom nobody knows
may soon establish themselves by indus
riously leaving cards; in time they will
! eceive invitations.
PERSISTENT IMPosToRs.
Very rich men who have taken Office
or who have built homes here in the most
attractive winter city on the continent
are permitted, of course, at times to en-
trely protect themselves, but it is posi-
bic in the hight of the season for adven-
turers to average three functions day,
which means 10 some of them three
square meals They crawl into their
attic quarters long after midnight, and
crawl out to fashionable hotels, the names
| OF which are on their cards, to receive
heir mail, till the landlord becomes dis
| gusted and drives them out, necessitating
a new card plate at the priuters-nothing
more the adventurer is at last detected
and sent home VITA a face flushed with
! shame because of the exposure alone bv