The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-16

j lasted a little over three months.
She arrived from Europe with Mr..
/ ceeded to Newport to open the cam
I paign. Up to that time her previous
I career had been one Of continued ser
les 01 successes or brilliant trlumphs.
4 Of dazzling social achievements She
+ was the Napoleon Of social warfare, the
/ unconquered, and, as many believed,
/ the unconquerable. She was untram-
meled by conventions, original and
/ daring in her conceptions, regardless of
many old and rigid forms.
She thought she could do as she liked
Again and again had she taken the
field against overwhelming odds, with
everybody and everything against her,
and won with ease
Beginning with nothing but latent
talent she had made herself a ruler Of
New York and Newport society. Her
power was felt ia every drawingroom
and her name was In every society re-
port. 1t was these facts which led many
people to look for a short and speedy
triumph when she began her campaign
la Newport this past summer. Merely
from fear many powerful factions sided
with her at first 50 great was the SUI
persution connected with her name and
the social power she was supposed to
exert even in England through her
daughter, the Duchess Of Marlborough.
But there was one thing which Mrs.
Belmont either overlooked, ignored or
regarded with contempt That is the
feeling which permeates even the Four
Hundred about divorced persons. Not
only was her former husband still Iiv-
ing. but the wife of her second husband
was alive and, what was worst of all,
this second husband was the divorced
party. It was for this reason that Mrs.
Vanderbilt and Mr.. Belmont could get
no clergyman to marry them-because
in the eyes of the Episcopal church, to
which they both belonged. no valid and
binding marriage was possible between
thefa- So they went to Mayor Strong
who united them
Thus she began her campaign under
a serious handicap.
But she evidently thought that her
will was stronger than the church rules
and that although the majority of New
ports fashionables belonged to the
Episcopal church, she could set its die
tates at naught.
Another thing that she had to con
tend with was q strong personal Objec-
ti0m on the part of many of her former
acquaintance. She had made a great
many enemies. While backed by all
the wealth of the Vanderbilt family
and supported by its members in her
social career. these enemies were driven
under cover from sheer fright. Her pO-
sition was TOO strong and powerful to
allow Of a successful war against her.
These people, however, bided their time
and when the campaign opened IN
Newport early in July they were all
found openly aTrayed against her
At the same time while she had bit
ter enemies, she possessed devoted
friends. These were people who were
attracted by her personality and who
7zr.ra drawn +o her Nv MANY wears III
irlfi7l7ara friendship TT was already
known Il this time thar the Vandarbiir
family had boycotted her
7rs 7rs,.7.,.7,;4+ +t,a-, 7r-s vx-ill5s r
Vanderbilt. recently divorced, had ig-
nored the Wanderbilts when she mar
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