The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-28
as that suggested at last nights meeting
that shall be composed OF no more men,
bers than can find something to do.
A. Question OF Ethics.

To THE EDITOR OF The NEWS:
Tue following clipping from recent
issue of the Journal Is fair sample OF the
convincing logic, incisive criticism and
forming wisdom, which illuminate the
editoris< page OF that newspaper In these
nm de siecle days:
''The announcement so ostentatiously made
that Mr.. Mckinley will not permit the use Of
wine at the White House recalls some OF the
less pleasing memories Of the Hayes regime.
With Mr.. McKinley's personal opinions or
habits the public has no concern. But "a the
official representative OF the nation II Is unfor-
tunate TO say the lea't, that he should take
"a position regarding the opinions and habits
o; others calculated only TO make the ma ION
ridiculous. Tire mat en- of Temperance is
really not at issue. The banishmont of wines
from state dinners means nothing whatever
except that foreigners, and all those used TO
the ways Of the polite world, will simply
shrug ther shoulders and wonder little at
the shabbiness Of treatment which the Frcs-
dent of the United States is willing 10 ac-
cord his official guests, simply Ito show Ia
the yudcst manner possible that he disap-
proves the customs 20 which good society
everywhere is expected TO conform"
Entirely aside from the moral phase OF
the question, the above is misleading and
fallscious. The White House is the Presi-
dents home. lie invites certain dipio-
NETS and other functionaries TO dine with
him. All OF these are presumed to be gen.
tlemen. Now ! have been taught that
gentleman would never for a moment ex-
pect TO dictate to his host what he should
have for dinner; and furthermore that a
true gentleman would never accept the
hospitalitiesof another eentleman's home
and then in any way criticise the food
and drink placed before him, not even
so much as by ga shrug Of the shoulders"
Because some OF my guests may like Lin
burger cheese, that is no reason why
should furnish them with that deli
cscy, TO the possible annoyance Of
other guests and of my neighbors.
Neither do / believe that the "polite
world" of which, The Journal speaks so
oracularly, sanctions any such code OF
table ethics as he suggests. In my lim-
tied experience have noticed that tn ose
who com plain the most loudly about alb
unacustomed to absorb vinous fluids
except at some other PERSONS expense.
Let us examine the moral phase OF this
question. Major Mckinley is total alb
stsiner. Stick u pin right there. Let
US thank God that for the next four years
there will be no aIconolic ststesmanship
In White House or Treasury Department.
l.. - NIL 80 N.ta
copal Church, the largest Protestant 0e-
nomination, all Of whose members are
total abstainers, IL fsithfnl to the teach
ings OF their church. He has Deen un-
accustomed in private life TO offer wines
to his guests. Why should he be COM
PEELED now to violate a lifelong prin-
cipls and grieve millions of his friends,
simply to conform to custom OF some
part OF so-cslled polite society? Millions
OF people now regard Major Mckinley as
the EN- bodiment Of all that Is pest and
purest In American life. hundreds OF
thousands thank God that it Is possible
for such a man to reach the highest Off
cial position in the wide world. Should
he change the attitude OF life time he
would fail terribly In the estimation of
these, and would hardly gain in the
opinions OF those who hold different
views on the drink question.
Therefore President Mckinley may
his convictions and follow the precedent
set by his ola commander, President
Hay es. In this'copnection 1t is timely to
say that the banishmeDt OF wine from
White House functions in 1877 was due
| entirely to President Hayes himself, and
not to Mrs. Hayes, as popularity believed.
In this movement, however, he had the
grateful support OF mis- wife. One writer,
speaking of the Hayes family, says: "No
occupants of the White House ever more
gracei It with personal agrcea bleness and
animation of manners. or elegant forms,
fine features, heaithful and happy bodies
and spirits, they were pronounced by a
long resident OF Washington, the finest
looking type OF man and woman that
have seen take up their apocs in the
White House."
President Hayes enjoyed very SUCCESS
full administration, the prestige OF which
could hardly have be,n increased by
adopting "the customs TO which," our
journal writer declares, "good society
everywhere is expected to conform"
II the Offering of wine to their guests is
| the distinctive marx OF "good society," "
there are many cultured people who arc
| outside "good society's" pale, and many
others whose only possible claim to en-
trance into the folu Is their readiness
aud nj htlifv IN oman 10 ina ~