The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-07-22
The Presidents Wife.

which comes with each mail from
North, South, East and West address
ed to Mrs. Cleveland, that it has
been found necessary to divide into
classes those letters which appear de-
serving of any notice whatever. First
in this category come the requests for
charity in numberless forms. Ap-
peals for money are abundant, of
course. Next come calls for food and
clothing. Then coraes demands that
she will make an apron for fair in
Podunk, or dress doll for church
exhibition at Smithville. Perhaps
the funniest of the begging letters are
those which crave the gift Of a baby
carriage; they are usually accompa-
MED by clipping or copied quotation
from an obscure local newspaper, in
which an imaginative contributor de-
scribes the Clevelands as receiving
carload of little carriages as presents
from inver' rs and manufacturers all
over the country directly after the
birth of each child. AS a matter of
fact no such presents have ever come
to them; but the fancy of the average
Washington letter writer runs riot on
occasion, and represents as real hap
pening what might have occurred if
the whole guild Of American carriage
makers had let themselves loose in
search of a great advertisement.
A secopd-class of letters are those
in which Mrs. Cleveland is besought
to use her influence with the Presi-
dent to procure Offices or other politi-
cal favors for somebody in whom the
writer's are interested. Even the
wives of prominent Congressman have
been known to bespeak in this way the
interference of the President to obtain
coveted comm; tseeassignmentsf for their
husbands in one or the other legisla-
tive chambers.
To the third class belong letters ask
ing the use of Mrs. Cleveland s name
as patroness for some enterprise,
as a subscriber for some book, or as a
subject of dedicatory paragraph.
In fourth class are grouped the
conventional engraved invitations to
take part in some festivity-a we'd
ing, ding, a reception. a christen-
birthday party, the anuiver-
sary of a society, the laying Of cor
ner-stone.
The almost unbroken rule in all
these cases is for one Of the executive
clerks to write stereotyped form OF
answer, consisting of polite acknowl-
edgement and a declination. Here
and there missive will have some
distinctive feature which causes it to
be set apart from the rest and brought
to Mrs. Cleveland's notice when she
retires from the breakfast room and
seats herself at her desk. A request
that she will allow herself to be named
as godmother for some budding genius
of new generation is rarely refused,
an autograph is given where circum-
stances warrant the belief that the
courtesy will not be abused, and on
rare-very rare-occasions photo
graph is added. Now and then, at
long intervals, one of the other re-
quests receive favorable response,
but when the recipient is ungracious
enough to share the news Of his sue
cess with the public, the result is
such deluge Of appeals and demands
from chronic mendicants that the
kindly feeling which prompted the ex-
pertinent is turned to disgust, and the
lesson costs the next thousand sup
plicants prompt denial Of their pray
ers.
AS an example of the use to which
even the declination of an invitation
may be put single instance may be
cited. From social climber Of the
most self obtrusive and offensive type,
who had been eagerly bent for years
in obtaining some recognition from
the Presidents family, came one day
card for the wedding receptionuo Of
his daughter. The stereotyped res
ponse was sent by one of the clerks,
expressing the regret of the President
and Mrs. Cleveland that they would
be unable to attend. The morning
newspapers on the day following the
affair contained full account of all
that took place, ending with list Of
distinguished guests, and the recorded
procession of generals and commo-
Cores and judges wound up with the
announcement that President and
Mrs. Cleveland were to have honored
the occasion with their presence, but
at the last moment were unavoidably
prevented and obliged to send their
regrets.