Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-17
THEY MUST WAIT.
But They Have All Become
Very Impatient.
Advice to Wife Of a Member Of the
New Cabinet.
Compliments on All Hands for '.First Lady Of
the Land"

AISSiuShO 1ACAiuAey AS SoiHS eo pioWAy ~
the business Of making appointments that
the faithful office seekers are beginning to
grumble good deal. A large number OF
these gentlemen are still sitting around
the hotels and haunting the White House,
intensely eager for action. They have
little sympathy with the president S policy
of deliberate and cautious action which
the country Endorses so fully. The office
seeker is too much interested from per-
sonal standpoint to take a dispassionate
view Of things. All he knows is that he
wants his job, and wants it quickly. He
cannot understand why there should be
any delay, why the good thing for which
the politicians fought in the recent cam
paign should be withheld from the boys
who stood in the trenches. While there is
considerable grumbling, it docs not affect
the president at all. He is taking things
as easy as he can and seems in no more
hurry to parcel out the offices than he was
when he first came to Washington. The
number of appointments made by him d.
rectly and by the administration generally
is still far below the number made by any
administration of the last so years i'll the
same length Of time
Enjoyed the Joke.
President Mckinley preserves his good
nature through all the trials and pressure
incident to his official station. His bear
ing is still fine and courtly. He charms
all who come in contact with him. He
enjoys joke too. One of his callers, an
old man and veteran Republican, who
has hung about here for two weeks trying
to get an Office and making no discernible
progress, made so bold as to say to the
president:
"You are not going very fast, Mr.. Pres
ident, nowadays. Last fall no one could
hustle around fast enough to suit you"
"That's so," replied President McKin-
ley laughingly. ~ was doing the running
then, and now you are doing it"
The reply pleased the veteran Office seek
er very much, but it is not recorded that
he is any nearer his goal now than he was
before
There has really been great change in
the scene at the national capital. Instead
of Turn the rascals Quit" we now hear
many stories to the effect that prominent
Democrats are to be kept in office, at least
for some months; that all changes are to
be made only after plenty of elaboration !;
that the civil service rules are to be re-
spected in spirit as well as in form, and that
merit is to count before everything else.
A Note of Warning.
At q little social reception was much
interested in the advice which the wife OF
an outgoing member Of the cabinet gave tc
the wife of an incoming member. What
ever else you do, - said this lady of expert
ence, "dO not serve anything to eat OF
drink at your Wednesday afternoon recep.
tions. If you do you will regret it. We
tried it, and we can tell you all about it.
If you serve things to eat and drink, you
will have a mob bouncing down upon you.
People who never go out in society under
any other circumstances will flock into
your parlors. They will cat you out OF
house and home. They will crowd out
your regular guests and not give the PEG.
pie you really want to see ghost of a
chance. Where these unexpected and un
desirable visitors come from is a mystery,
but they do come, with their uncles, cous.
ms and aunts. How th1y get wind of the
fact that you are serving luncheon is an
other mystery, but they do. There seems
to be some sort Of freemasonry among
their ilk. Decide upon u spread in your
drawing room, salads and punch and such
things, and it is all over town in twin.
king. We have had the horrible suspicion
that the servants spread the news and that
some of the guests who come are thei1
friends and relatives. Awful, isn't it:
Take my advice and keep your tables bare. !"
Here another society woman Of expert.
ence chimed in and contributed her quota
to the general fund of information con.
corning the habits of some residents of the
national capital: Lady Pauncefote, wife
Al
OF the British ambassador, was telling me-
the other day that when she first came to
Washington she caused it to be known
that she would receive her friends certain
afternoon each week. She did not send
out cards, but extended a general invita-.
ton through the society columns of the
newspapers What do you suppose hap.
pened? Why, her house was filled with
people whom no one had ever seen before
or heard of. The wives of saloon keepers
the families of tradesmen, clerks in the
departments, those estinablc women who
keep boarding houses all sorts and condi
lions of folk, poured in upon her until a
member Of the diplomatic corps or per.
son in high official station was as much
lost in the crush as the provcrbial needle
in the haystack. From that day to this
Lady Pauncefote has never given an open
afternoon. All the guests who come to
her house do SO by card invitation"
Mrs. Mckinley's Visitors.
Mrs. Mckinley, despite her invalid con.
dition, is getting on very well as the first
lady in the land. She charms all who see
her, for she is sweet and simple woman
She receives many friends in the library,
which is directly over the blue room of the
White House. In this apartment Presi-
dent Arthur used to receive his business
callers. President Harrison kept the room
rs an office for time, too, and Mr. Cleve-
land used it for a few months. But now
it is beautifully furnished and is used by
Mrs. Mckinley as a sitting and reception
room. The lady of the White House sits
nearly all the time in an easy chair near
the door which leads to her distinguished
husbands Office, SO that he need not walk
far when he comes out to see her for mo-
ment, as he does many times Il day. She
always keeps her cane in hand and receives
visitors with grace as fine as that pos
sessed by her husband, the president.
Mrs. Mckinley has q ready wit too
Some years ago, when Mr.. Mckinley was
hard pushed as q candidate for congress by
rival candidate named Warwick, some
one spoke to Mrs. Mckinley about the