Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-03-24
WHITE HOUSE DINNERS.
They Are Magnificent, Elaborate
and Perfect Functions.
Description of n State Dinner Given
by the President 10 the Dip
Iomats Residing ut
Washington.
Especial Washington Letter.l

There will be no more diplomatic din
ners at the white house during this sea
son. The social customs of nations are
amusing and ridiculous to men who do
not believe in any sort of temperance.
During the next eight or nine months
the president of the United States will
probably be able to maintain friendly
relations with the diplomatic repre-
sentatives of foreign nations in this
city without giving them meat and
drink. During each winter season,
however, it is expected that the presi-
dent shall give series of dinners,
which are served after dark, where food
of the most costly kind in great album
dance is served and washed down with
gallons of champagne and other wines.
The diplomatic dinners at the white
house have made trouble on more than
one occasion. a familiar instance was
that of the British minister Merry, who
made a great row because some other
lady was taken in to the table by
Thomas jefferson before Mrs. Merry.
During the Garfield administration Mrs.
Blaine actually left the presidents
board in anger because she had not the
place to which she considered herself
entitled. The plan adopted of making
the order of precedence among the
diplomats depend simply on length of
service here is an admirable solution of
the problem on the whole.
The various ambassadors and min
listers located in Washington give dim
ners to the secretary of state and the
assistant secretary. They also enter
tain our senators and representatives
in similar manner. The president
gives receptions and dinners to the
members of the supreme court and to
the senators and representatives during
the entire ante-Lenten season.
At the diplomatic dinner at the white
house the British ambassador is given
the seat of honor because he is regarded
as the dean of the diplomatic corps, on
account of his seniority of rank by con-
tinuous service at this capital. The
president offers his arm to the wife of
the British ambassador and leads the
way to the dining-room, followed by
the diplomats and the ladies of their
families. The president stands beside
his seat in the middle of one side of the
long table, and remains standing, until
all of the ladies and gentlemen have
found their way to their respective
places. All then take their seats and
the banquet begins.
When the guests arrive at the white
house they are escorted upstairs, the
gentlemen going to the library and the
ladies to one of the larger bedrooms in
order to remove their wraps. Present
ly they go down to the large east room,
where the president and his wife are
found awaiting to receive them.
Promptly at eight o'clock the steward
of the white house opens the door of
the state dining-room and bows to the
president, who thereupon leads the pro-
cession to the table.
Before going downstairs to dinner
each one of the gentlemen finds on a
table in the library an envelope ad-
dressed to himself, unsealed, with the
American eagle in gold stamped on the
envelope. Within the envelope each
gentleman discovers n card with bev-
eled and gilded edges, bearing the name
of the lady whom he is to take in to din
ner. On the back of the card is dia-
gram of the table with the seats num-
bered. Two numbers are struck out