The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-15


Mr.. Merriam as ambassador to the
ear, but Senator Cushman K. Davis
is one Of the most powerful members
of the senate, and Mrs. Davis says
Mr.. Merriam must not be appointed.
This is the climax of a mixed social
and political drama, which concerns
the whole United States and possibly
the outside world.
What was the beginning Of 1T? Sim
ply that Mrs. Merriam did not con-
slider Mrs. Davis fit. to mingle with the
social elect Of St. Paul, Mimi. Now
Mrs. Davis, being found fit to- n1ingle
with the Empress Eugene, the crown
ed heads and aristocracies of Europe
and the elite Of Washington's diplo-
matte society, does not forget Mrs.
Merriam. This lady. too, would like
to move in those exalted spheres, but
Mrs. Davis has the power to eonsign
her TO outer darkness. Well does the
poet say that nametess place hath
no fury like a woman scorned by the
leader Of local society.
The interest Of this drama is obvious
~ far more than social Cushman K.
Davis and William R. Merriam are
Republican politicians Of national
eminence. The former is chairman Of
the senate committee on foreign re-
lations, an Office now of peculiar i'm
portance. Mr.. Merriam, who was once
governor Of Minnesota, is not SO pow
erful politically as his rival, but he Is
still one of the leading citizens of his
state. and President Mckinley con-
siders him a suitable person to repre-
sent the United States at the court
of Russia, q great power, whose rela-
tions with this country call for the
highest order Of diplomacy.
The strife between the Davises ana
the Merriams began years ago, when
Cushman K. Davis Was rising young
man. Mrs. Merriam was the leader OF
ST. Paul society, and would not recog-
nize the present Mrs. Davis, who was
originally a seanstress. and married
her husband after he had obtained
divorce from his first wife Mrs Mer-
Ram snubbed Mrs. Davis again and
again. and SO did all her friends.
Mrs. Davis is not a person to be
snubbed with impuniGy. She is hand
some. clever, witty and self-possessed.
The larger society in which she now
moves does not trouble about the
episodes of her early career. She is
popular in Washington on her own ac-
count. and on that of her husband,
who is a conspicuously able man and
likely to reach to higher things.
After a rapid struggle upward from
poverty and obscurity. Cushman X.
Davis was elected governor of Mime
sofa in 1873. He was married at that
time to his first wife. who was well
received in local society. though by 10
means shining light
About the year 1878 Miss Anna Az
new. a very handsome young woman,
entered the Davis household in St
Paul as a seamstress. After that the
course Of domestic happiness did not
RIM smooth. Finally Mr.. and Mrs.
Davis agreed to be divorced. The first
Mrs. Davis went to Kansas, where she
is still living.
A year or more later MIR. Davis mar
ried Miss Agnew. This step created
some sensation in st. Paul although
ii might have been expected. Society
in that city Is even more puritanical
than in New York. Mr.. Davis merely
did what several men eminent in his
tory have done-he decided that he
must have change OF wives.
Miss Agnew-the present Mrs. Davis
was born in Ireland To her beauty
and cleverness she added many accom-
plishments. Although poor, she had
cultivated her mind She was deeply
devoted to her husband, and determined
to aid him in his ambitious career.
Mrs William r. Merriam was at
that time and still is the leader of the
400 of ST. Paul Her husband is a rich
banker. She chserfuly assumed the
DUTY of expressing ulSappfONdl Oh the
new Mrs. Davis She did not call upon
her. she cut those who called upon
her. and, of course, she went to no
place where she was liable to meet
her. Her daughter dutifully followed
her example. Most of the other women
who considered that they made up st.
Paul society did the same thing
Minneapolis sent an invitation to
Mrs. Davis to goa there and be in So
ciety, but she was too proud to accept
such compromise.
There were many amusing incidents
of this social war. Mrs. Davis captur-
ed a visiting prince as her guest He
had already been staying with the
Astors, Vanderbilts and others at New
port. Mrs Merriam had the bitterness
OF never meeting the prince, because
he was under the wing of Mrs. Davis.
Many of the first families of ST. Paul
were weak enough to drop their
naughty reserve in order to meet him.
A sensation was created in 1887 by
the publication of a book called "a So
cia1 Conspiracy" Mrs. Davis was
clearly the heroine of the book, and
st. Paul society was numerically ridf-