The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-02-17
MANY SOCIAL TRAPS

In the National Capita1-Public Men
Put Padlocks on Personal Opinions.
The testimony of some of those who
know their WASHINGTON Is to the effect
that there are to be found within this
alike compact and complex capital a
greater number of people who ask advice
and a fewer number of those who take
it-than anywhere else In the country.
There is something disingeiiuotis Id the
mere fact of appealing for an opinion
that is considered characteristic of diplo-
matte procedure. The men who seem to
court counsel are those who take the
shortest-and cheapest-cut to other peo-
pies opinions.
Therefore" remarked a distinguished
citizen, ~ never give advice to disguised
diplomatists."
The capital presents many social
trap for the unwary, who allow them
selves to be pumped, without suspecting
it, and, although it is difficult especially
the mind, each and every year that
passes discloses a greater reticence and
forms more of an atmosphere OF the life
of courts by no means Characteristic of
what is supposed to be American out
spokenhess.
Official society, put on its guard, is be-
coming more and more artificial, and
presently the man who asks advice will
find himself without much chance Of
response.
There is less and less Of even the sham
good-nature that ONCE oiled the wheels
of communication, and artificial bOnhO11l-
mic, practiced III smaller and less i'm
portant communities, Is conspicuous by
it's absence, outside Of d contracted cir
Gle. In short, something Of suspicion
concerning Observation-Disclosures and slnceri-
ty seems to have crept into public life,
and padlocks OH personal opinions are in
order.
The man who never gives advice, even
Of the situation.
Society at the capital is divided into
so many camps and agitated by so many
counter interests, that it is, perhaps, not
strange that there should be such appre-
citation of the fact that language is given
to conceal the thoughts. A special de-
gree of partisanship runs below the sur
face, and there are few Individuals so
eclectic as to straddle more than one
fence at time. Hence, a truly diplo-
matte reserve and distrust that seems
to find expression in platitudcs.
10 express a positive opinion, pro O.:
con, is considered Old-fashioned, and
men who ride their hobbies in private
life are relegated to the rank of bores.
Beware, oh, beware!'' says the poll
tician who will be a statesman beyond
the tomb, "of the man who endeavors to
make you talk under the pretext that he
wants an opinion On his own account
He might, have added: "And look out
for the, lady!' Under the same condi-
tons. !.
The pitfall of the man with convic-
tons or preferences that he would fain
keep concealed is laid ut the dinner ia
ble-after dinner. 1t Is extremely UNI
cult for even the most sagacious CON
versationalist to whip tile devil around
the stump without saying at least some
thing tinged with his private and per-
soma! opinion. The lady of the tete-a-
tete is seldom other than loquacious, and
is too apt to hand him over to the enc
my. All the social and half of the po-
litical wars of Washington have their
origin in the dining room and the draw
ing room. A distinguished ingenue, no
longer in her first youth, asks advice;
even the most experienced sometimes
gives it. Hence sad awakening to the
fact that the hand that rocks the era
die rules the capital: State secrets
creep out, and personal and political ami
mosities are famed into flame. Where
"advice" is asked for and received, then
there is trouble.-Boston Herald.