The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-09
PRECEDENCE IN WASHINGTON
New Rules to Be Promulgated for the Court

New Rules to Be Promulgated for the
 Court.
 A thrill of gladness will be felt throughout the land when it is learned
 from the court journals that "the bitter 1 fight which has ragged during the winter at Washington as to social precedence
 bids fair for settlement" and that the l intricate problems have received the | careful consideration of the highest au- | thorites ad the mound of social festi- | vals will De inauglirated next season under simple and easily comprehended system of rules The imperative nee
 essity of adjudica ting the claims of the
 speaker of the House and the president
 Of the Senate. has compelled the promul-
 gation of a new and regular order of
 precedence"
 From Oshkosh to Pride's Corner, the
 Elillant courtiers will rejoice that this
 bitter fight has ended by the decree
 of ''the highest authorities" of the court.
 This decree, as officially proclaimed, is stated to be as follows:-
 The new rules will take as the basic
 principle the triple co-ordinaion of the powers of government in this republic The president, as the chief executive ie- presentative, will be first on all occa- s.ons, and it has been decided that is only deputy or sucoessor Is the vice-pre- sident, elected by the people The honors and precedence due to the vice presidency do not descend to the secre- tary of state in the event of vacancy in the vice-p presidency and his statutory succession to the heirship to the chief magistracy. Therefore the president and vice-presdent constitute the execu- tive branch of the government On state occasions the chief justice will re- present the judiciary.
 All things considered, this fiat seems to fulfil all the really important require ments of the momentous situation at our republican court yet the depress- ing suggestion is thrown out by the faithful chronicler of the new social dis pensation that it does not give assur- ances of an absolute peace; it is intima- ted that the ambassadors strenuously object to sitting below mere representa- lives of Congress and the judiciary, and attention is called to that thrilling in- cident in the history of the court which was made forever memorable in the social annuals of Washington by the sturdy campaign waged by Lord | Pauncefote in support of his right to take precedence of Vice President Ho- bart on occasions of court dinners. lun- cheons, garden parties and golf tourna- ments.
 It seems to cast somber gloom upon | the gorgeous rainbows of expected | peace to learn that the new decree of | the court Twill not be inaugurated with | out passive resistance by these gentle | men (to wit, the embassadors). The | government may be trinity, they say, but the executive is it's only visible and | approachable semblance. The ambas- ] bassadors hold that this rule will vio- | late all international customs. But the | fiat will go forth, and next year there will be no trouble to decide whether Mrs Justice should call on Mrs Senator, | or otherwise. It will be plain sailing, | at least, on hitherto stormy sea"
 Whether or not Secretary of State Hay will also proclaim a protest against sadors hold that this rule will vio- the salt is not yet definitely known. But, at all court functions, he might be excused, If he were not the sturdy, simple, genuine American citizen he is for contending for his official place of honor and precedence. The chronicler says regarding this part of the new court circular.-
 The llonors and precedent due to the do not descend to the secretary of state in the event of va 'ancy in the vice-presidency and his statutory succession to the heirship to he chief magistracy.
 Succession to the heirship" is noble 1hrasei it has fine atmosphere of real lnd regal courts about it. It is so easy o imagine honest John Hay, author of Little Breeches,'' considering ''the lonors and precedence" due to him rom the court because of his success ion to the heirship," and equally easy 0 imagine him denouncing the entire ourt decree as stupid fooling and "un- nitigated rot"