Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-10


a week: that he return No visits. that
he accept no invitations. but give
formal entertainment: that the Stella
tors nave access to the President on
pupHc BUSINESS. But Mr.. Hamilton
Woulu nave restricted the intercourse
of the President with members Of the
Diplomatic Corps to Ambassadors and
with congress to members of the
Senate. Ne
The suggestions Of Hamilton were
adopted ana they continued in force
during the terms of Washington and
Adams. But when jefferson became
President, he undertook to institute a
| new order OF things and hi; ideas he
| embodied in paper as follows:
F1rst-in order to bring the members
of society together in the first instance
| the custom OF the country has estab-
lishcd residents shall pay the first visit
to strangers ana among strangers first
| corners to later Corners. foreign and
| domestic The character Of strangers
| ceases after the first visit To this
| rule there is single exception. For
| ci%n ministers, from the necessity Of
making themselves known, pay the
| first visit to ministers of the nation,
| which is returned
| Second-When brought together in
society all are perfectly equal, whether
| foreign or domestic, titled or untitled,
! in or out of office.
All other ob$ervances are but oxcm-
! Publications. OF these two principles:
First-Th" families Of foreign ministers
| arriving AT n" seat Of government re-
ctve the first visit from those uf the
| t'ff tF'1iI ''-hlS1trS All at her
| idents. The members Of The Legislature
~; -, me . Inuninfs mdepende Of their
ccive the first visit
| Second-No title being recognized here.
| those OF foreigners give no precedence.
| At public ceremonies To which H." gov
| eminent invites the presence Of foreign
| ministers and their families Il convenient
| place or station Will be provided for
| them. with any other strangers invited
and the families of the national minis
| tiers, each taking place as they arrive and
| without any precedence.
| I" maintain the principle Of equality or
| Dele mcIa and prevent the growth Of pre-
| ccdtnc". out Of courtesy. tile members ~
| the executive will practice at their own
| houses ana recommend an adherence "a
| the ancient usage Of the country Of gem
| the ladies On massc in passing from one
| apartment in which they are asscmul,
| into another.
| This was Jefferson's idea Of cqlAlity
| under the republic. He had preached 1t
| frequently 10 Washingtun-in fact. his
| criticism of the forms and ceremonies OF
Washington administration called out
at one time Il long explanation from The
| first president to the effect that he wds
| acting on the advice of others. and that
| for his own part ne would rather haN, Il
| few friends gathered about him at Noun.
| Vernon than keep court. jefferson :
| Idea was shared by many. Indeed, paJ-
| rick Henry refused to consider the QIcs-
| ton OF going 20 the Senate AT on- time
| because he said he was too Old to fan in
| to the awkward mutations which MAI
| become fashionable
| Bat jefferson went to the other AZ
| IRENE. He let any one and every one ia
| to the White House and all on terms 81
| equality; so that the mob spirit prevailed
| and sigh OF relief went up from official
social Washington when Madisons term
| began and Dolly Madison restored I'll
| old state of affairs.
Matters have changed but little since
| Madisons time. except as the increase IL
| the population of the city and the mIl-
| tiplicity of social cares have made
| changes necessary. Instead of residents
| calling on strangers first as was the Gus
tom originally, the visitors make the
| first call. There was some dispute caused
| by the passage of the law of 1856 over the
question whether the members Of ttc
| cabinet who, by this act were made Ill
rect successors Of the presidency in case
| Of the death OF the president ana the
e-presdent should not precede the
members of Congress on ceremonial uC-
caSions. AS a matter Of fact the mem
| bers Of the cabinet AT the White house
surround the president in the capacity ~
| his official family. Bat as appointeeS OF
| the administration. confirmed 10y the Sen
| ate. they are considered inferior in social
rank to the members of the Senate and
House. The members of the Senate claim
| too. that the justices of the supreme
court are their INTERIORS socially. bcC-tu-e
their appointments are confirmed by TIN.
Senate. But notwithstanding this claim
| the senators wives always make the
| first call on the wives OF the justices.
1t is in this matter Of calls that official
rank is recognized The members Of thu
diplomatic corps have always been con
Sidered the guests Of the nation. and
they hold ~ honorary social position.
They call first on the secretary uf state
Is me repies' ntativc u the president.
They also cali on the vice president. Tht.
chief justice Of the supreme court re-
cciVeS calls from every one in official lie
except the president and ViCo-prcSidrnt,
out he makes the FIRST calls GA the mem
hcrS "f the diplomatic corps.
This question of Gaining may seem m
important to those who are not aculIafnt-
ed with the punctiliouSnt of social
Washington but it has disrupted cabi-
nets. When JackSOnS secretary of war.
Eaton, married the pretty Mrs, Timber
lake C'Peggy' . Neiih and the women OF
the cabinet families refused to recognize
her socially. and to make the usual calls
on her. jackson gave them the al,crna-
tive Of calling on her or going out uf pIb-
lie life. Their husbands thcrtupun re-
signed. y quarter u 4 century ago tn.
question Of precedence was very near
causing international trouble At 4 rri-
waite entertainment the British minister
was to take oIt the Wife If tn. host
when the Spanish minister. " no was dean
of the corps. was Present. The interNen-
tion of the secretary of state. who was
present, resulted in Il substitution of the
spanish minister for the British. and dip
lomatic relations Were, fully restored.
y new dispute over precedence arose
when Congress. five years ago. passed a
law authorizing the president to appoint
ambassadors to Countric " hirh sent am
Dass;itorS to Washington. The newly ai-
pointed ambassadors from Italy. Great
Britain, &c, claimed that according to
diplomatic usage abroad, they stood nsXt
to SoVcrciSnS, ana that. therefore, they
should prccedc the Justices Of the SUI
prcme court on all official occasions
Now. the justices OF the supreme court
are very jealous of their official preroga-
tINcS. They are nee Old men when they
nave their own way. but where their dig
nifty is involved they are extremely
touchy AS the Interpreters of the laws
made by Congress and enforced by the
president-as Il last resort from which
alone there is no appeal-they think that
Ihey come pretty near being as good as
the president himself. Hence they Were
not inclined to admit the claim of the
ambassadors to precedence of them, and
the matter had to be determined officially
against them.
The arbiter of social matters in Wash
ington today is Col Theodore Bingham
superintendent Of public buildings and
grounds Col Ripyhap1 Is nm officer ,f