Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-02-28

The First Lady Of Our Land is the
title of an article in the Cosmopolitan
by Mrs. Burton Harrison, in which she
sketches the ladies Of the white house
from Mrs. Adams to Mrs. Mckinley,
She says: A proud titIe-the first lady
of the land-and one that shines like
a far beacon in the eyes of the Amer
lean girl, who never knows what mar,
riage may do in hosting her to the
elevation where she may claim it as
her own, Yet the position of wife of
the president of the United States
= has, with conspicuous exceptions, not
been filled with women who have left
marked impression upon their day
and administrations.
1t must be remembered that some of
our presidents wiv>s do not appear
before the public until they have be
come, perhaps, set in the homely and
retiring habits of life from which the
nations trumpet call has summoned
them Our republican queens some
times arrive at the white house feel
ing embarrassed by social eXigencies;
never having previously worn the low
cut corsage eXaCted for robes of GER
emonial; possessing no facility for din
ner table talk, with only the mother.
tongue at their command; and gener,
ally oppressed by necessary public APP
pearances. One OF these has little
precedent and no established rule of
dignified habit to hold up her hands,
Into her present place of extraordinary
prominence she may have stepped
from some remote community where
the customs of social intercourse are
the offspring of ignorance of the world
and dire monotony. Her hackers and
counselors are, like herself, new to the
task. The society before which she
must appear is critical, sharptongued
on the qui vive for a fresh sensation,
and not always under bonds to high
patriotism.
Political CabaIs.
Should a political cabal arise into
which INSCRIPTIONS wire-pullers may
drag a presidents personal affair to
the advantage of his enemies, no re.
spect for the first lady of the land can
control its mischief. AS an instance
of this latter fact, one recalls the Sc.
Cret history of an incident occurring
at a critical period OF national affairs
within the last Is years, when the
clever and plucky wife of a cabinet
minister was enabled to bestow upon
a prominent statesman of the party in
politics opposing that in power an eff
fcctuai and well-deseryed quietus.
Having traced to this leader series
of offensive stories in circulation in
volving the alleged domestic infelic.
tiles of the executive family, she eX.
pressed herself with great yigor in de-
nouncing them This brought upon
her letter from him, couChed in per.
emptory and threatening language,
demanding to know whether she was
indeed the author of "uCh utterances-
a letter sent by a messenger boy, and
bearing outside the insolent super
scription, wait for Answer"
In the absence of her husband she
penned and addressed to the states.
man in question a letter overlooking
with righteous wrath at the misstate-
ments, contradicting them upon her
own intimate authority and condemn.
ing anew the COwaTdiCe of such an at
tack upon those who might not defend
themselves. The effect was silence.
full and complete. in the enemys
camp. silence remaining unbroken
as far as the charges in question were
concerned. The grave has closed upon
the bright energy Of this lady's mind
and heart, as upon the animosities of
her brilliant opponent, but her cham.
pionship was iar-reaching in result.
The Original White House.
But a month or two since was eel,
ebrated in Washington the one hun.
dredth anniversary of the establish.
ment Of the seat of government in the
District of Columbia. The white
house. planned, built and subsequently
rebuilt, by an Irishman named Hoban,
was not in the beginning quite the
same beautiful building, with it's stuc.
coed front and four stately Doric pill.
lars, which we see today, and to which
the twentieth century promises eX-
pansion without serious change in its
charming and familiar lines.
The first lady to inhabt it officially
Mrs. John Adams-beheld from her
windows even less to allure the eyes
than was pictured by Tom Moore on
his visit to Washington some years
later:
An embryo capital, where Fancy sees
Squares in morasses, obelisks in trees,
Where second-sighted seers the plain
adorn
With fanes unbuilt and heroes yet un.
born.
Though naught but woods and Jeffer-
son they see
Where streets should run and sages
ought TO be.
Mrs. Washington, the double first"