The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-20
RANK MORE THAN
GUINEA'S STAMP
Society Leaders Often SoreIy
Puzzled About Precedence.
ENJOYS RESENT ANY SNUBS
FANCIED SIGHTS ALSO HURT
THEIR SENSITIVE PRIDE.
lspecial Corresponasncel

Especial Correspondence
Washington. Jan. 15.-The question Of
precedence comes up every winter TO
disturb the officials and amuse Washing
tOnlanS. Not long ago hostess who had
Just taken up her residence IN Washing
ton and was entertaining her first party
OF Official folk, realized after the guests
had assembled that she was wholly igno-
rant OF the intricacies of social prece-
dents as governed by official rank There
was but one way out OF il. The hostess
boldly took the bull by the horns.
i haven't the faintest idea how YOU
ought TO go in 10 dinner she announced,
but those Of you who wish anything
10 eat had better get in some way or
the things will be spoiled
Fortunately all the guests possessed
the saving sense of humOr. They fiOCked
into the dining room, took such seats as
were most convenient, and the dinner
was success. One of the social tan
giles growing out of the law regarding
the succession to the presidency is found
in the discussion which has been in prog
ress in recent years as TO the relative
United States senate and the speaker of
the house OF representa- When at
the first dinner at the White House fol-
lowing the death of Vice President HO-
bart. President Mckinley gave the place
of honor to Senator Frye. the president
pro tenn of the senate, Speaker Hender-
son OF the house OF representatives was
highly displeased and he afterwaTd de-
clined 10 attend any dinner unless as
sured in advance that he would have the
place of honor The tension between
General Miles and General COrbin was
very noticeable, as was also the QueS-
ton of precedence existing between the
wives of Admiral Dewey and General
Miles.
Social Sights Resented.
"a qfTr
as any of these social controversies can
be settled by the decision that inasmuch
as the war department was established
prior to the navy department the gen
eral commanding the army was entitled
to precedence over the admiral OF the
navy at official functions When the men
are entertained as individuals Admiral
Dewey. being OF superior rank, takes
precedence.
Not infrequently public men are made
TO suffer the consequences of social quar-
rels precipitated by the women of their
families From such source sprang
the bitter fight which Governor Tanner
of Illinois made against the election or
Senator CullOm. The governors ami
mostly was caused by a slight placed
upon his wife by Mrs. CullOm, who was
reported to have declared that Mrs. Tan
ner. as the daughter of a horse trader
and auctiOneer, was socially impossible.
For years there was bitterness between
Mrs. Merriam, whose husband IS now d.
rector of the census, and Mrs DAVIS,
widow of Senator Cushman X Davis Of
Minnesota.
When Senator Davis gave his support
to Mr.. Merriam'S candidacy for the Office
he now holds, truce was patched up
/ between the two men, and the reconcllla-
ton was supposed to extend TO the ladleS
of the households.
One of the most notable of all social
/ tangles was preeipitated by the refusal
of Lord Pauncefote the British ambas-
~
/ to call upon the vice president he
argued that he was not only the official
I representative of his government, but
/ also the personal representative OF MS
4 sovereign, and as such was entitled 10
rank directly after the president wee
( President Stevenson happened to be the
! bore % contention
4 Pauncefote Had to Give Way.
] hv mas q .ooa natured man, and al
/ lowed the ambassador TO have his way,
/ but when Vice President Hobart as
/ sumed the Office he stood out for MS
! rights. The matter was referred to the
/ British foreign Office. which held that
! the vice president was to be regarded as
! the heir to the presidency, and thus OF
I the same rank as crown prince, COnse-
| Quently Lord PauncefOte received an in
I timation from his own government that
he had better call upon the vice presl-
The first cabinet day of the season
! showed beyond question the passing OF
| this unique and once interesting feature
Of Washington life. To the several host
| esses who find the burden Of their po-
/ sition too arduous, and a small Clique
| Of denationaliZed Americans who have
/ formed their ideas of social requirements
from nomadic existence IN european
! capitals, the abolition of the cabinet re-
| ception viii be hailed with delight, as
| this will eventually lead to the seVering
Of all social relations between the admin
istratien circle and the public
The falling off in the number of visitors
! is not as sometimes said in consequence
of the elimination Of the tea table, pu
rather on account Of the continuous com
plant of the cabinet women themseiFe'
that they have too many visitors, Wnu'
! on the subject of the alleged abuse of the
old time hospitality il may be wen Z
state on the authority of the Leading
hostess of the last Cleveland adminlstra
ton that the weekly expense Of a wed
] nesdav afternoon tea table was 80
To Establish a Salon.
Miss Paulding, niece of the Hon
Chauncey Depew, who has set up house
keeping for herself with her mother in ;
house given her by her uncle, intends L
! make of her colonial home rendezVoui
for the most select of the modlsh world
and to hold informal salons feature o
| Washington entertaining, which viii %
I hailed with undisguised delight.
In the distribution of the old desks, 10
TWENTY-FIVE years in use in the house o
representatives. Congressman J0hn !
Jenkins of Wisconsin, brother of J. +
jenkins of Cheyenne. has drawn prize
l namely. desk No. 90, which was used d,
the late President Mckinley during HI
long term of service in the house o
representatives. When IL was decided L
refurnish the hall OF the house II va
determined to put the desks up at auc
ton permitting each member to retain NJ
own desk and chair. Mr.. Jenkins did no
reserve his desk
An employe OF the house looking int
the history of the unreserved desks ols
covered that Mr. Jenkins was Occupylu
the place in which President Mcklnie
sat when he was a member OF congress
He went to Mr.. jenkins and said that n
would be glad to have the authority I
buy il at the price established Wnen IN
sale should occur
You are welcome to my option on H.
| reDIied ar. jenkins q would not pa
: the freight on the desk to Wisconsin 10
Then the employee told Mr.. Jenkins tn
story of the desk and released him fror
his contract 10 part with IT. Mr. Jenkln
has the desk now. Congressman GoI
/ don has picked up a couple Of hundre
r dollars worth of these old relics, II
/ Guiding the table upon which Preslden
, / Mckinley wrote the tarim Dill, and the
nave ali been sent 20 his home IN ;
Marvs. o. It is Mr.. Gordon s purpose [
: fit up his Office with this furniture e1
| clusively.
: Mrs. Salomon's Petition.
=