The age-herald., 1902-05-11
THE r1URr1UR OF THE WORLD.

Washington. May 1o.-(SpeciaL) )-while in these balmy May days beautiful wo- men of Washington wear thinner raiment, draw their skirts tighter, and lift them ever higher from the pavement, they seem to grow more and more angry on account of Mrs. John Hays restriction made against them in the society sense. The refrain of an old English ballad is that. when we do as folks of fashion do, we are bound to put on airs" Most wo- men in Washington are of the opinion that Mrs Hay and the others of the so- called inner official set in society are putting on airs that are very bothersome.
 It will be remembered that Mrs. Hays mandate was to the effect that the inner official society should be confined to the Cabinet womEn to the women of the Judiciary and the Senate; the line being distinctly drawn at the House of Rep resentatives." Mrs. Hay felt called up- on to issue this somewhat absurdly auto cratical decree in view of the coming of Madame Cambon, wife of the French ambassador; the ambitious wife of the Secretary of State, electing to prescribe what class of women should call upon the ambassadress. This, as you know, brought on a great deal of trouble and heart-burning in the society world of Washington. Yet it seems that all wo- men outside of the elect, as named by Mrs. Hay, abided by the terms of her decree, none of them having called up- on Madame Cambon, and therefore none Of them having been invited to. Madame Cam bon's small and early' reception.
 But, as if to make matters worse, it seems that some of the women who en- joy Mrs. Hays favor are disposed to fol- low her rule and exclude the women plac- ed under Mrs. Hays society ban. It is re- lated to me, upon the best authority, that the other day three women, wives of Republican members of Congress from the west and really women of refine ment and culture, decided to call upon Mrs. Depew, the young wife of the jun for Senator from New York; the day set for the call being Mrs. Depew's regular weekly at home' day.. for which. as a matter of course, no invitations are ever issued When the fair women of the. west arrived in the Depew mansion, they found that the venerable senator was re- ceiving with his young wife. For the first time perhaps in his long career as man of the world. Senator Depew re- ceived visitors in a most frigid manner. For the first time he failed to proffer to shake hands with any callers upon him. This Is precisely what the senator did upon this occasion. As the western wo4 men expressed it. after their unhappy call the senator froze them" Amazed and chagrined, they turned to the senators s wife, and so turning were again "froz- en-"
 In other words, these three women of the west, wives of prominent Republican Congressman, were not only snubbed by Senator Depew and his wife in their own house, but they were subjected to very rude indifference Needless to say they departed as quickly as they could. and were as angry as offended women could will be. Within four and twenty hours, all of the Congressional ladies' as the
 
 Congressman are called in Washington, had been made aware of the extraordin- ary reception given to their three sisters in the house of the Depews. There was great rage; perhaps Washington has not known any angrier women In one of the uptown hotels, dozen or two of these Congressional ladies'. held something very like an indignation meeting. They discussed the rude action of the Depews in all its bearings. and before the m eet- ing had broken up all the members of it had resolved upon war"
 They determined, and it appears that they are to be joined by Congressional ladies" generally, to make war, society and otherwise, against the Depews incl dentally, and against the Hays in par ticular and 1t is understood that they ale to force their husbands and broth CTS into the conflict against the Secre- tary of State and Mrs. Hay and such other persons high in official lie. like the Depews.. who seem to support Mrs. Hay in her remarkable order governing official society in Washington. These wo- men have determined to carry their war fare into the Congressional districts throughout the east and west Southern Congressional ladies' while naturally