The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-01-08
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, D. G, January End.
Mr.. EDITOR The size of the crowd at
the White House on New Years day is
not always, or often, an indication of the
popularity Of the President. Certain
officials, indeed all are required to attend
and pay their respects to the executive
head of the nation. Wind or rain can
not keep them away. Given a fair and
springlike day, such as this New Years
proved to be, much to the dismay of the
weather bureau which %blundered as usual
and predicted the night before, "rain or
snow," and all the strangers in Washing
ten who have never attended an official
reception will flock to the Executive
Mansion by the thousand. This is what
actually did happen, and the poor public
stood for hours waiting for a chance to
shake hands. Many comments were made
about the excessive amount of money
consumed in adding two bungalow-like
wings to the White House and the poor
result as seen by the casual observer.
After all, the ceremony at the White
House on New Years is but %perfunctery;
a thing to do and get over with. But it
is the only chance under the new arrange
ments the common people have of see
residence. Those who have the where
withall, and are in society in Washington,
manage to have a good time, if eating
dinners, dressing to kill, displaying uni
forms, dancing, and attending teas can be
called good.
Those of the public who attended the
reception were rushed through the rooms
between a file of police, private detec-
tives, clerks, and other officers who kept
saying; "Walk faster; hurry up; don't be
so slow the:e" They were even hustled
out of the East Room and down the stair
ease leading to the hat and coat rooms as
if they could not be trusted to remain
five minutes to look about. But in these
days of prosperity people have no right
to be poor and belong to the rabble, even
if they are taxpayers. Mrs. Roosevelt
| dSSlStCu uCl uuouoAO III Jug duu
was very richly dressed in white satin.
She no longer thinks a woman in society
can dress on $500 a year. The dress she
wore must have cost as much as that.
The social season opens in Washing
ton after the President gives the signal,
and from now on there will be a round
of official dinners confined to cabinet,
court, army and navy circles. These are
all private affairs and do not interest the
public. The cabinet entertains the Presi-
dent and he returns the compliment. Mr..
Root, Secretary of War, will give his
last dinner to Gov. Taft, when that gentle
man arrives from the Philippines to
assume the wal portfolio. The Secretary
of State has given a dinner to the Am
bassadors, but as his throat refuses to
| Weld to treatment, he could not swallow
a morsel, and Mrs. Hay presided.
There is a darker side of life in Wash
ngton, as Mr.. Jacob Riis, a friend of the
President, has recently pointed out. If
no other city has slums to equal those Of
the nations capital, 40 other can boast Of
a greater number of sumptuous entertain
mehts. Mrs. Mclean has given a dinner
dance to 100 young folks, with an extra
100 for the cotillion, in honor of a couple
of young ladies, her guests. The Bar