The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-03-04
WASHINGTON SOCIETY.

is the most cosmopolitan, YET IL IS as
much given to cliques and sets as New
York, and the struggles between vari-
Gus society leaders and would-be So
ciety leaders are waged as earnestly
and fiercely there as in Newport.
It is town which circumstances
have forced to be cosmopolitan, but
in reality tits quite as provincial as any
of the smaller southern cities. The
clashing of the cosmopolite with the
provincial elements has led to several
amusing incidents and much bitterness
of feeling, as will hereafter appear.
Washington society is divided into
several cliques. The principal ones
are the diplomatic, the political, the
residential and the military and ma
val. The residential set is known
also by the name of "cave-dwellers"
presumably on account oftheir ex.
clusiveness. They are also called the
"Faubourg ST. Germain," an appel
lation at which most of them smile,
though it must be confessed, not with
out certain satisfaction.
In American social circles girl is
often thrust upon a young diplomat
with title, and little or nothing is
done to find out his previous charac-
ter-for, unfortunately, title, in the
Washington society matron's mind,
covers multitude of sins, and the
happiness of the daughter counts for
little. It is generally stated in the
United States that the American girl
"knows how to take care ofherself ;"
but 1 find that this dictum is far from
true, from my experience and the ex-
perience of others.
The young American girl, either
Washington or other, just the same
as her foreign sister. 1t IS true that
formerly the Unborn chivalry of the
average American man was a security
against harm; but that chivalry is
dead or fast dying, and the enormous
number of divorce cases in the United
States is proof enough of itself that
the policy of allowing young women
absolute license is one of the most Sc
rious disasters which threaten Amer
lean womanhood. I have said that
the Unborn chivalry of American men
is dead" am speaking of the towns
only, and of Washington in particular.
In one Of the principal clubs of the
city have heard women discussed in
a way that have never heard equal
ed anywhere else. This would not
be tolerated in any other country.
NV experience with Washingtonians
of the 'nouve0u- rIcse" smart set was
disheartening. They have no culti-
walton, no manners, and nothing of the
Unborn gentility of their foreign COM
petitors. This, perhaps, may account
for aud excuse, in some measure, the
preference of American smart girls
for foreigners.
Another set or cliqueis the political.
This embraces the average politician
in Washington, though certain sena-
tors and few selected representatives
and the cabinet, with some of the as
sistant secretaries, move, for the most
part, in what is known as the "diplo'
matte set." About the political set
in Washington society there is not
much to be said. The figure and
character of the average legislator in
America is too we'll known to require
emphasis here. At home they are,
as sabroad, sleek, oily, fair-worded and
foul minded. They dress, as rule,
in the most extraordinary way, and
are generally to be seen in the public
bars of the various hotels of the city.
Their wives are generally kindly,
homely, goorly dressed women with
strong nasal accent. There are, of
course, many exceptions to this rule;
1 speak simply of the average.
The old Washingtonians comprise
the old families who have lived there
during or before the war, and such
others as they have from time to time
admitted within their portals. They
are usually southern, or partly so, in
blood, are sympathetic with southern
ambitions, and are democratic in
their social life. With them family"
is the standard persons are judged by
irrespective of wealth. These good
people are undoubtedly narrow and
provincial in the extreme. and their
entertainments would be considered,
nay are, dull in these days.
Their manners lack the free and
vulgar familiarity of their rivals, but
are cordial and hoSpitable to those
they like. They love to talk about
their past power and influence in "the
days before the war;" They are near
ly always Episcopalians in religion,
though there are some good Catholic
families among them. All attend to
their religious duties and most own
pews in the better churches of the
city. The young men of these fami.
lies, sons of lawyers, bankers, states
men or soldiers, are of the finer calibre
than the sons of the nouvSaw ,1che.
They are seldom brilliant. but they
have character and honesty and live
decent, upright lives, like their fathers
before them.
Washington is beautiful to look
upon from the outside; from the in
side it loses that beauty. There is
but little culture now, and what there
is is kept under bushel, for society
worships the golden calf. Vulgar
display and debauchery of every kind
are more or less rampant. Moral:
among the mouveam-,icEe are at low
ebb. Women are not looked up tc
and respected as they were, and the
fault lies largely with them. All thi:
is unpleasant. There is also, ofcourse
another life led by quiet, inofensiv'
class, but this is becoming smaller
that is, in comparison with the in
huex of the baser element.
My judgment-and it is an unbi
ased one-is that, taken through ant
through, Washington is fast deterior
III