The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-23
THE SOCIAL CODE
Official Precedence.

The subject of social and official pre-
cedence. which was discussed in this col
umn last Sunday, is both tragic and
comic. sometimes assuming the one mask,
sometimes the other. 1t is tragic, Ger
tainly. because of the bitterness it pro-
vokes. the envy it excltes. the feud it
gives rise to; comic because Of the seri-
Gus manner with which it is debated by
those holding the highest rank and posi-
ton. who. while disclaimiag any interest
in the question, disdaining it even as Of
too small Importance to be considered.
grow as excited and heated over its in
tricacies as a parcel Of small be IS over
"A game Of alleys. that arch inspirer Of
rancor in the boyish breast. II is tragic
again when it causes the disruption Of
cabinets-as il has done on occasions
and keeps Congress in a bubble; finally
il is at all times the Frankenstein Of So
cial and Official hosts and hostesses. that
viii not die, that viii not be ignored. that
is always present 20 be reckoned with
and 10 repudiate II does not lessen its
importance. A small question? That de-
J
son dealing with il. but. small or big. it
is one Of the most annoying, trouble
some. irritating questions known TO Of
fetal life and society. and any one in
these circles who treats it with indiffer-
! c1ce and carelessness IS sure TO come TO
grief at some period % his career; those,
on the contrary, who recognize its weight
and Importance, VIII inevitably attain the
social standing they covet and a certain
/ popularity.
The following story Of one Of Eng
/ lands great premiers points a moral:
/ When DisraeI was Queen NictOria's chief
adviser. but had not yet been made Lord
/ Be0cOnsfeld, he found himself at a pub
/ lie function placed below a long line Of
/ peers and peeTesses with a commoner
Of his own rank as a companion To this
person he said. waving his hand toward
the high and mighties above him: To
console you, my friend. 1 may say I can
make a dozen Of them a day" which
[ was. perhaps. q SOlace 10 his companion.
| but was certainly a generous sop Of con-
ISOLATION for himself.
How delicate is the matter of arrang-
/ ing guests in proper-order even IN a pri-
/ vate house, can best be Illustrated by the
reply Of an arbiter eleEantium Of the
/ Department Of State. who some years ago
was called in by "A Cabinet minister to aid
| in fixing the seating plan for "a very large
/ and elaborate dinner soon 10 be given by
an old friend and protegs Of the Secre-
/ tary and a newcomer in town. The
! hostess. il seems, had sent out her in
/ vitations without a thought as 10 the
/ official and social positions OF her guests
or their attitude 10 each other. but had
I c4r
/ had met since she took up fer residence
AZ the Capital, and had mixed ambassa-
/ doris. debutantes. gray-headed admirals
/ and generals beadless subalterns. caIlow
/ attaches, cave jewellers, and newcomers
+ in q perpleXing confusion. IN fact, her
list was such 6 terrible uuzZlc that ever
/ the oracle of Delphi could not have solved
+ f. The authority Of the Department Of
/ state did not attempt 20 do so, merely
/ saying:
Wei. Mr.. Secretary. if I were the lady
! giving this dinner I would throw my ac-
! ceptances in the waste basket, become
suddenly and desperately i'll, and def
nitely postpone my dinner" Which the
lady. showing unusual tact for an am
/ bilious new arrival. did.
The late Lord Pauncefote. the first Brit
/ ish envoy 10 hold the rank Of Ambassa'
4 dor at the Capital, and for many year:
the dean of the diplomatic corps. was
as his training and position made natural
a great stickler for etiquette A Ions
/ service as under secretary in the foreign
( Office had made him master Of all ths
4 complications and TamificatiOnS of thi:
/ intricate subject. He knew 10 a nicely
/ what was due TO his position and what
was due 10 those he represented as theil
/ dean and nothing ever awaited TO make
I him abate one jot or title of his claims
which We're usually well founded. Only
/ once was ne proved clearly in the wrOng
| and forced to retire from a stand he had
I taken and zealOusly maintained. This
was when he insisted that as an Ambas
1 sadOr and the representative of the per
/ son of his sovereign, he was entitled &C
| rank next the President. a pTetensiOn ht
/ supported with great positiveness. refus-
/ ing all overtures for a settlement of tbs
matter. He declined 10 call on the Vice
/ President. nor would he attend any func-
| ton at which that dIgnitary would bs
/ present and rank above him. The Vice
/ President was equally implacable, and as
/ equally insistent upon his rights. This
/ condition of affairs. the perennial queS-
ton, which every hostess who wished tC
| entertain these high officials, or those in
| charge Of official functions at which they
were expected, were compelled to solve
! became so annoying and was so generally
/ commented upon that President Mckin-
/ ley finally asked Mr.. ChOate. at that time
/ American Ambassador at the Court OF
/ St James. to obtain an unofficial opinion
( from the foreign office regarding this mo-
/ mentOUs question.
/ This action resulted in Lord Pauncefote
promptly calling upon Vice President HO-
/ bart. An entente cordiale was thus estab-
/ lished and the relative rank of two high
! offices, that Of the Vice President and the
/ dean of the Diplomatic Corps. was per-
| stiOn was, as n matter of fact and OF
reason. perfectly untenable. for. as the
/ Department Of State insisted, and as the
/ British foreign office conceded, for pur-
! poses of precedence and etiquette the
| offices of the President and Vice Presi-
dent cannot be separated. because Of their
1 intimate and interdepeadent constitutional
/ relation, and because the Vice President
is to all intents and purposes. the heir to
| the Presidency Of the United States. and
is no more to be separated from the
| President, where questions Of precedent
are concerned. than the Prince of Wales
can be disassOciated from his royal
mother, the Queen of the British King
/ DOM"
All the amusing stories incident upon
/ this CONTROVERSY will never be told, though
they would make a volume of entertain
ing reading lot only for this but for fu-