Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

CABINET makers were bustly engaged in
the great Quadrennial game OF guessing at
the council Of the new Pfesf-
dent fifty years ago. and
MAKING. they were making q very
good job of It at that. In
The Star Of February 10. 1857, Is re-
printed paragraph from the Union. giving
the following slate as the latest estimate Of
the wiseacres: Lewis Cass. Secretary Of
State; Howell Cobb, Secretary of the Treas
ury; John B. Floyd. Secretary Of War; A.
v. Brown, Secretary of the Navy; Jacob
Thompson, Secretary of the Interior; j.
CLANCY Jones, Postmaster General Isaac
Toucey, Attorney General The Star said:
Eve have to say that from all the signs
in the political horizon we draw the con-
clusion that the gentlemen named above
are to form Mr.. Buchanan's administration.
Foremost among these signs we place the
hearty acauiescence and approval mani
tested by the democrats of Congress, from
all sections of the Union, with reference to
this list. True, here and there there may
be senator or member, the partisan of
some distinguished gentleman not named on
1t, who regrets that his friend may not be
included. But whole we are very sure
that 1T meets the views of nearly every
democratic member of both houses Thus,
it is already rendered~certain that the new
administration is to start out with the con-
fidence and warmest sympathy, of every
democratic senator and representative; a
point never achieved befOre-One of ines
Unable Importance, as will be apparent in
six months. In the course of our long ex-
perience in such matters we never before
witnessed SO universal approval of the Sc
lection of a cabinet by an incoming eXecu-
tive as lis just now being manifested by all
those to whose sympathy and support Mr..
Buchanan must look for the triumph Of the
policy of his administration"
With one exception the list given con-
tained the name of every member Of Mr..
Buchanan,s cabinet. .Cass, Cobb and Floyd
were IN fact named for the State, Treasury
and War departments respectively. Brown,
foucey and Thompson were also Included
but were respectively given the postal
naval and interior portfolios Jeremiah s.
Black of Pennsylvania was named Attorney
General. and ]: CLANCY Jones was not in
cluded in the list.
Social and official Washington was agOg
over the arrangements for the inaugural
ball, which was to be on a
ians iof scale never before attempted.
the Bali. In The Star of February 10.
1857. is an extract from "a
Philadelphia paper. indicating that the in
terest in the occasion was not confined to
the capital:
kindly consented to furnish for the occa-
sion ten of their magnificent chandeliers
valued at 5000. These chandeliers are of
the most beautiful description. and when
lighted up will add greatly to the grandeur
of the scene. Other arrangements are being
made to decorate the room in the most
splendid style.
1--WE have just seen one of the ladies'
tickets of invitation, which was engraved
by Tappan, Carpenter & Co. of this city.
This ticket is most beautiful specimen of
engraving; in fact. it is the handsomest
thing of the kind we ever saw. 1t is quite
large, and gotten up at considerable ex-
pense. The designs represent two columns
of stone. with a most beautifully designed
arch: on each block of stone is engraved
the names of the different states of the
Union. At the base of the columns are the
notices. Constitution of the United
States and The Union Must Be Preserved.
The columns and arch inclose a most per-
feet likeness of the President-elect and the
names of the managers of the ball. 1t is
admirably adapted for framing.
Sunset Cox was then on the eve of en-
tering the House of Representatives from
Ohio, having been elected to
Aeceufe ny the Thirty-fifth Congress. He
s. s. Cox. already enjoyed a reputation
as a humorist. and was EVIL
IDENTIFY not averse to a public conception of
him in that role. for he delivered lecture
in this city at the Smithsonian Institution
the Y. M. c. A.. on the subject of 'Ameri-
can Humor" supplying examples of his own
contributions to that fund Of fun. The Star
of the next day characterized it as ''racy
and graphic lecture, adding:
"A bright-eyed lady remarked in our
hearing that Mr.. Cox seemed to have
great deal of Jingle in him. We think SO
too, and guess moreover that whoever
sweeps the lecture room today will find
few vest buttons scattered about. In fact,
the lecturer made his audience laugh con-
sumedly,' as he depicted with telling hits
and anecdotal illustrations the audacious.
irreverent and extravagant humor peculiar
to this country. The argument that Amer
leans must fail in humor from being a COM
posite people made up from all nations
was combated and the opinion expressed
that a blending of SO many phases would
result IN q multiform humor of the richest
nature. Freedom and plenty induce hilarity.
and though we are terribly In earnest In
our pursuits yet We laugh while we work
and enjoy q joke as well as most folks.
Mr.. Cox gave, with point, variety of
anecdotes illustrative of the audacity and
irreverence of Young America. The lee
turer gave his illustrations of this repre-
hensible trait with reprOOf on his lip but
smile in his eye and seemed to think we
could not help but laugh while We blame.
Mr.. Cox in concluding. said that our humor
lacks refinement: some such machine as
that at the patent office, which cleans wheat
of smut, was needed to provide us with
better brand"
Washington was rapidly filling up. not
only with visitors to attend the inaugural
:, ceremonies, but with mendi-
ffo1essiohai cants intent upon fleeing the
Beggars. weil-to-do of their surplus
wealth. In The Star of Feb
ruary u, 1857. is the following paragraph:
eat this time there are numerous pro-
fessional beggars in Washington who make
their living by exciting sympathy and i'm
posing on the charitable. Some >of them
have been in Washington on every import
ant occasion during five years past. Very
few of them live in the District of Columbia
and their accounts of accidents by which
they have been Impoverished are only
to serve their purposes. 1t is
suggested that the police, by strictly en-
forcing the vagrancy act, will rid the city
of some real nusances."