The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-02-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.


nym for official society and is general,
thought to include the families of Sen
ators, representatives and members of tn,
Diplomatic corps literally sprinkled will
Pittsburg, New York and Western mil
liouaires AS matter of fact this def
milton is altogether wrong and society
here has as many grades, distinctions ane
exclusions in the official set as othel
cities make between trades people, ''old
families" brewers and the like. Fol
example the Senate affords candidate.
for all the social sets in the city. There
are rich Senators like Keane of New
Jersey, Elkins of West Virginia, Dryden,
Crane who have no social relations with
the obscure members OF the Senate from
the western or southern states. They live
in palatial houses. maintain huge estab.
lishments and feel privileged to ignore
the Senatorial families living in hotels
aud boarding housrs, just as the families
living in hotels look coldly on the less
fortunate ones who just for the sake OF
economy live in boarding houses, or
small houses on obscure streets. All, oil
course, are admitted to the White House
and invited to the receptions and musicals
there, but there is no social equality
among them, and the small senator who
goes home and regulates society in his
own town has probably never been adj
mitted to the house of the Select" in
Washington. Representatives are sup
posed to be grade below the Senatorial
circle and there. is the incest obligation
of precedence to be observed when the
wife of member accompanies the wife
of Senator to White House function.
There are, to be sure, certain families of
members Of the lower house admitted to
the sacred precincts of the Senatorial set,
notably Mrs. Longworth, who is endeav-
oring with no great success. to play the
democratic part of a mere Members wife.
Every Tuesday she receives all those who
call upon her, all of the other members
wives being accorded this privilege, but
her cordially is finely adjusted to the
social position of the callers. Two mem.
bers wives have been telling me of their
reception there. Their names were an
nounced and when Mrs. Longworth had
finished an animated conversation with
some girls of her own set she languidly
recognized them. They are both clever,
well dressed women but they have not
penetrated" and Mrs. Lungworth knew
it. She shook hands with them the
expression of her face saying plainly.
What are you doing here, and what.
what have ever done to be obliged to-
endure this T" As they seemed inclined
to finger she abruptly broke forth with.
do you want some tea 2" BY this she
perhaps thought to acquit herself but still
they fingered for the amusement of
watching her dilemma, They say her
embarrassment was touching. She drew
off her long gloves and twisted them
about her bare arms, then she unfolded
them and smoothed them out. Then she
wrung them up again and blew into them
and otherwise demonstrated not only by
manners but by expression her impa.
thence with the democratic role she was
obliged to play. There are others too in
the Congressional set whose admission to
more exclusive circles makes them rudelv
intolerant of the mob of the "unrecog-
nized." Then there are the climbers"
the bold pushing ones who go, every
where that the doors are open, partaking
of the refreshments and forcing CONVEX
sation with the lions and lionesses, and
the timid ones who creep in and fee past
the footmen as though in fear of being
thrown out in the street. To be sure
Washington society is a rather chaotic
The entree and the exit
are wide. The leaders of one season are
forgotten by the next, persistent families
OF tradesmen and grandfatherless ones
sometimes achieve distinction in a smart
set, while others equipped with money.
education, refinement and environment
linger outside the portals. To the latter,
however, there is always the "uplift set
AS a convent is often the retreat of the
SO charity affords charm.
ed circle to those who cannot achieve
" society,"" Washington is full of high
browed reformers, who failing to lead in
a social way can always join clubs for the
purpose of reforming the laws of the
country, of badgering Congressman for
bills on anti race suicide, sanitary regula-
lions, cooperative institutions and the
like 1t doesn't take money to belong to
these and it does enable oue to promote
THE gsb Of ths SosidI sSG lot I'll i