St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-08-31
STRICT SOCIAL LAW
ETIQUETTE THAT RULES WASH.
INGToN SOCIETY.
Established Precedent Adhered to at
All Times-Why President Does
Not Dine at Foreign
Embassies.

! one OF the pCcultarities of life iT
Washington is TIE existence of oficia
rules which arrange everybody's place
In spite Of an air of great simplicity
says the Rosary Magazine, the most
complicated arrangements go smooth
ly because every possible contingent
cy has been provided for.
This is in no place more evident
than at the White House. There is nc
appearance of ceremonial, and yet ev.
erybody's place is so fixed that nobody
can possibly be embarrassed.
At the state receptions the order OF
precedence is regulated by the law
OF presidential succession passed I'm,
der Mr.. Cleveland's administration.
The president, Of course, is first. After
him comes the vice president After
this the chief justice ranks all officials
OF the United States.
The vice president being "heir ap-
parent" he precedes at social official
| functions the ambassadors and minis
tiers. On New Years day the diploma
tic corps is always received first by
the president.
There is an opinion af1oat that the
chief justice should rank even an am
bassador, but this does not seem to
be gaining ground, though at times
there are hot controversies over it.
The chief justice and the judiciary
rank cabinet officials; but they are not
expected to stand in line at state re-
ceptions at the White House. This is
the prerogative of the cabinet.
The newspapers sometimes give the
impression that all these questions of
precedence are the affair of the ladies.
as all matters of etiquette are in
American cities generally. This is
erroneous. A chief justice himself. a
general Of the army an admiral of the
navy would make it a matter for seri-
GUS consideration were his place taken
by another.
The governor of state, by the way,
comes after general in the army
or an admiral in the navy.
The diplomatists represent their ma
tons, and by courtesy they precede in
all countries. The precedence of an
ambassador or minister is not a per-
sonal matter; he considers the digni-
ty of his sovereign or his country. So
careful are the diplomatists-th
heads Of embassies or egations-that
they may without offense inquire of a
hostess when they accept an invitation
where they are to be placed. If there
is to be guest of honor from the
country Of the ambassador or minister.
he must not have the place of honor
the right hand of the hostess-unless
he Is of the royal family.
When Prince Henry visited Wash
ington he took precedence of Baron
Speck Won Sternburg; but no matter
how important any visitor from Ger
many not of royal blood might be the
ambassador could not meet him aG din
ner and take an inferior place. The
British ambassador would rank the
duke of Norfolk in Washington,
though in his own country he is COM
moner, but not royal duke.
The wives of the ambassadors and
ministers take the rank of their hus-
bands. And naturally if a woman
widow, for tHstance-should give a
dinner, the ambassadors wife should
be taken in to dinner by the most i'm
portant man in rank The host takes
in the wife of the ambassador and
the hostess the ambassador.
AT dinners given by dipIomatists
there is no record that the vice-presi-
dent and the secretary of state have
been invited at the same time. The
reason is that the secretary of state
is constantly in close relations with
the diplomatic corps, and sentiment
of delieacy forbids the invitation of
the secretary to a dinner where he
would be ranked by the vice president
with whom the diplomatists have
scant relations.
The president does not accept in
vitations to dinners or receptions in
the houses of the foreign diplomats,
IL 1O o+IOu4u w 81 ne WOUlu-lQ the
ory, though many of the diplomats
houses are in reality owned by Ameri-
cans-set foot on alien territory.
The rule which permits no guest to
move until the guest Of honor rises is
rigidly enforced in Washington. IF
there is any rule more rigid it is that
which obliges everybody to rise when
the president enters and to remain
standing while he stands.
In Washington one finds. as a rule
very good manners It is probably
true that the boys have better man.
ners than the girls-as they seem to
have almost everywhere. The value
Of team work in athletics is helpinc
the boy to know his place; but the
average young. girl has. learned to be-
lieve that her place is on top; where
she sits there is the head of the table