The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-02-03
PRECEDENCE QUESTION
ALL IMPORTANT ONE
Unless You Have Dress Suit
You're Barred From Grid
irOn Club Dinner


/ Washinlyton. Feb 3.-Capital socie-
~ is nowin fun swing with dinners,
dances, receptions. luncheons. teas
and theater parties galore every day
and every night There are two kinds
OF society here-real society and OIL
clal society II you are member OF
the first il means you are in society
whether you have an official position
or not unless sou happen to be
member OF Che Presidents family. or
are on the Supreme Bench of the emit
eJ States. or member OF the Cabinet.
or are q member Of the diplomatic
icorps If you are any OF these you
are member Of real ssciety here and
1 for that matter a member of real so.
ciety anywhere
If You are a member of Official so-
ciety only. it means that your position
and not yourself is a member OF so
cicty IN Washington. This does not
entitle you to expect any social con
sideration in any other city II you
are not in real society. but are
Senator YOU viii nevertheless be Civ
account OF the nositicn You fill You
will hardly know the difference in
Washington But If you go to other
large cities you win have il made
plain to you and your eyes viii be
widely opened.
Members OF the Supreme Court are
always looked upon here and every
where else as members Of society. SO
are members OF the cabinet and oi
course. members of the diplomatic cir
cles. 1t Is generally assumed that If
you are good enough to have been Civ
en- a diplomatic appointment you pos
sess good claims to social recognition.
Society doesn't go behind the diplo-
matte returns
A Pitfall for the Unwary.
These are the features that make
society in Washington such a pitfall
for the unwary Its complex forma-
ton renders necessary complex eti-
quette Many of the social entertain
ments are cosmopolitan in the ex-
treme and It is no unusual sight to-
see men and women guests whom you
would never have thought to find in
drawing-rooms rubbing elbows with
the great and the near great
Some members of Congress and
their families from rural districts
whose chief social diversions in the
past were social bees and husking
parties, are apt to be at loss for
small talk at large social affairs
and formal sta3e dinners where they
meet distinguished Americans and for
eigners. They are there only because
of their official position.
How She Cut the Knot
AT one large state dinner given
year ago the hostess was in doubt as
to the order in which her guests
should 80 oEt 10 dinner, and, as mem-
bers of the diplomatic corps. justices
OF the Supreme Court and Senators
We're present very pretty wrangle
followed. Suddenly the pretty wife OF
naval officer turned to the Chief
Justice and said:
let us go out together and leave
them to settle the fine points OF this
question"
And smlllingly she took his arm and
walked on leaving her hostess aud
the other guests stupehed with amaze
ment at her lawless cutting Of the gor
dian knot
Some years before this country be
came a world powef the diplomats re
siding in Washington at that time com
planned bitterly of the rudcness they
said they met with at receptions and
other entertainments,
What kind ol a cOantry IS Amed-
cay asked a young diplomat who had
just arrived in Washington OF one of
the foreign ministers who had often
criticized the lack of manners IN Wash
ington society.
NJ is a country where ever yone
who chooses can tread upon your
toes; but tnen they give YOU the
same privilege, only you are too well
bred TO avail yourself OF IT, was the
answer
Precedence All Important
The question of precedence Is ain an
Important one An error MAJ offend
not only the representative OF q for
eign government but that whole gov
ernplent and nation, and embrOi us
VI diplomatic war If nothing worse.
AT first sight il seems absurd to
think OF a great literary genius like
Ambassador Bryce, Of Great Britain,
struggling for precedence over such
typical American product as the
Speaker Of the House and yet such
things have been for generations, they
are now and they viii be for years 20
come
The etiquette OF Official rank In
Washington IS thing which cannot
be neglected Sturdy Democrats from
the hackwoods and the uncompromis-
ing socialists from the city slums
come 10 Washington 70 reflie, but
they invariably end up hy recoeni1ine
the fact that 20 lcas as We have an
official class W. must Eroun them af.
fuQfIInn In IIn Offices IIa4 oal.lilIY an1