Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-01-15

dcdllOQ dDOut The CONSIDERATION Oh the
Texas Coal and Iron company by the
Steel Trust as ian arbitrary and law
less act" and fired another gun in the
exciting battle that is being waged
against the President in Congress. The
speeches in the lower House Friday
were of similar character and it is
rare that the history of the country has
shown a parallel of such intense feeling
IN the legislative body against the chief
executive. Meanwhile the President
goes TRANQUILITY about his business of
politics and pleasure. He appears at
all of the White House receptions and
is as gallant and responsive to the
guests of his wife and debutante daugh-
ter as though he had no care of state.
He takes his daily horseback ride in all
weathers, presides at daily luncheons
and dinners with many guests and
otherwise conducts his affairs with the
calmness of a man with nothing to
fear.
The social season inaugurated with
the new year promises to be gay one
even though it differs but little from
those that have preceded it during the
Roosevelt administration. Afew
changes in the diplomatic set, two new
Cabinet heads and fresh set OF debu-
tantes constitute about the only
changes, but the same mad rush of
balls, receptions and dinners calls out
the same excitement and enthusiasm
as though it were the first season of its
kind that had ever been known at the
Capital. 1t is perhaps not for placid
people who do their days work and
look forward to quiet smoke after
dinner and good nights sleep as the
sum Of human contentment to criticize
these devOtees of the fashionable life
but notwithstanding their obscurity
and negligibility there are great many
reputable people in Washington, who
wonder what there is in all this frenzy
of fashion to keep people in it year af-
ter year as long as they are able to tot
ter from one reception to another.
There are women still frantically alb
sorbed in getting into the receiving line
at the White House who were bellies
before the war and old beaus who were
bachelors at Lincoln's receptions are
still keenly looking out for invitations
| for dinners and dances. The list of
guests at every White House social af-
fair includes the names of those who
were fighting for social prominence
thirty, even forty years ago and great
grandmOthers are exposing fat and
! fiabby chests to winter winds on their
ways to debutante dances. The appeal
of 'Iociety'' seems once heard, never to
lose its irresistible quality and hearts
that have bled and withered in the
tragedy of life still throb over good
hand at Bridge. Perhaps the social
game is nowhere in this country play
ed with vehcmence as in Washington.
The question Of social precedence de-
ponds here less on money than in the
other large cities and the changes in
diplomatic offices and in Congress and
official life generally gives it transit
tory and experimental quality that it
does not have where people succeed to
their social place by inheritance. A
"leader" here one season may be last
in the line at st. Petersburg the next
and the pushing wife who assemblies
diplomats and statesmen at her dinner
this winter may resign herself next sea-
son to leading the sewing bee in heI
husbands village home.