The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-02

/ -
The fires of soul went out with It;
They say what is left is me.
It's true. it lives. it moves, and it
r But Ut. what r jig j the part that is neds
What is the thing which Is dead?
The glass was dl aimed cen to the dregs,
r. me fi9,s empty 1a ,f flask is mine 49,
| The lips that have drained it were
Edna C. Irwin, in the Smart Set.
White House and Society.
| The latest news from Washington
| is welcome. Everybody, We read, not
only there, but also in the other great
american cities. is convinced that the
direction of the social life of the CAPT.
1 tai, and, in due course, the intellectual
life, not only of washington. but of
the nation, should emanate from the
w Mite House. How any one could
ever nave been SO unpatriotic as to
think otherwise must battle the sim
ple-m1nded reader of the authoritative
sunday supplement. Yet it seems in
contestable that, for "a considerable
period, the president has not enjoyed
that prestige in society which it is
10 the advantage of the country that
ne should possess; and that the first
iaoy OF the land has by no means held
the enviable position of dictatorship
which her fellow-countrymen have
Iondly imagined her as exercising
NOW, however, all is as it should be.
even society, we are told, is ready to
accept the White House as arbiter in
those delicate questions of prece-
dence among diplomats and poIiti-
clans that have prevented the CO.
hesion of Washington society, as we'll
as prolonged discussion of these mat
lers 10 the exclusion of more intelli-
gent conversation. The social mis-
SION of President and Mrs. Taft lis
encountering no serious resistance"
They ARE not carrying on any sort
OF warfare with those who have, I'M
| TIL now, regarded themselves as lead
ers. But they have quietly brought
the latter into a position of subsection
to their influence. and it has been
done so unobtrusively that there has
been no revolt"
1t was high time that something
was done to restore the social scep-
ter to its rightful holders. The early
residents of Washington, we are in
formed, while jealous of their newly
Won political independence, offered no
opposition to the social dictates of the
first president. AS that estimable
gentleman had died before the remov-
al of the capital from Philadelphia,
the forbearance of the first Washing
tonianS is evident. This may also be
the reason for the decline of authority
under his successors. That "a some
WudL CIdOtlC COuO1IlOn OF ana1rS en-
sued" is not, under the circum-
stances, surprising, however, painful
it is to the genuine democrat to learn
that mo one dreamed of asking for a
ruling from the White House upon
these issues of social procedure We
regard it, indeed, as peculiarly ag-
gravated form of treason for the gay
world of our secondary social centers,
New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Bal
timore-the reader is requested to ar
range these cities in his own preferred
OrdeF-to have given foreigners the
impression that, while the president
might be a great statesman, he and
his family were social nonentities.
The result was inevitable. Instead
of the social solidarity that is essential
polity like ours, there were only
cliques. '"There was the purely ad-
mfnistrative clique, and the diplomatic
clique, the clique of old residents the
new-rich CLIQUE, the political clique.
the judiciary clique, the army and navy
clique and many more. Fortunately,
the formation of a certain club saved
the day. Its membership. by a stroke
of genius. was so constituted as to in
clude the best men from almost every
clique, the qualifications being absurd
~, if not unjustif1ably few: good
breeding and good record. Danger
Gus as such an arrangement undoubt-
ed1y was, the club not only prospered,
DQI ndQ the remarkable erect OF
bringing even the ladies of different
cliques together-in a friendly way.
They began to wrest1e with the prob
lem of social control by attempting a
kind of board of management, for the
purpose, we are solemnly told of ode
vising" already established" rules of
determining issues that are constant
ly arising, and of passing upon the
candidacy of those aspiring for adj
| mission within the portals of Wash
to 49,
lose his remnant of faith in human
nature to read that even these efforts
were "only partially crowned with sue
cess. Some of the most aggressive
it appears managed to usurp a degree
of influence to which they were not en-
titled, one ambitious lady inaugural
ing social boycott against her official
superior, so that at last ev>l the easy
going predecessor of the present chief
executive was compelled to interfere
Since then the White House has had
more of the social prestige and au-
thority than it had enjoyed under the
posthumous influence of the first pres
ident The failure by President Roose-
welt, however, to eliminate from Wash
ington society a family that had been
boycotted in New York with the re-
sentiment of the very Washington So
ciety which has been SO slow to learn
the advantages of social authority,
prevented the movement from reach
ing LndI complete aDSOiut1Sm which is
in accord with the spirit of our in
stitutions. Foreign diplomats persist
ed in defying the president by receiv-
ing, visiting and entertaining persons
against whom he had pronounced
ban. The difficult situation which
this created for Presid ent Taft can
be imagined. That he has, in spite of
it. been able to go so far as he has
in re-establishing the social leader
ship of the White House. must weigh
heavily in any just estimate of his adj
ministration. Every good American
will wish success to the effort report
ed to be now making to render presi-
Dental invitations at once objects of
esteem and indications on whom one
may recognize without FORGETTING his
claim to espectability.-New York
Evening Post.
Madero's Property safe.