The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-15
STATE DINNER FOR
SPEAKER OF HOUSE
Was Served at White House
Tuesday Night-Origin
of the Function.


Washington, Feb. 15.-Tuesday
President Taft gave dinner in hon.
or o. Joseph G. Cannon. OF Illinois.
speaker of the house OF representa-
tiycs. the second highest public Off
cial In the country. The Speakers
dinner" as 1t Is termed. Is only OF
recent origin and was initiated by for
mer President Roosevelt. The his
tory OF II is interesting. and disclosed
the strong influence social functions
at the national capitol exercise on OF.
fetal life. While Washington ETH
quette differs from European court
customs yet there are many rules that
govern official social functions OF the
government and these are as strong
as any social customs across the At.
lantic.
The speaker of the House of repre-.
sentatives has always been an hon
orcd guest at state dinners given a.
the White House during the social
season, but II was not until 1905 that
a special dinner was given In his non.
or. II came about in the following
way.
Theodore Roosevelt. while Presi.
dent, sent list OF the White House
Speaker so that he might arrange
his affairs according to the social pro.
gram. Miss Cannon. the Speakers
daughter. who has charge OF her faith
er's social functions. in looking over
the dates assigned for the dinners
made a note of the cabinet dinner
date and then decided on a date for
a dinner the Speaker was to give
that would not conflict with 1t. In
vitations for the speakers dinner
were issued. and preparations were
begun. Some days after receiving
the list Of White House state dinners
the invitation to the cabinet dinner
vas received by Miss Cannon and she
discovered that a change had been
made. and that the date was the same
fixed for the dinner to be given by the
speaker. Miss Cannon wanted to
withdraw her invitations. but the
speaker said he would first call on
the President and state the facts. lie
did SO, with the result that President
Theodore Roosevelt suggested that
Mr.. Cannon should give his dinner.
and that at the next state dinner the
speaker would be the guest Of honor.
A Question Of Rank Met.
II SO happened that the next dinner
was to the Judiciary and the attorney
general. Mr.. Moody, attorney general
ut that time. had been asked to sit
ut the Presidents right hand. The
chief Justice was To occupy the seat
ON the Presidents left The speaker.
having received an invitation to the
dinner, called on the President and
discussed tho situation in friendly
epirit He pointed out that the posi-.
tion held by him would not permit
him to sit mt the table other than next
the President. And while Speaker
Cannon Is as democratic as can be he
Is like one of his predecessors Speak.
or Macon, u stickier for the dignity
and rank OF the high office he holds.
President Roosevelt appreciated the
situation. and said that Speaker Can.
non should be the honor guest at the
next state dinner. which happened to
he the dinner to the Diplomatic corps.
Once more the rule governing the
seating Of guests operated to keep the
speaker away. This time Secretary
Of State Hay was the one to sit on the
right. and the Dean of the Diplomatic
corps had the seat of honor on the
left.
Speaker Cannon let the President
understand that he would enjoy a
seat at the end Of the table with Miss
Alice Roosevelt II he could for the
time forget his office. but this was
out OF the question. The high dig.
nifty Of the office OF speaker must be
maintained he said. The outcome
was the White House dinner to the
speaker. and this new function. which
has grown to be one Of the most en-
joyable OF the Washington social seas
ON. has continued every since. The
speakers dinner Is generally the last
one Of the season.