The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-10-22
POINTS OF VIEW.

II you are posted on etiquette,
please tell us how comes it that Pres
ldent Wilson announces that he s
going to marry Mrs. Gait? Why did
not Mrs. Gait announce that she is
going to marry President Wilson,
This pertinent question comes from
our good neigh Dor, the editor of the
Alpharetta Free Press, and he would
never have asked it if he had stop
ped to consider that points of pro-
priety depend upon circumstances.
The news as given to correspon-
dents by Secretary Tumulty mention
ed the lady first and was simply:
The announcement was made to-
day of the engagement of Mrs. Nor
man Gait, of this city and President
Woodrow Wilson"
Now, President Wilson, of course.
proposed marriage to Mrs. Gait but
he must have known that she was
going to accept him. Being presi-
dent, and therefore the most exaIt-
ed parsonage in the try, it was
proper as a matter of delicacy and
consideration for the widows modes
ty, that he announce the engage
ment.
Grover Cleveland and Miss Fran
ces Folsom were married in the
White House but not as the Danish
princess, Alexandra, was united to
the Prince of Wales in Westminster
Abbey, To be sure kings are always
married in their own countries. The
granddaughter of Queen Victoria
went to Spain to be espoused by AL
fonso.
Mr.. Cleveland was Miss Folsom s
guardian, although their romance
was not of the Augusta Evans VIII
son variety, and the White House
was in way her home. Only one
editor in Georgia criticised Grover
cleveland for allowing his young
pride to come to his home direct
from tour of Europe with her moth
er for her wedding and he had the
bridal present he sent returned to
MIN without a card of thanks. Fran
ces Folsom must have been the one
responsible for having the ceremony
take place in the historic blue room
and no woman can blame her.
1t would be undemocratic. but NOT
improper, for President Wilson, who
as ruler of this great nation ranks
with kings, to repeat his betrothal
and marriage vows in the country's
capitol as we have no church estab-
lished by state.
King Cophetua may step down in
robe and crown to woo ''the beggar
maid who is more beautiful than
day and a dear old English lady
who wrote countless novels com,
70 OL lllol
"A beggar maid may have queen.
ly nature and wear her royal robe.
with ease and grace, but if she ha.
the soul of mendlcant no seat upor
a throne nor cloth of gold can max,
her royal"
court etiquette required the CIR
queen, Victoria, to propose formal,
to the prince she married. He wa
her cousin but on account of her SUI
perior rank as queen of a great ma
ton, he could not ask the importan
question.
1t cannot be disputed that Veto
ria loved Albert devotedly and insist
ed he should sit in a chair besid
hers on the dais in the throne rooI
but court gossip relates that this Iii
tie monarch of Great Britain had
Womanly temper and once when tn
prince consort hesitated to do some
thing she requested she repeated tn
wish by saying: THE queen con
mands it..
Then Albert fled to his own ROOF
and shut himself in, Victoria's cor
science smote her and she tapped o
his door to be admitted. The prime
consort asked: Does the Quee
command it?' and the loving littI
woman replied: 'No your wife beg
it."
Thrones and scepters and oaths {
office may make queens and kline
but only omnipotence can chang
women and men.
President Wilson is no better tina
Napoleon Bonaparte and Geore
Washington, who married widows. {
wiser than Shakespeare who wa