The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-10
White House Democracy

It has frequently been alleged, and
sometimes not without a seeming of
fact, that the United States is grad
ua11y drifting away from the stern
democracy and Spartan simplicity
which characterized the founders of
the republic The necessary restric-
tions which alone make social life for
a President possible, while leaving
him time to transact the affairs of
state incumbent upon him, are often
criticised as evidences Of snobbish-
ness and "uppishness."
It is interesting in this connection
to compare the quality of democracy
which now prevails in the White
House with that of the early days OF
the nation. Those. who have read
in the matter of "Jeffersonian sim
p1icity'' President Wilson is more
Jeffersonian than Jefferson himself.
Exalted as were Jefferson's political
ideals, he was not without fondness
for thigh Iife," and he was very far
from being the free-and-easy, hail
fel1ow-well-met sort of men that he
is sometimes pictured.
OF all the early chief executives,
Monroe was the most exclusive So
cial1y, and paid the most attention
to the rules of social etiquette. Will
son, Roosevelt, and Taft are the most
boisterous of democrats as compared
with that geld gentleman who inhab-
tied the presidential mansion in the
days when simplicity was supported
to be the chief characteristic of Amer
lean national life.
One of the most illuminating illus
trations of Monroe'S exclusiveness-
an unkind critic might call its Snob-
bishness - was the marriage of his
youngest daughter, Maria Hester Mon
Gouverneur, which took place in the
circular room of the White House
ninety-six years ago today, March 9,
1920. The wedding party was COM
posed exclusively of members of the
families of bride and bridegroom. This
was not from any desire for simp1i-
city but because Monroe was at odds
with the members of his cabinet and
the diplomats. Mrs. Hay, the Presi-
dents eldest daughter, refused to
have anything to do socially with the
wives of cabinet ministers or dipIo-
mats because they had not called on
her first Monroe supported his
daughter in this social feud, and thus
it came about that none of the Presi-
dents official family attended the
wedding.
The officiating clergyman at the
wedding, Rev. DR.. HawIey of st.
Johns church, was clad in knee
breeches, and wore silver buckles on
his low shoes, looking more the cav
aHer than the clergyman. It is said
mission to one of his own near rela-
tives because some of the smaller de-
tails of his dress were not in full ac-
cord with the prevailing fashion in
masculine attire for such occasions
Another noteworthy fact in connec-
ton with this White House wedding
was that the bride was only sixteen
years of age. At that period it was
not considered strange that miss of
sweet sixteen should assume the re-
sponsibilities of married life. In all
of the comments on the wedding in
contemporary newspapers there was
no note of surprise at the tender age
of the bride.
Samuel Gouverneur, the BRIDE
groom, lacked the frigidity and for
mality of his father-in-Ia.w. In fact
he developed into rather a sporty
gentleman, fond of horse racing, and
a. patron of the drama and the prize
ring. He owned a stable of racing
animals and was at one time part
owner of the old Bowery Theatre in
New York an amusement place that
once occupied high rank among met
ropolitan theatres.