The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-11-29
Sorting the Mighty
By Frederick J. Haskin

mentary matters, as are some of our
illustrious statesmen up on the hill-but
in social affairs. For the past Sc years
he has been social clerk of the White
House.
This is one of the most difficult posi-
tons connected with the government.
The social clerk must make the arrange
ments for all the White House enter
talnments, from formal state dinners to
informal afternoon teas. Menus must
be planned, decorations bought, musical
programs selected and the invitations
sent out-the last being a peculiarly
delicate proposition requiring the great
est tact and ingenuity.
The dispensing Of any large degree Of
hospitality in any city is usually diff
cult matter, owing to the small spites
and differences occurring among groups
of acquaintance and friends. In Wash
ington it is particularly difficult. Here,
not only personal differences must be
considered, but political differences and
the matter of rank play an important
part. The United States, for a republic,
is most conspicuouslY permeated with
the atmosphere Of the court. True, the
social clerk of the White House need
not bother with the ranking scale of
earls and dukes and barons, but he must
bother with the relative status of di-
plomats, senators and Supreme Court
justices. He must know in any com
panY of guests who shall be the first to
follow the President in to dinner, who
| shall come second and third and four h,
together with the ladies they must
escort.
lnasmuch as the fathers of the Consti-
tuition made the social mistake of Great
ing the three branches of the govern
ment equal, the task of ranking them
had to be worked out by other genera
tiors. Ranking the President. of
course, was easy. He was the head of
the nation and must. therefore, come
first in everything. The President is
always the first one to enter the din
i0g-room and the first one to leave it.
He is also the first to be served But
the most difficult question, and one
which has never been satisfactorily
settled, is who shall come second.
The Cabinet, the senate and the ST.
preme Court must all be disposed Of.
Under the present system Of rules and
precedents, the foreign diplomats are
given the first rank after the vice presi-
dent, since they are the guests of the
nation. A foreign ambassador is the
first to follow the President in to dinner,
escorting the Presidents wife on his
arm. After the diplomatic corps comes
the Supreme Court, then the Cabinet
and then the Senate.
There is still great deal of dispute
concerning the last classification. Some
contend that the Senate should precede
the Cabinet, because all Cabinet Of
ficers owe their confirmation in Office to
the Senate, but others are of the
opinion that the Cabinet should come
first. since it Is more affiliated with the
chief executive. The reasons advanced
for placing the Supreme Court before
either the Cabinet or the Senate are
that it wears an especially dignlfed
cloth and holds office for life.
The question of precedence between
the Army and Navy has led to so much
bitter argument that two officers of
high rank from each branch of the
service are rarely invited on the same
occasion. Since this nation has never
been miltaristic nation IN the past
the ranking of the Army and Navy has
always been lower than in most
countries. Eyen the Admiral of the
Navy is usually considered less impor-
tant than a senator, although he has a
substantial claim for precedence under
the Navy regulations. These provide
for q salute for II guns for the Admiral
of the Navy, which is the same number
prescribed for the Secretary, Hence,
Admiral Dewey always held the opinion
that his social rank was the same as
that of the Secretary of the Navy. and
the only way Washington. hostesses
could ever settle the dispute was never
to invite the two officials to the same
party.
Indeed, this complicated matter of
precedent has led the White House to
adopt practically the same policy. Sep
arate dinners and receptions are given
to each branch of the government. thus
avoiding any hurt feelings. At the be-
mining of the season the Presidents
secretary announces the dates of these
affairs.
First of all is the Presidents New
Years reception, which marks the be-
ginning of the social season in Wash
ington. Usually it begins about II
o clock, when the President receives
the vice president, the members of the
Cabinet and the Diplomat Corps. A
| EttIa latar the Sunreme Court of the