Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-02
SOCIAL PRECEDENCE
BATTLE IS NOT NEW
Washington, Adams and
Hamilton Drew Up First
Code for Society.

Questions Of social precedence, not
unlike that involved in the recent con-
troversy over the seating of Vice Presi-
dent Curtis sister, have agitated official
Washington from time to time since
the early days of the Republic.
The problem first popped up during
President Washington's regime, when
Washington, John Adams and Alex
ander Hamilton were called upon to
pomulgate a set of social rules, ac-
cording to an article on Social Ell
quette," written in 1870, by Mrs. Emily
Edison Briggs, a newspaper woman,
grandmother of Edison w. Briggs OF this
city.
The article made public by Mr.
Briggs, discloses also that during Presi-
dent Grants administration "a severe
war" was waged between Senators and
Supreme Court judges over their re-
Spective social ratings.
Senators and Judges at War.
cat present" she wrote, "a severe
war is raging between the Senators and
Supreme judges We beg pardon of
these sensible men; We mean their
families have armed themselves cap-a-
pie, and a great smoke is ascending
from the battlefield.
THE wives of the Senators claim that
the Senate created the Supreme judges,
and, to use the words of one of the
brightest leading Senators, Should the
creature outrank the creator?' The
Supreme Judge is made by the Senate,
and if he is guilty of misdemeanor he
is tried by the Senate, and If found
guilty deposed from his high office
by the same. But once let a man
get to be Supreme judge and he stands
as firm on the pinnacle. to which he has
been raised as the rock of ages on the
bed of eternity.
Then it is claimed that all those
who stand in the direct line of sue
ceSSion to the President outrank all
Others Our wise forefathers meant
that our Government should never fall
to pieces for the want Of head. So,
if our military chieftain should go off
like one of his cannonS We should still
have our precious Schuyler. If Vice
President Colfax should be Snatched
away from the evil to come, we should
have to comfort ourselves with Speaker
Blaine. Alas, alas! If he should fall
like the smart rap of his own gavel,
Chief Justice Chase would be left on
our hands, and death could get no
farther"
FavOritism Causes Tilt.
Mrs Briggs also tells of a tilt between
the Supreme Court judges and men,
berS of the Cabinet, precipitated by
favoritism shown the Cabinet members
by President Grant
"The code says" she relates, that
the Cabinet shall make first calls on
the Vice President, Supreme judges,
Senators and the Speaker of the House,
but Gen. Grant has taken these favored
darlingS to his bosom and allows them
to do just as they please. He said:
The Cabinet is part of my family; I
want them looked upon as SUCH So,
when the Supreme judges, with Chief
Justice Chase at the head, went to pay
their respects to the President on last
New Year day, they found the Presi-
dent surrounded by his Cabinet, and
these naughty men were obliged to bow
the knee.
Now, there is nothing in nature so
free from the elastic qualities as the
spine of a judge Of the Supreme Court
AS soon as time would allow Chief
Justice Chase addressed letter to the
Chief Magistrate, protesting against
such unheard of and altogether unusual
proceedings; but Ulysses smoked his
cigar whilst he dictated one of those
mastery papers of diplomacy, and the
military secretary saw that it was
safely delivered, and nothing more has