Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-19

= of 1881 newspapers of this country
I' were ringing with cries of "Ameri-
can Ponipadour," 'Democracy's Du-
Barry" and Unofficial First Lady"
against woman who had caused the diSSolu-
ton Of the Presidents cabinet.
Up to q cresendo rose the cries OF public
denunciation such as has been the fate Of no
other member of the feminine sex in America,
when 1t became apparent that she had also
caused the choice of the next President
Who was this woman, and why do Americans
know so little about her? Why has she been
deliberately deleted from patriotic text books?
And why have sobeIly masculine historians
labeled her social tempest in . teapot"
instead Of categorizing her correctly IS the
political stormy petrel Of the Jackson admin
istration whose impertinent Independence
turned the tides Of this Nations affairs?
Principally because the nineteenth century
saw her as petticoat influence behind the
presidency, which no citizen conscientiouSly
cared to admit. To-day, the twentieth century
sees her In the light Of her true political inn
portance; sees her, too, as one Of the most
piquant and provocative personalities pioneer
America produced.
: Research among Official archives In wash
ington has made all Of the facts about her life
available. Her eventful fe-story Is told for the
first time in the biography Peggy Eaton: De-
mocracys Mistress" published by Minton, Balch
q Co. The following article drawn from this
biography tells the true facts Of her astounding
career and attempts to explain why this woman
welded power in this country that no one Of
her sex has before or since.
Her name was Peggy ONeale, o name that
was lifting like herself. From Irish forbears
she inherited wit and Vivacity, impudence and
audacity. The first-born Of william O'Neale,
. rollicking innkeeper in the Capital who often
had George Washington as his guest, she early
associated herself with her countrys Official
dom. Often when the coach and four stood at
the family's tavern door to take members down
to Congress Peggy was bundled up and brought
down to watch her favorites enacting laws for
the Nation
Aside from Congressman, patrons at her
fathers famous Franklin House included gay
gentlemen with private incomes, and Army and
Navy officers of the sporting and reckless type.
Amid this atmosphere, Peggy ONeale, born
coQuette, has a much-eXpoSed childhood-and
q very enjoyable girlhood.
WITH merry blue eyes and loquacious tongue
she held attention which flowed naturally
toward her for ast-budding beauty. Besides,
before she finished school, she captured the
crown as the Capitals prettiest girl and best
dancer in a competition which had Dolly Mad
ison, then First Lady as judge. This presidential
preference sent Peggy's pride and ambition sky
rocketing. Cock-surely she wore her crown;
that of an 1912 version of Miss Washington"
The War Of 1912 interrupted her schooling
and sent her behind the bar at her fathers
tavern While serving out drinks to officials of
all ranks, her quick ear and alert mind caught
the rhythm of practical politics. then an un-
heard-of addition to any American woman's
education.
Later the loosened tongues Of the foremost
politicians of her day served to set the stigma
on her. But it purely social, for she
dirted "fearleSsly and furiously" with law
makers, who responded to her lively wit as
well as to her perfect Irish beauty.
She herself always said that she was "the
widest girl that ever wore out mothers
patience gay a lark full of fun
and nonsense sometimes, maybe little
original and lawless." Her Sprightly sayings
made men seek her out; as early as 13 years of
age she planned an elopement which, alas, never
was contaminated because she accidentally
knocked over with her traditional bundle
dower-pot from of her bed room window sill.
Yet soon she was all of 49, an age at which
most girls then were married. And she, the
prettiest Of them all by public choice, hadn't
been allowed to decide her mate. That was
determined by fate.
One day she leaned from the tavern window