Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, April 20, 1902, Page 30

The T Increasing Intensity of Social Rivalries at”Capital MRS. THOMAS F (Copyright, 19 by Waldon Fawcett.) HE merry social war at the na- tional capital is rapidly resolv- ing itself into a civil conflict. It no longer merely presents the spectacle, familiar in other cities, of rival social queens competing for the position of supremacy, although this phase of the matter is not lacking, to be sure But, underlying and influencing all the in- dividual campaigns for popularity and tran- scending them in importance is the gen- eral contest between the people in official life and as a body and the coterie of wealthy residents of the city on the Po- tomac, sometimes denominated as the ‘“smart set." This warfare, of which the country at large already has some inkling, is the re- sult of latter day conditions at the Amer- ican seat of government In the early days f the republic when Washington 8 80 unattractive that the nation’s rulers and their families, who were compelled to re- side there, cordially detested it and fled immediately after the adjournment of con- gress in the spring, the social circle was not divided into two great rival factions. present genteel struggle has come slowly through the gradual trans- formation of Washington into the most beautiful city in America. This and the ab- sence of vast industrial activities make it an ideal city of leisure and the most at- tractive place of residence on the con- tinent. It is not surprising that there has grown up a colony of wealthy folk, whose social ambitions have increased with each new recruit added to the fold About the Two Sets. There are not less than 2.000 p rsons in the official set, which means that there are that number of individuals directly or indirectly connected with the political life of the capital who are sufficiently prom- inent to entitle them to invitations to a certain number of social functions In the list is embraced everybody from the president, senators, diplomats and mem- bers of the supreme court, together with the women of their households, to the fam- ilies of assistant secretaries and bureau chiefs of the various government depart- ments, and the army and navy officers The list does not stop with the immediate members of the families even; there are not a few people in public life at Wash- ington to pry open the social gates for nieces, cousins and friends The memt of the fashionable residen tial circle are not so numerous, possibly, their opponents Exclusiveness is the pride of this elite contingent However, this resident set is a house divided against itself as to whether wealth or lineage shall constitute for admission There are a millionaires of whom have the password of made their money too rapidly number some to satiefy the social arbiters at home—who have come to Washington to idle. While these affect a certain exclusiveness, they WALSH, WIFE OF THE COLORADO MILLIONAIRE ” COUNTESS MARGUERITE CUSINI are yet inclined to admit to the social for- tress any possessor of a large bank account who is willing to deplete it by lavish tertaining, unless mayhap the applicant be en- one of those who has refused to let down the bars for the “newly rich” at a former place of residence Such a one generally encounters the opposition of some one on the inside who is thirsting for revenge. On the other hand, there are living in Washington a number of old Virginia and Maryland families who are unwilling to accept this new standard »f social eligibil ity, and in self-defense have grown clannish and ultra-exclusive The Antagonism is Growing. The antagonism between the two general divisions of Washington society, which, de spite the covering of good breeding and social tact, is growing in bitterness, is due primarily to the differences in tastes and sources of power, and to the exalted opin ion each set holds with regard to its own claims of superiority The official conting ent has the advantage in nme Te but mu needs be chary of those anl festations of disregard for p nion in which many of the well-to-c delight It will not do for the ers to displease the people n 0se vole they are dependent to keep them in Wash ington There are bound to be ertain asion on which the official crowd has a monopoly of the social swcetmeats. This was forcibly illustrated during the recent visit of Prince Henry of Prussia, and incidentally it might be mentioned that no other one event ha been provocative of so much envy and jealousy. The ambitious rich folk who had the houses and the funds wherewith to entertain the royal visitor in regal style did not get the opportunity, and indeed very few of them even enjoyed the boon MRS, HANNA, WIFE OF THE SENATOR of are meeting him too, the people in Uncle official retinue the best of it with reference to social tion the White course, a certain popular so, who have func- which, of interest always Sam's at House, to attaches. The vantages by the positions, them, comes of social reverse of people this picture of officialdom i who have but lack the socially speaking The to Washington hugging delusion that in official life is cut out and only the ad presented government to family the one's the money maintain that populax social position awaits a disillusioned. The to the capital likely to figure the policeman in h wealth he may e of the pedestal but without it his until he has a process which in the house of adly tedious and ump tion is bound to be rudely congressman who ¢ vith nothing but hi find that he is no larger a ocial horizon than is a own home town. With enabled to climb to in the society gallery to salary i on one chance is name the entatives, is sitating a pull” at only wait made under in congress exi rules sting one, nece strong political home unfailing Great Cost of B A host and a year in entertaining cut their in any attracting attention Therefore, who appears rural constituents tion to attempt Washington tertnining, hoste may in entertainment $50.000 spend Washington wit} being exceptional respect or even passing many a the out congressman of the que hospitality of the hou of representati who entertain other than on the most modest cn the fingers of Senators Hanna, Depew Elkins—each of thes the amount of his ining, but the total of congre ers of the toga la lependent in and For 1 bureau wealthy in finds it to dispense The members 1y be counted There Kean scale n hand Lodge expends s¢ one are and veral times salary every are few in propor of the upper veteran almost solely upon their salaries and wh irding houses most of the assistant secretaries, or chief of the executive entertaining in a season n enter to they tion membershiy house there are who are vear out reside in partments of the eive sal and it is 1 of thing for but formal way is out question, since none of them rec aries in exces L year by no means r of the house and igr responsibilities \partment re all urget ‘ for the nces of a numbe people in polit life in Washington the str he official t and the re 1e As it is en 80 Were it not raightened circum 1ggle betwe uld ntial set w be a very unequal ba ing by reason of their occug a num lal ancy of the stand beer gOv to ernment tions re forced either altogether of th withdraw from social life ition who are willing expectation of extend ho reciprocity, with thus no and the FROM OHIO MRS. H. C. HANSBROUGH, WIFE OF TH INATOR FROM NORTH DA KOTA wealthy hostess of the residential set is always able to fill out her guest list with people of official prominence. 1t will thus be seen that each of the two main sections of Waskington society is indirectly and heavily dependent on the other, and yet each would be only too glad to cut loosc with a declaration of independence if it but dared. Professionai Diners-Out, This odd state of affairs has bred the diner-out, usually of the masculine gender Despite the nunher of statesmen and pol iticians who throng Washington in season, there are many ocial gather where men are at a premium 1 if he be courtly ind an entertaining conv 1list, the nmarried official or the 181 nan who It his wif it hon 1 ldom I under the necessity of | 1 for his dinner Even in the ca f a married man, the ability to pay bacl loes not figure at all For instance here might be cited the case of General Miles, who, th cason, and particularly e he wa reprimanded by the preside has been one of the m extensive ertained men in Washingtor Yet the 1 of the army is in moderate circur and not n a position to return the liment to more than a small portion of 8 hosts Even in the securance of the 1 lesirab of these professional diner he pirit of rivalry between the wealth embers of the residential et and the | essors of private fortune in the off 1 set con tantly ¢rops out. Thus th g official who is open for invitations ften com I 1 to choose between opposing vimants, and must make th ision with regard to future invitatior n the one at the MRS. REGINALD DEKOVEN, WIFE OF THE COMPOSER hand, and possible promotions or the for feiture of ofiicial favor on the other This “lionizing' of oflicials has resulted in the almost utter neglect by Washington society leaders of the stage favorites who are the particular prey of the “tuft hunt ers'” in other cities The celebrities of the musical world are somewhat more for tunate, for they are usually entertained at the home of Reginald De Koven, the oper atic composer, who, with Mrs. De Koven an authoress of some prominence, main tains a salon that is the hub of the liter ary and artistic set in Washington. Diy intints ot the Top, The really enviable positions in Wash ington society are held by the members of the diplomatic corps. As in the case of enators, only a s 1 proportion of the envoys of foreign powers are possessed of great private fortune but practically all the representatives of leading nations re celve from thelr governments ample al lowances for entertaining in a manner commensurate with the dignity of their positions These masters of statecraft are necessarily among the gue bidden 1o every official function of any interest or importance, and they are also cagerly sought by the entertainers of the residen tial set, who prize above all else the cos mopolitan atmosphere which the presence of foreigners lends to a social gathering In with the shadow of the diplomatic all its glitter and gold that omnipresent bugbear, tion of precedence, in the breach is found the rock which imbition has been stranded After all, the competitive the official and residential capital pitted the highly “coming contingent however, the ques- of which many a soclal lace, lurks on in forces which of the other most one of pitk benefits to b kind ar: well regime in the official at'en the me- game are against each keenly is ing the derived by important man."” The foresight of this illustrated the Rooscvelt White Hous The ind residential sets tion Roo merely a civil by members of the who bestowed upon the evelt family when president wa ervice ¢ of reward nto proml did clos events cast mi the So sloner or assistant ‘ their pring retary navy are now reaping too, the young man who suddenly, as, for in Beveridge, I8 watched mos forecasters shadows nence tance Sena tor the ely by social Coming the ance, if president Washing probabilitie the the early in For the next social doma n capital in Senator of the on will yet Hanna is to be United State oclety in the politicians are be indicating the In a while darl hard wdvantage is not all n tablished residentlal Washington as the gold. Sec the can- moving in based on cash the omparison expended, the the newly ¢ selected which to Hay residential et who have best place in catter retary of State who Irable occuples most de site at the (Continued on Eighth Page.)