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STANUARY 8, 19 09
Commoner.
New
Year's
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Leaves From a Reporter's Note
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Washington, D. C, January 2, 1892. To the
stranger at the national capital New Year's day
at the White House has its inspirations and its
oddities. It is inspiring to know that you stand
in the midst of the men upon whom the eyes
of the world are fixed, and it is an oddity to be
forced to realize that, after all, these are hut
human beings displaying to the naked eye all
the ear marks of human frailty. But there
are in reality, many special inspirations as well
as a host of fully developed oddities. The year
1892 gave to President Harrison the first clear
Now Year's day of his administration. Politi
cians are superstitious, and they declare this to
be a good political forecast for the Harrison
boom. But the pretty day was acceptable to
those who were not politicians, and the reception
at the White House on Friday is said to have
been the largest for many years.
When the hour for the reception arrives,
hundreds of thoughtful civilians stand upon the
walk without tho grounds, and clinging to the
iron fence, peer through at the active scenes
within, scenes of activity and bustle on the part
of the policemen in charge and tho favored few
who rush in to be present at the official recep-
' , tion. The great iron gateways to the grounds are
each guarded by a pair of stalwart policemen
wfio until the hour for the general reception,
reject all comers except newspaper correspon-
, dents or members of the "official families."
The former include a comparative few,
r while the latter seem to cover a multitude., At
"the White House door, another identification
must take place before the applicant may mingle
with the throng "within. The interior of the
White House is, by members of the "official
families," regarded as entirely too small in cir
cumference and modest in arrangement for its
purpose, but to the man who doesn't call his
supper "dinner" and who is satisfied with two
suits of American made clothes, the interior of
the president's house is fit for any kind.
-Step inside the portals of the White House
axfd your eyes first rest upon the marine band,
ffiwiTose every note Is a poem and whose apparel
V comprises 'everything which gold and the color's
i of the rainbow can provide. To the right Is
the huge stairway, and as the beautiful music
v bursts upon the air the flowers which greet the
Veye and the plants which serve as stumbling
' '.blocks for awkward feet, seem to grow sweeter.
' &r" Two army officers lead the presidential
party down this stairway, the president and his
wife first in line and followed by members of
the cabinet and their families. The stranger in
search of "more light" involuntarily rushes for
the -great corridor to the rear of the band and
'standing there he realizes probably the chief
" inspiration of New Year's day at the White
House. To the strains of the best American music
and that is the best music under heaven
the presidential party passes this corridor to the
blue room. In truth and fact it is a panorama.'
All the White House seems a stage and the men ,
and women, the flowers and foliage, tho national
colors and the national airs, seem to be the
-actors. Some are mute, but their realism is
none the less intense.
With each note of music the panorama
moves. The east end of the blue room presents
a-'sceno of marvelous beauty, taken as a whole,
mind you. Hero are gathered a hundred women,
all conceded for tho occasion to be handsome.
Bach is arrayed in the latest style of the dress
maker's art a-nd armed with fan and bouQuet,
their faces are wreathed In smiles, but their
breasts are as bare as the day they were born.
All is not barren, but as Speaker Mull would
say "what is uncovered is uncovered enough to
make up for all the rest." It could not impress
one as a modest scene. Its beauty is too attrac
tive to prevent for tho moment thoughts of pro
prieties. In fact, the objections ofTa prude
would bo suppressed by the charm and graco of
the scone. ., ,,,,
To the head of this congregation of hand
Bome women tho presidential party moves and
there halts. The cabinet officers-take the presi-
A Description of New Year's Day
Scenes at the President's Home
When Harrison was Chief Magis
trate and Blaine Secretary of State
dential hand and wish him a Happy Now Year,
then they pass along tho line of smiling, hand
some women.- Their march Is lined with smiles
and happy greetings of the season. On and on
past tho aggregation the cabinet officers go to
tho east room where they are free to do as- they
please. As a matter of fact, the cabinet officers
hurry from tho east room to? their own homes,
but once in the east room, tho visitor may crowd
and be crowded as long as he can stand up
under the strain.
There is some mistake here. All of tho
cabinet officers have not gone. There at the
president's right stands a stalwart man, whoso
face would attract the eye in a crowd of thou
sands. The eyes of the visitors gaze a moment
at the president, because ho is president, and
then turn hurriedly to rest for a host of mo
ments on the stalwart man by his side because
ho is James G. Blaine. The sight of this man,
whose name has stirred millions of people,
standing beside his chief in namo only, Is one
of the Inspirations of tho occasion. To the
stranger, however, it seems an oddity to bo
told that tho little man with a tired look is
the president, while the other Is his secretary
of state, but tho panorama pauses for a moment
only to provide a, good glance at this feature,
and then tho circus of tho day begins.
Mr. Blaine has remained to present tho
representatives of foreign governments to tho
president. While the band Is playing tunes of
all colors, sexes and previous conditions, It
seems, that an improved edition of P. T. Bar
num's "Greatest Effort" has broken Ioobo in tho
crowd. At the head of tho long line of diplo
mats is a little dark skinned man arrayed in a
swallowtail coat and an immense display of
white shirt front. He is the dean of tho diplo
matic corps and tho representative of tho Mex
ican government.
The long line of foreign representatives
pass tho president, exchanging compliments of
the season, then run the gauntlet of tho pretty
women, bowing and scraping as they move, and
each wearing himself in tho effort to bow the
lowest.
The members of congress crowd upon tho
diplomats, while the music changes to popular
airs, and jthe diplomats aro pushed out into tho
east room, and having discharged his duty Mr.
Blaine hurries away and pressing through the
crowd hastens to his own home to prepare for
the breakfast to the foreign representatives.
Congressmen greet the president and follow
the old line past the handsome women, and tho
justices of the supreme court, dressed like men,
follow and pass on down tho line, bowing low
to tho ladies and losing their Identity in the
democracy of tho east room.
But the line does not stop. On and on it
comes. The dull, prose dress of the congress
man and justice is speedily relieved by tho offi
cers of tho army and navy in their blue and
golden equipments. When the army and navy
pass tho ladies the smiles of tho latter seem
sweeter than ever. The pets of social life in
Washington are moving by, and when this long
lino reaches the east room the officers scatter
here and there, each supported by a pretty
woman, and all admired for tho splendor they
give the scene.
But the procession never stops. Depart
ment employes come next, and when they have
passed members of the Grand Army of the Re
public, many hundred strong, have marched by
the gates and are already at the entrance. This
is one of the inspiring sights of the day. While
the "vets" pass,' some with empty sleeves,
many on crutches, the band strikes up "March
ing Through Georgia," and the old comrades
koop llvoly step to the lively air. How the hi
fellows in Arch! Thoy walk with etiifcely
troad and their facoa clearly portray Hit pro
ptiotnry interest they feel In the White l-Ienee
and all its bolonlnB.
Then tho gatoa aro thrown wide open and
'at 12:40 the groat American public orowtfH
in. At 2 o'clock tho reception Ik at an end.
Imagine, if you can, thnt you aland in the cen
ter of a long lino of human beings dressed In all
mannor of costumes, and see their long lino pass
by you and around you over velvet carpets and
botwoon broad loaves of palm, and dissolving
when thoy have encircled you into a struggling
mass of talking, laughing human bolnga, and
you have, with the frairranco of the rosea, somo
Idea why a novico feels Inspired at tho situation.
It la nnf n full ilrnna nffnli Tlmrn ta tfift ;
diplomat in his strangely foroign coBtumo, tlio
attache of tho legation in his full dress suit, the
army and navy officers in their gold, tho hnnd
somo women in their best and coatlloat bowiw,
but with nil those there Js tho plain American
citizen dressed In a common oack coat of all
colors and all vintages. Tlio man who, with
characteristic American freedom, strolls around
with his hands hurled In his trousers pockets
rubs up against tho man who keops his hands""
aloof from any vulgarity. It Is tho one day of
tho year on which Washington society In tho
least approaches a democracy. It Is Inspiring to
see the plain, everyday citizen rug up against tho
man whoso name Ib on every tongue or whoso
namo Is linked with one or another of tho im
portant historical events of the nation. It is in
spiring to elbow your way through tho crowds of
great men and ordinary men, breathing tho air
purified by tho scent of tobch and gazing on tho
scone glorified by the presence of hundreds of
charming women. It Is Inspiring to stand be
neath the silken folds of tho American flag and
listen to the strains of national airs, knowing
that you aTo standing In tho very midst of
Uncle Sam's business establishment. It Is in
spiring to feel and know theso things, but tho
oddities are none tho less interesting.
Mrs. Morton, the gracious wife of tho vice
president, sweeps down tho corridor, and an at
tache of the French legation nearly knocks
down ono newspaper correspondent while tho
Frenchman rushes by to grasp Mrs. Morton's
hand and Jmpriut a kiss thereon while he sinks
to his knees.
Mrs. Morton bows low her acknowledg
ments and tho vice president, who follows, b nds
his thin frame douuio in accepting uip.uonor
shown his wife. . Xr
When they pay their respects to tno presi
dent, the foreign representatives hover around
through tho corridors, bowing and scraping hero
and there or peeking over tho heads of tho crowd
to catch a glimpse of a pretty woman.
The Chinese representatives arc the most
attractive, because, probably, tho most ridiculous
to tho American eye. Theso sail by with an
air that indicates the pleasure they find In tho
occasion. One woman, who keeps persistent
track of five low-breasted daughters, herself
wears a decidedly low-necked dress and reveals
to a delighted populace five adult moles which
seem to thrive well above the shoulder blades.
Of the many oddities of the occasion there was
ono of International importance. When the offi
cers of the army and navy have passed Into tho
east room, and while they stand there for a mo
ment, presenting a solid an dadmirablo front,
Senor Moutt, the Chilean minister, happens by
chanco in struggling through the crowd to halt
directly In front of the officers. Montt is short
in stature. He is the only civilian In the throng.
He gazes at his warlike surroundings and hastily
withdraws. A smile goes around which in somo
nuarters dcvelopcs into suppressed laughter.
The situation lasts but a moment, but it Is
sufficiently long to compare the dwarf of tho
Chilean adult with the splendid vigor of Amer
ican manhood. This is an oddity, but under
the circumstances it is also an inspiration,
tne circunww RICHARD L MDTCALFB.
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