Etiquette of D.C.’s Court Society

Official, fashionable functions in Washington have of late years, assumed much of the nature of court life at Old World capitals, and, to that extent, Washington society is officially “The Society” of the country.  For that reason, largely, many wealthy people of the United States are building palatial homes at the national capital, with the hope of getting admission into the official Four Hundred.The fact that the diplomatic corps contains many titled Europeans, and that the general social and diplomatic standing of the corps has been gradually rising of late years, through the evolution of young Ministers to Embassadorial rank, and the enlargement of their embassies, together with the desire, born not so many years ago, of leading diplomats of the world to serve at Washington, has tended to increase the importance of the capital's official society.

Young newspaper woman becomes Social Secretary to the wife of Vice President Fairbanks

One of the most important women in Washington to-day is Miss Margaret Wade, who has recently been appointed social secretary to Mrs. Fairbanks, wife of the Vice President. To those unfamiliar with social life at the national capital— and every year Washington is growing more and more to be the social center and inspiration of the country— such an announcement may seem strange, says the Philadelphia North American. One, however, has only to bear in mind the fact that official, fashionable functions in Washington have of late years, assumed much of the nature of court life at Old World capitals, and, to that extent, Washington society is officially “The Society” of the country.  

For that reason, largely, many wealthy people of the United States are building palatial homes at the national capital, with the hope of getting admission into the official Four Hundred. The fact that the diplomatic corps contains many titled Europeans, and that the general social and diplomatic standing of the corps has been gradually rising of late years, through the evolution of young Ministers to Embassadorial rank, and the enlargement of their embassies, together with the desire, born not so many years ago, of leading diplomats of the world to serve at Washington, has tended to increase the importance of the capital's official society. In this, naturally, the wife of the Vice President, next to the wife of the President, is the leader. These two women are arbiters, in a large degree, of the social fate of aspiring Washingtonians, and of people from other-parts of the country, who seek entree into “court life.”

Mrs. Fairbanks is expected to entertain considerably during the term of her husband. It is of vast importance, therefore, that social aspirants have their names upon her list, not only for the privilege and pleasure of attending the functions given by her, but because the stamp of her approval is necessary as a qualification to the ranks of official fashion. But, once in a generation has the Vice Presidency afforded to its occupant's wife the full privileges and social powers that attend the exalted position. For that reason alone, Mrs. Fairbanks has an exceptional opportunity before her. Many Washingtonians still remember with pleasure the quiet elegance of Mrs. Levi P. Morton's entertainments and the charming atmosphere of the Morton home.

For the short time during which she was the second lady of the land, Mrs. Garret A. Hobart worthily met all the traditions and responsibilities that centered about her position, but Vice President Hobart's career, was cut short by death. Mrs. Roosevelt was wife of a Vice President only about six months, and during the season of the year when social festivities are usually relaxed. Vice President Stevenson was not an elaborate entertainer. Mr. Hendricks, like Mr. Hobart, died in office. Vice President Arthur was a widower, but had there been a Mrs. Arthur, her social reign as a wife of the second highest official would have been almost the counterpart of Mrs. Roosevelt's experience. 

Upon Miss Wade, therefore, as social secretary to Mrs. Fairbanks, will devolve important duties that are almost without precedent within the memory of the present generation. In the first place, she must pass upon the eligibility of every aspirant to position upon Mrs. Fairbanks’ visiting list, because the wife of the Vice President will leave almost everything to her judgment. Miss Wade must, and does, thoroughly understand all the intricate questions of procedure and precedent. She knows who should be invited to various functions, how guests should be seated at table, and all the other niceties of “court life.” For, after all, even in republican America, official life at Washington is largely a replica of that at European courts.

This important and busy young lady is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born at Elizabethtown, in the northern part of Lancaster County. Ten years ago, she went to Washington and experienced splendid training for her present position as social editor of a leading capital newspaper for several years. She has also traveled extensively abroad, and is well acquainted with social etiquette in foreign countries. It is understood that Miss Wade has literary aspirations, and hopes in time to be able to devote herself to writing fiction. She is also intensely interested In the study of social economy, which accounts for her having been one of the few women jurors in that division at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, where she served as secretary of the group dealing with the betterment of working women, of which the only other woman juror was the Countess of Aberdeen. — San Francisco Call, 1905

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