The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-22
erode the Six Hundred"

From The ~ y. Tribune.
There Is a certain Senator in Washington,
the name of him to us unknown, for whom We
feel degree of commiseration which Gin the
present condition of the English lsnguage) it
is impossible adequately to express. This
grave and potent unfortunate, according to a
newspaper letter now before US, "has already
received over six hundred applications for
office" 1t is hardly possible to read this sor-
rowful statement without recalling the words
of Scripture:-"And the river shall bring
forth frogs abundantly, which shall 60 up and
come into thine house, and into thine bed
chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the
house of thy servants, and upon thy people,
and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-
trOughs." How the poor Senator above men
toned must be bowling for some magic spell
which shall ''destroy the frogs that they may
remain in the river only !"
The benevolent mind naturally shares its
sympathy between the Senator and the
seekers. AS we cannot write by post to the
honorable gentleman, because we do not
know his name, we print our pity here. We
sincerely hope that he may not be murdered.
We pray Heaven to save him from becoming
a maniac. 1t is useless to recommend him to
bar his door, unless he wishes it to be broken
down and destroyed. He cannot abscond,
while his legitimate public duties keep him in
Washington. He cannot cause to be promul
gated report that he is dead, for his State
would at once make hot haste to elect his sue
cessor. AS for playing sick and tying up the
knocker, that would be little too transparent;
and, moreover, were he in the article of death,
the men who are haunting him would not
scluple to disturb his last meditati6ns by
ASKING him for his sign-manual. What can
ne DO to save himselfl We really do not
KNOW. The frogs are large and numerous and
hungry, and when they consent to 'remain in
Inc river only, we shall think that the thou
sand years are at hand.
But what pity it is that the six hundred
cannot be persuaded that "to remain in the
river only" is the best thing they can do
though some of them may be jumping into it,
Le'o ae Sc fashion, with stones (and nothing
else) IN their pockets, before all is over. The
report upon which we are commenting says;-
VI the six hundred applications, in all pro-
liability not sixty will be successful" What
q prospect Five hundred and forty wretches
doletul, desperate, disappointed, all their
trump-Cards turned to rubbish, all their col
lection of influential autographs become mere
refuse must return with a free pass, II they
can get it) to confront their neighbors and
either to be pitied or laughed at Unhappy
DXL! Desperate Light Brigade of Beggars
Into the Jaws OF DEATH,
Into the mouth of Hell,
Rode the SIX hundred"
Much that has been written about the In
compatibility of begging with the dignity
human nature must be stuff and nonsense
To be sure, we do not believe that one OF the
six hundred would like to stand upon th'
pavement all day, with the right hand pite
ouslv extended, and with a plaoard on hi
chest bearing the inscription, 81 am blind
There is nothing, however, derOgatory in beg
ginQ, if you only beg for enough. The piou
old lady comprehended this when she prayel
for a competency, adding:-"And lest,
Lord, thou shouldst not understand what
mean by competency, permit me to stat
that mean one thousand dollars per annun
satisfactorily invested" The man who woul
blush to ask for the loan of half dola
(Butler ourrency) experiences no agony
mortified pride in petitioning for post once
or oollectorship, or an embassy: MIR. Mason
of Virginia, who was as proud as Punch
begged 10 be kept in his place abroad until a
had saved money enough to pay his debts
and his creditors thought all the better OF hlI
for not allowing his dignity to interfere wit
his duty. But the prime pang is in asking 10
place and not getting it; and this Is VIII
our bowels yearn kindly for the six hundred
or rather, to speak accurately, for the hy
hundred and forty. "What did you get I
asked friend of a returning fisherman. 9 q
got tired" was the reply. How sadl
tired the great mass OF the unappointe
will get