The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1881-08-26
Lunatlcs at Washington.

Recent events at Washington cannot
have failed to call general attention TO
the vast number Of queer birds that
habitually roost about the Capital City.
All the distorted mental action of this
country appears TO gravitate to WASH
ington. Light-witted characters seem
to be naturally thrown into that city on
the top Of wave, like so many corks,
and landed there. No one who has spent
any time Mt the Capital can have failed
to note them
They appear at every turn. The
stranger who takes in the city during
the season will see varieties of human
nature enough TO astonish him. He will
wish there were not so many varie-
ties. Perhaps he drops in at
meeting of ladies', to hear the woman
sulfragists plead their cause. Nothing.
apparently, could be more conducive to
repose and quiet than that. But it will
startled from his somnolency by the app
partition of female fury fourishing a
pistol in the face Of the fair speech-
makers, and declaring that she is a Com
munist, and means to kill somebody, SO
she could get her rights. Such cir
cumstance happened not many winters
ago. The Washington lnnatic with a
pistol is not confined 10 the masculine
sex alone
Quack doctors, women in pantaloons,
long-haired pbrenologists, spiritualist
lecturers, bewilder the visitorat every ho-
tel and street corner, till he begins to
cast an anxious eye towards Congress-
men, and to wonder privately whether
they are not going crazy too.
The man who attempted to assassinate
President jackson, III 1885, was an un-
doubted lunatic. Many Of them poster
the Patent Office. They come with tales
of miraculousinyentions they have made.
Men with wild eyes, and slimy hair and
clothing 60 about fancyiug they are the
President OF the United States. Insome
cases they 60 to the Executive Mansion
itself, and demand that its occupant be
turned out, and that they be given their
rightful place.
Tumbled-up looking women, with wild
hair standing out like quilts upon the
fretful porcupine, and crazy bonnets,
haunt the departments with messages
from the spirits to the Treasurer, or
President, or General Of the Amy.
They are usually controlled by the spirit
Of George Washington, and he is anxi-
GUS to show us through them how to
boss this country. Newspaper CORE,
spondents have often alluded to this
strange horde of lunes about Washing
ton. They have been allowed to come
and go everywhere, as they pleased, be-
;p,, ,,,araI,y lauolo1 "a ond ,,ifind II boa
never been thought necessary heretofore
to shut them up, not even as far MS their
| tongues are concerned. But there ought
to be a change in that respect now.
| There is always pressure of excitement
at the Capital. Sometimes it breaks out
in scandals, sometimes in craziness. In
q city where there is always more or less
mental strain Of the kind that is felt
there, nobody can tell when a harmless
lunatic may develop into a dangerous
one. In fact, entirely harmless lunatics
are very rare. Hereafter, it will un-
doubtedly be the part of wisdom tc
thrust behind the bars persons with 8
kink in their brains individuals with 9
mission and q roll Of manuscript should
be strictly watched.
In one respect the pulpy-brained
idiots who drift TO the Capital unani
mously agree. They all have bound.
lessly exalted ideas Of their own import
ance. 1t is the leading characteristic o
lunatics the world over. Perhaps, in
deed, one may safely conclude that per
sons who think great things Of thei
own abilities and merit, are always more
or less cracked. -C Cincinnati CONNER
cial.