The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-03-10
our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., !

"Harkl Hark! the dogs do bark,
The beggars are coming to town;
Some in rags, some in jags
And some in velvet gowns"
When the spirit moved the cul-
tured "Mother Goose" to the above
sublime effusion, she must surely
have had Washington at the present
moment, III her prophetic eye. The
beggsrs, (aheml-olfice beggars, you
know are indeed, " coming TO
town." In fact the advance guard
is already here, and, judging by its
numerical strength, the regiment
proper that is to follow, is enough
to make the expansive soul OF Gen.
Garfield shrivel up within him. AS
to the habiiiments of this BRIGADE
"rags and jags and velvet gowns"is
very appropriate indeed. They rep
resent every shade of human society
from the ragged tramp, who scents
the new congressional library
building from afar, and wants
to get a position as
hod-carrier, to the sleek, bland
and aspiring gentleman, who is
prominently spoken of for a seat in
the Cabinet" And every hope, every
plan hinges on the new administra-
ton. The national eye is turned
away from Mr.. Hayes already
and travels towards Mentor. "The
king is dead-long live the king"
may seem little premature. but we
have all been guilty of it.
l have not heard that any tears
have been shed over Mr.. Hayes po-
litical demise, but 1 do know that
many people regret to see Mrs. Hayes
leave the White House. The posi-
ton from which she steps down on
Friday, has never been more sweetly
graced since the days of Martha
Washington. The blue-bloodsd are
proud of her because her
every act ami word has
shown her "A lady every inch
no princess royal more so. The old
fashioned admirers Of common
sense are ready to kiss the hem of
her garments in farewell, and as for
the temperance peOple-those pco-
pie who, in their advocacy of their
pet theory, are among the noisiest
and most Incorporate clamorers of
the age-why is she the figure-head
of their party-their patron saint.
Present indications are that poor,
pestered Mr.. Garfield will curse the
day that Mrs. Hayes inauguratcd
her cold water regime. The tenn
perance people have already nearly
smothered him with signed petitions
to keep it up.
But to return to Mrs. Hayes; the
humblest woman who ever attended
one of her delightful Saturday af-
ternoon receptions, will remember
it forever. The gracious hostess
had always such a winning welcome,
that every caller went away feeling
secretly, much like little innocent
of -four, who came out saying, "Mrs.
Hayes was real glad l came to see
her this afternoon. wasn't she.
Mamma?" And this exquisite gra-
ciousness to every one made her
seem really more regal than the
most gorgeous mantle of cold
hauteur. Yes, we will all hold her
up to future generations as the
browning glory of American wO-
manhood-strong, tender, noble,
true, and chastely beautiful in her
rare, white toilettes, in which she
has constantly appeared this winter
To be sure, some there have been
to question the good taste of her in
novations, and the most spiteful
have even insinuated that this has
been altogether petticoat govern
ment, and the calm-spirited Ruther-
ford is now and then dubbed "The
Great Henpecked," but permit us to
turn deaf ear to such insinuations.
IN the face of so many beautiful wo-
manly virtues. 1t may at least be
said that if Mr.. Hayes had had the
same courage of his opinions as his
persevering wife, a certain noble
senator of his own party would not
have had grounds for finging the
"Civil service humbugw at him as Il
reproach, not long since. This much
even democrat can heliave-
The city is already gay with
streaming flags and banners. Penn
svlvania Avenue stands in smiling
readiness for the triumphal process
sion that is to sweep along to the
Capitol on Friday. Arches span
every side street leading into it; the
National Museum building is grand
ly decorated for the ball. every train
brings loads of strangers, COM
panies of militia, regular soldiers,
and, as above mentioned, office
seekers. But the concentration OF
all this gayety and brightness and
hurry and expectation is seen at its
perfection in the human faces that
throng the great promenade. Every
body seems to have put carking
care aside and made up his mind to
get as muck fun out of the inaugu-
ration as Garfield himself But our
guileless country cousins are going
to be made to pay the full value OF
all the fun they get. For instance
AS twenty thousand troops are to
march in the procession, it is evident
that there will be little space left on
the street for the fifty thou
sand spectators who are eX-
pected to add their strength
to our one hundred and eighty
thousand citizens. Consequently
they must find some other point OF
vantage; but our thrifty Washing
ton is equal to the emergency, and
the merchant whose store fronts on
the line of march thanks fortune,
and forthwith proceeds to hang out
the legend. "windows for rent here
twenty dollars and upward p Now
isn't this kind and reasonable ? Only
twenty dollars and 'QpaUdrd for the
privilege of standihg;in an upstairs
window for q couple of hours to see
Mr.. Garfield and his twenty thou
sand pass byl Could anything be
more indicative of the generous
spirit here prevalent, which pre-
vents our honest souls from impos-
ing on our defenseless horde of Wis
itors. Surely, no! And everything
else will be valued accordingly
The tardy traveller who does not ar
rive here till Friday, will think he is
using cloth of gold to wipe the
CRIME from his face, instead of a
fifteen cent cotton towel, and al
night when he bestows his weary
limbs on pine cot in some obscure
corner of q hotel corridor, and falls
asleep rumlnating on the ducats he
is to pay for this privilege IN the
morning, the costly couch of King
Midas will seem to his dreamy soul
cheap in comparison.
But all this hurly-burly of prepar-
alton has little effect indeed upon
the calm souls of our unruffied con-
gressmen. They view the approach
ing dissolution of Congress with
seeming indifference, and quietly go
on eniOying obstructive measures