Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-25
The Inauguration.
REar.s1o p.os.s...

Republican simplicity is fast becom-
ing q meaningless expression in this
country. In private life our shoddy
millionaires ape the manners aud Gus
toms Of the aristocracy of foreign lands,
and In public life the fondness for pomp
and display has been increasing every
year. The gradual change in our inau-
guration ceremonies is an evidence OF
this.
On the fourth of March, 1901. Thomas
Jefferson, who certainly was equal in
intellect and ability TO any who have
succeeded him in the Presidential chair,
rode unattended to the gate Of the capi-
tol, tied his horse to the fence. went in
and took the oath of Office as President
of the United States
In this case there was doubtless too
little form and ceremony. 1t was carry
ing Democratic principles to an extreme,
but still MIR. JeffersOn's conduct stands
out in pleasing contrast to the hullabaloo,
the parade, the pomp, the noise and the
dust that have marked Presidential in
augurations for many years past.
a special effort is being made to give
to Garield's Inauguration more pomp,
more noise, and more dust than gener-
ally fall to the lot of the unfortunate
and inoffensive inhabitants OF Washing
ton on these occasions. A city that has
Congress in session during a large part
of the year ought to be spared this ad-
ditional infection. But it will not be.
Fourteen batteries of artillery of the
regular army, with strong detachment
from the navy and marine corps, and a
host of militiamen from all parts of the
country, will take part in the procession.
There will be marching and counter
marching, banging of drums and bray
ing of horns, evolutiOns that will cause
General Sherman to feel that his militia
ry education has been neglected, flow
of whisky that will exceed even that of
patriotism, and to which patriotism will
largely be indebted for its enthusiasm,
and confusion worse COMPOUNDED gener-
ally. All of this for the use and behoof
and Qualification of James A Garfield,
the newly elected President of the
United States.
There is not much Republican SYM
plicity about this. 1t is simply the out
growth OF that love of show and display
that now pervades the country. The
managers of the inauguration ceremo-
MES inform the public that this show
will be the finest ever seen in Washing
ton, just as our enterprising Mem
phis contemporaries assert that the
Mardi Gras show in that city will
excel anything of the kind ever wit
messed in this country. Like the
Mardi Gras parades, the Inaugural.
ton will be followed by ball. And
such ball Washington society, official
and unofficial, has been thrown into con.
sternation by the intelligence that the
coiored man and brother is investing
largely in tickets to the general JambO-
laya that is called the Inauguration ball.
Theoretically, many of these people have
advocated negro equality, but the practi-
cal application of the doctrine does not
seem to please them. They get but cold
comfort from the New York Herald,
which remarks:
"The negro is in the Senate and in the
House of Representatives He is in the
Diplomatic and Consular Service, and ne
is making hard fight to get into the
Cabinet. Under the circumstances, it
would be absurd TO deny him the pre-
cious privilege of being iostled and
crushed at an Inauguration ball by the
Blaines, Hales, Congers and other states
men of the Republican party"
Taking everything into consideration,
notwithstanding the fact that we are
rather fond of big shows, we shall not
attend the Inauguration.