Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-11-14
A BLUE OLD TIME.
W.sprSerox Nov ? I,

WAohlSSIcS, nov. d 1913.
fs the Editor OF the Eagle:
Now that the election is over all ewes vii
De tursed to Washington, where the result
Of the election viii be played out. In les
than one month congress will convene; il
less than four months the new president viii
be inaugurated, and If, as now seems proba
bic, the new president shall be Cleveland
the occasion ard crisis will be only les.
memorable than was the Inauguration Of
Lincoln twenty-five years age. The local
revolution rs fer as Washington is concerned,
viii be greater than then, for the capital
twenty-five years ago was a struggling village.
II is now q wealthy city. Then the official
and clerical services OF the government were
insignificant, now they are twice as large
and thrice as expensive rs the civil service
ofsny other country.
The calamity Of Cle,elsnd's election has
been dresded ever since the evening Of the
fourth Of November. but the fact Was not
generally believed until the morning of the
seventh, when those who had hoped against
hope fel. themselves compelled 10 accept
the unwelcome truth.
This is indeed dark day for the country,
and it is midnight for Washington. The
Thousands Of government clerks, skilled,
faithful, and tried men, many Of them
union soldiers, realize that they must yield
their place 10 hordes from the solid south.
1t 10 Punishment from the capitolthey fought
TO save. To many il means ruin. and per-
hape starvation for themselves and families;
for they have grown old in the service, too
cid to commence life anew. The gloom is |
profound and wide spread; If can be read in |
the faces Of every man, woman and child |
here. There is, Of course, abundant talk |
about the protection Of civil service rules,
but it ir noticeable that Republicans have
no faith in them, and that the Democrats do
nos claim that they will be carried out
Their fhvorais metaphor, inspeaking of the
civil service establishment, is the Augean
stable, and they claim that they will clean it
net with the toothbrush mentioned by SEN
stor elect Payne, but with pitch forks and
wire brooms. Well, they will find the es-
adjustment empty, swept and garnshed,
but they will no sooner enter therein, than
She condition of that house viii be seven
times worse than it was before.
An err Of business depression may now
be expected to prevail in this city, and good
lines viii not probably return until the /
Republican party again comes into power.
IDdsei the business depression is already
apparent in the stores here. Those in gov
employ have already begun to q
and to save money against the
3sy Of wrath. And merchants find them s.
elvss with crowded shelves but without k
buyss.
The hotels and boarding houses, however, b
ill be crowded ~ full a. ever. The great,
lnwssbsd. hungry Democratic contingent ii
- already begun to make its appearance
q Washington, and, before the congress W
ional session is over, the city will swarm pi
nth such crowd ~ it has never known
sSore I vol remember the army Of bum d.
,es thss thronged the hotels, one rs
ear ago, when the prize was the al
ittapoe that the Democratic house WAS
BILE 10 dispense. Imagine that crowd multi ed
lied By ten thoussd clamoring for Offices of
rust and responsibility, and they viii get
. Offices. Cleveland. no matter how good 90
: individual intentions and resolves may in
I yin be pAralyzed and powerless in thi pl,
lyiropnsnt These men have made him
resident, and they viii make bis presi- r
~. A'
But psrhAps lam premature in my gloomy pc
,eeri,ss. for at this moment, hear that the 10
ltional Republican committee have re-
siuned New York on later returns than nv
ne before them when they telegrAped Mr.. TIL
aine, conceding the state to Cleveland. Ii
svideni thst tie official returns can alone ,
o;ds ths QUESTION, and while il u folly to
slatsd with dslusive hope. il Is natural to sfs
: 81 = long - possible the day Of doom. hs