Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-02-27
Oh Yes +! The Boys VIII BE
There.

For six weeks at least to come,
the procession to Washington will
go on with comparative freedom
from interruption. Mr.. Curtis, OF
Hdrper's Weekly, did not exagger
ate the hunger and thirst of his
Democratic allies, if reports from
Washington Of the steady move
ments of the serried columns to the
national capital, are reliable
'Chiefs of ffties and captains of
tens and thousands Of the boys
are en- route, and are as resolute in
demanding the minor places to be
taken away from the Republicans
as are the more eminent leaders for
the cabinet places and foreign mis-
siOns to which they aspire.
Whether SIX weeks or six months
will suffice to show the centuTlonS
and the minor leaders, and the up
per crust of the rank and file, that
not enough provender is within
Cleveland's gift to 'go around is
more than can now be determined.
The 'bOys' aud their leaders are
simply determined to know wheth-
er modern Democracy is of the Civil
Service pattern preached by mug.
wumps, or still steered 10y that chart
of primeval Democratic simplicity
and fidelity, proclaimed succlnctlN
by Marcy in the elegant words. Ito
the victOrs belong the spoils.' How
the 'boys are going to fare after
brief sojourn at Washington, de
ponds much more upon the condl
ton of their pOcket.books than mp
on their capacity to win the conf
dence of the over.suspicious direc-
tors of Washington boarding
houses. The Inauguration pageant
nv will last for a few days like fit
ful fever to be followed by a pros
trating reaction, certain to affect
unfavOrably the 'bOys' in impOrtu-
nate pressure for places that in the
nature of things cannot be vacated
for weeks or, maybe, months to
come. Some of the more determin-
ed will contribute their ruefnl cOnn-
tenanceS to the pervading cheerless-
ness of down town hotel lobbies for
a few weeks, but the large majority
will soon be at home uttering curses
loud and deep and sincere.
Neither Cleveland, nor the lead
erS, nor the journals of Democratic
persuasion, would accomplish any
thing by remonstrances to the
: boys regarding the danger to
their health from a visit to Wash.
ington, with its malaria, and its cold
penetrating dampness intensified
by the frigid breezes that sweep
from the Yirginian hills across the
Potomac at this season. No, in
deed the 'bOys are bent on being
at Washington to witness the lnau-
guration OF the first Democratic
President in twenty-four years. 1t
may be the last for as many more
years, and hence all the more rea-
son for not only being in Washing
ton but being there in ample time.
The Democrats of thirty odd years
ago, used to warn the Wings against
the cruelty to Wing candidates for
the Presidency certain to follow
their election. You killed llarri-
son in IS4l, and Taylor in 1850, by
shaking hands with the wOrn-Ont
old soldiers, and importuning them
for office, the old.time Democrats
used to say. Cleveland ought to
have better luck in dealing with the
boys He is much younger than
either the veteran of Tippecanoe,
or the hero of Buena Vista, both OF
whom military glory made Pres
idents.
One thing is plain: everybody
wishes Cleveland a prosperous voy-
age for the sake of the country
After he shall have passed through
the breakers of oflice-seeKing i'm.
pOrtunity, and shall have sent the
BOYS back home, an anxious
country will eagerly scan his first
approaches to the difficult and deli
cate tasks bearing upon the inter
ests of the country and confronting
his administration.