The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IRON our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1885.
"There is a sign in the heart though
the lip may be gay" is what Washing
ton is saying and feeling now. The
streets are covered with bunting. The
Pension office, the youngest and wicked
est of all the government Offices, is the
most gayly bedecked of all. 1t is liter
ally covered with bunting, eagles, shields
and angels, arranged in tasteful designs.
Aspasia, Mana and Cora Pearl were
never in all their ill-gotten wealth ar
rayed like the great political harlot-the
United States Pension Office. And what
does this atfectation of inaugural Joy
mean? 1t means to catch the eye of
Mr.. Cleveland as he rides to the Capitol,
and to dazzle him into blindness to all
the sins of Dudley's minions during the
late election. "Behold how loyal are we
powerfully converted, bran-new Demo
cratic pension clerks. No building in
all Washington is bedecked with the
taste and gayety of ours" Apostates
from your own vile faith, it shall not
save We from the death. Oh, generation
of political sluggers, who hath warned
we to flee the wrath to come? And think
not to say unto yourselves: we have
Abraham Lincoln for a father, etc, etc.
| could 90 on for half an hour and quote
Byron and the Bible against these pen
SION clerks, Tor all the invective, hurled
against Pharisees, Saducees, and hypo-
critics is applicable to those upon whom
their mantle has fallen-the fourteen
hundred clerks in the L. 5. Pension
Office.
There are other offices filled with fore
bodIng and gloom. There is well-found-
ed fear that the wrongs of a quarter of
century will now be avenged, not in
the spirit of vengeance, but in vindication
of cheated and long suffering public.
Nearly everything is in readiness for
the great pageant on the fourth,,of March.
The city is rapidly filling with visitors.
1t is expected that fully twenty-five
thousand soldiers will be in line on
inauguration day, and that the process
sion will be five miles in extent. The
parade will not be confined to one street
it would be too long, but will approach
the Capitol by different routes. Penn
sylvania Avenue is lined on each side
with huge platforms, of capacity to seat
twenty thousand or more spectators.
very elaborate SCALE The managers
promise the finest display ever seen in
this country. The fire display will be
in the monument grounds but can be
seen from any part of the city.
The Inaugural ball, however, will be
the chief entertainment of the evening.
| visited the ball room this morning,
and have never beheld a more animated
scene. Along the wide stretches of the
great hall were engaged groups of busy
artizans, carpenters, upholsterers, gas
filters, decorators, etc. 1t reminded me
of the babel of the early days of the
Centennial Exposition. But Cosmos is
from Chaos. Much of the
work of decoration is complete. The
splendid columns in the center of the
building have been hung with muslin
and twined with gaFlands of smilax.
decorations, festoons and
various designs have been fixed in place.
The spacious rooms entering the main
hall on the first floor have all been
to different purposes. One is
for the President and his friends, one
for the Diplomatic corps, one for the
press, others for the committee. Still
other rooms will be used for cloak rooms,
supper rooms, ETC. The cloak and hat
rooms are themselves as large as ordinary
ball rooms. There will also be com
toiles and retiring rooms. The
supper rooms will accommodate 500
people at a time and it is thought they
will not be crowded. A fire com
Dany viii be placed at each end of the
hall, and force of police viii De in the
The Chiefs of Police and of
he Fire Department vii Toe in the gall
cries, and will have electric bell COM
with their forces The series
If rooms fitted for the Presidents recep-
ion have been fitted with 5000 worth
If furniture. President-elect Cleveland,
President Arthur and Mr.. Blaine will
III be at the Inaugural ball.
Vice President-elect Hendricks arrived
and was driven to Wizards
lotel, where he viii reside for the pres
mt. Mr.. Cleveland is not expected be- |
ore Tuesday evening. He viii go to
he Arlington hotel, which is In sight of, /
nd two squares from, the White House.
IN Wednesday, at 10 O'Clock, he will |
eceive call from the President, who |
I'LL conduct him to the Mansion, which |
] TO be his residence for the next four
ears. Then, after light luncheon,
hey will proceed in the centre of the
recession to the Capitol, where Presi-
eRt-elect Cleveland will take the oath
{ Office, and President Cleveland will I
oliver his inaugural address