The Iola register., 1889-02-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Tie Petty Monarch of The Car itol
Police Ccurt-A Glimpse of the
Way Of The Transgressor-A
Tribute to The Plumed
Knight.

osity led me to the Police Court ore
day last week, the city's moral cess.
pool. where all it's vice and misery are
collected, and then scattered, only to
come back again at the earliest oppor-
tunity. 1t has been said that Police
Judge is the nearest type Of Absolute
Monarchy that this country possesses,
and the assertion is probably correct
In DO other court is so little regard
paid for the rights and feelings Of the
victims, o, to the forms of law. The
Washington temple Of this rough JUS
tice is situated not many squares from
the Capitol aud is small but some
what pretentiOus building with the
ever-present column seen OH all public
buildings here. ornamenting its front.
TIE interior is dark, gloomy looking
hall with high ceilings, having q seat
ing capacity of perhaps two CT three
hundred. 1t was nine o'clock when /
entered this unpleasant retreat, but
the benches were already crowded
with a motley looking audience, to
whose 6epraved minds the exhibition
of wickedness aud shame about to be
presented, was tempting feast. A
railing divided the court room almost
in the center, and within the charmed
space thus cut off were groups of burly
blue. coated policeman and some half
dozen Police Court lawyers, these lat.
ter being for the most part negroes,
while each of the former probably had
a piece of the "ould sod" In some safe
place at home. I had begun to get a
little tired of watching these gentry
when the door in the rear of the hall
opened and stout florid gentleman
with nervous affection that made his
face twitch unpleasantly every few
moments, came in and took his seat be-
hind high desk. At once the police
men uncovered their heads and one Of
them called out "Oyez, Oyez!" but 1t
was plain To DE seen that it was not
his native tongue. The prisoners who
wele taken overnight, are brought
from the various precinct stations to
the court in the Black Maria, repul-
sive looking coach into which they are
packed like sardines. They are kept
waiting in dirty, greasy reception
room until they are wanted for trial i'm
in the court room. One by one with
lightning like swiftness they are hur-
ried before His Honor and are given
sentences varying from dollar To nine.
ty days Oh the farm" Their Offenses
are for the most part drunkenness anu
vagrancy, aud they themselves are
the filthiest human refuse of the earth.
During the two hours that 1 forced
myself to stay, there were forty tive
"cases" tried, ant now, after the lapse
of two days, cannot recall one indi-
vidual case. They are all cast in the
same mould.
/ did not think thehuman being lived
for whom could not feel some touch
of sympathy and pity but learned
that morning a melancholy lesson,
which 1 hope some day to forget.
The growing certainty that Blaine
will be the Secretary of State for the
incoming administration furnishes an
other to the many proofs already in
existence of the wisdom of
the President-elect. To mill
lions of republicans this will come
with the qualification of personal fa-
vor. How little chance and accident
can do in the end to change the proper
places of men! Only four years since
his defeat and Grover Cleveland's vic
tory; but to-day Grover Cleveland is
one of the least regarded of the citizens
of the republic, aud James G. Blaine
is still the beloved and trusted leader
of the great party that under him met
its first defeat in a quarter of Il century
s. T. w.