Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-11
THE INAUGURAL PARADE.
The Most Imposing Ever Seen.
From the Philadelphia Press.

From the Philadelphia Press.
Accounts Of the preparations under way in
Washington and elsewhere for the inaugural
parade Of March make it apparent that the
event will be the most imposing of the kind
the country has yet seen. The size Of the
procession will probably be limited only by the
width and length of Pennsylvania avenue.
Fifty thousand soldiers and civilians at least
will be in line, and this number would be
largely increased if the managers had not de-
cided to vigorously exclude all organizations Of
an Objectionable character and everything
which might tend to lower the dignity Of the
occasion.
The American people are not much given to
parades. During the first century of the gov
eminent, which is now soon to close, there
have been only few professions that viii be-
come historical. Among these the chief places
Will be held by the inaugural parade of Presi-
dent Washington in New York, the celebra-
tons which marked the fftieth anniversary OF
American Independence in 1926, the grand re-
view OF the army in Washington IN 1863 at the
close of the war of the rebellion the centen-
nal celebration of the battle of Bunker Hill in
Boston in 1875, the two great centennials held
in this city. OF American Independence in 1876
and of the United States Constitution in 1887.
and the inaugural parade of President GARFIELD
in 1890
lie shows have been the newness of the country
and the absence of important events worthy OF
being commemorated in this way. Other rea-
sons are the absorption of the people in bust
ness and the heat and asperity which has
marked American political contests. A CONT
nent had to be subdued. state governments or
ganized. thousands of miles of railroads built,
the gold and silver mines of California and Ne
vada made to yield up their precious stores,
the great granary of the northwest opened,
1000, 900 slaves freed and more millions of emf
grants from the old world received and made
part and parcel of the American people. 1t is
not strange that while these tasks were being
accomplished there was little time for pomps
and displays.
But the nation has grown rich and great in
the century since George Washington was in
augurated president. 1t has more than doubled
its area and has multiplied its population by
twenty, and events worthy of being celebrated
are crowding thick and fast upon each other.
There is less hurry in business and less asperity
in politics and the harsher traits of the people
are evidently being softened by the arts of
civilized life. This change is to be welcomed
though it is to be hoped this country will never
see the day when its citizens will become so
enervated that they will be eager to climb "to
walls and battlements, to towers and windows,
yea.to chimney tops" to seesome 'great Pompey
pass the streets of Rome'
There is too much to be accomplished how
ever, too many victories to be gained over the
material forces of nature, to warrant any pres
ent fear That the American people are degener-
atlng to the level of the Romans of Julius
Caesars time. So, putting politics and pessim-
ism aside for the day, every American can. on
the 4th of March. look with pride and satisfac-
ton on the procession. which will sweep from
Capitol Hill up Pennsylvania avenue and past
the White House. and which will probably be
so grand in its proportions as to form point
OF comparison for all future inaugural parades.