The Portland daily press., 1892-12-03
Especial CONSEQUENCES

Will Lose Heavily.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Dec. lin other cities
and communities an election such as this
country had three weeks ago is some
what of a comedy. In Washington it is
tragedy. You have no idea of the
days and nights Of anxiety passed If
thousands of homes in this capital just
before election. Every item of news OF
gossip bearing upon the probable result
was devoured and discussed here as no.
where else in the land. Even the women
and children were in painful suspense,
and many and bitter were the tears when
,S. became known that the opposition had
triumphed and the Republicans were to
go out of power.
Except in few instances the result Of
the election had small personal or family
significance in other communities. Here
the future, the welfare and the dearest
hopes of thousands of families were
threatened. The election was to decide
whether as many as 5000 families were
to remain in Washington, the most de-
lightful city in America to live in, or
whether they were to pack up and move
away ON four months notice. A few
thousand votes more or less in certain
states meant joy or despair to many
thousands of women and children in this
city-homes to continue peaceful and
prosperous or be broken up by removal,
prosperity to be continued or rudely in
terrupted, social pleasures to go on for
years or come suddenly to an end, a
thousand and one plans of husband, wife
or children to be carried on serenely or
be rudely shattered and confused.
The day after election there was a
noticeable diminution of the school at
tendance in Washington. At first the
teachers were at a loss to account for it,;
but when they saw some of their little
|. girl pupils weeping, and learned that
the tears were those of sympathy with
mamma mamma feels so bad because
we have to move away from Washing
ton; she cried all the morning'-they
understood that other pupils had re-
manned at home to mourn. 1t was sad
day in the schools, as at the homes.
The mothers at home said it was
shame they had to go away from Wash
ington just as they were so nicely set
tied, and cried; the little girls at school
won the sympathy of all their mates by
telling how dreadfully they felt at the
prospect of having to go back to the
horrid old school in Ohio, in New York
or wherever it was they had come from,
when their papas found employment
with Uncle Sam.
In thousands of other homes the pangs
of uncertainty were added and are still
added to the other sorrows. While $500
or 5000 families knew the day after
election it would be necessary for them
to pack up next March, from 1000 or
5000 families are to this day sitting on
the anxious seat, not quite sure whether
they will have to go OF not. "Shall we
be able to keep our place after the Demo-
Gratis come in? Or will they turn us out
to the tune
'Grover, Grover,
Four more years of Grover.
Out they go, in we go,
Then we'll be in clover?"
If the people of Washington could have
their way about it there would never be
a change of administration. Washing
ton is always for the '.ins" and against
the ''outs," irrespective OF politics. 1t is
easy to see why. Of course all who are
in office want to remain in. That is nat
ural and human. But the same feeling
extends to that larger part of the com
munity which does not hold Office.
Tradesmen do not want their customers
to move away from town, for they may
not be successful in the scramble for
new ones. Landlords do not like to lose
their tenants, nor lawyers their clients,
nor physicians and dentists their pa
TENTS, nor neighbors their friends, nor
best fellows their best girls. Yet the
people have SO willed it at the ballot box,
and tout they go; in we CO."
Since election l have heard music
teacher talk of committing suicide or
going back to Europe or doing some
other rash thing because all his pupils
were going to leave town next spring.
A pretty girl of my acquaintance hasa
sore and heavy heart because she has to-
remove to California in three months,
leaving behind her young man who
may or may not have the nerve to fol-
low her, though if he doesn't | promise
to denounce him as poor and miserable
specimen of hiss
Then think of the servants who are
troubled because their good mistresses
and masters are going away. Even more
distressing is the sorrow of the house
holders whose servants, having other of
fers, left the day after election. Said a
Dupont circle woman, with moist eyes:
81 can't get a servant for love or money.
They all seem to know we have to break
up next March, and they don't want to
work for family that can keep them
such a short time" Worse still, if pos
sible, are the boarding house keepers.
They are wailing about the roomers and
the boarders they are to lose, and vexing
their poor brains over the question
whether stbey shall be able to get good