Omaha daily bee., 1893-03-06
COMPARED WITH OTHER YEARS
0leveland's Inauguration Lacked in Joyous
Enthusiasm.
IMPRESSIONS OF THE LAST INAUGURAL
MIR. CleveIands Second Induction Into once
Not witnessed 10y as Large Crowdsas
Eight Years Ago--iis Reception
Devoid of FeryOr.
WAsH1NGTON BUREAU OF THE BEE,
5l3 FOURTEENTH STREET,
WAsHINGTON. i. q. March >.

WASHlNGTON, II. q, March D.
- few comparisons between the sec
ond Inauguration OF Grover Cleveland as
president, and the quadrennial ceremonies
preceding suggest themselves In the first
place there was noticeable a distinct lack Of
enthusiasm on the part Of the crowds that
fringed the line of march Of the parade and
which thronged the plaza in front of the
capitol This might in part be attributed to
the weather, for it would naturally be diff
fcult for any democrat, even under the
stimulus of liberal quantities Of unbottled
enthusiasm to shout his JOY in the face of
the biting northwester. 1t is true that the
day was exceedingly cold and raw. and the
suffering crowds who shivered for hours upon
open observation stands were in constant
peril of contracting pneumonia. But the
temperature would not alone count
for the undeniabe absence of spirit
and vim that characterized both
the parade and populace. -Four years ago,
when President Harrison was inaugurated,
the weather was far more disagreeable in
Washington than it was yesterday. Then
drenching rain storm, impclled by a lashiug
1reeze, descended upon the city in floods all
day long. Then the crowds here were not
only far greater in number than yesterday,
but the storm, however it might drench
their bodies utterly failed TO dampcn their
enthusiasm. The crowd in the plaza yester-
day which listened to MIR Cleveland's in-
augural address was large, but the one that
stood there four years ago with patient fer
Vor for hours looked like a sea of umbrellas,
stretching far beyond the limits of the plaza
itself although that is twenty acres in OK
tent, and clowding far to the rear
the military escort of the president.
The shout that greeted Mr.. Clevelauds
appearance upon the platform Yesterday
was loud but it would have been absolutely
drowned by the tremendous, overwhelming
and long continued roar of delight that detied
the rainstorm and greeted with frantic JOY
the return into power Of republican presi-
dent.
Four Years Ago.
Four years ago, despite the tempest, it
was difficult for any one not already pro-
vided with seat upon stand or with some
other point of vantage to obtain even a
glimpse of the procession that followed Cen
eral Harrison from the capitol to the white
house. Yesterday it was perfectly easy for
any ordinary pedestrian to find standing
room on the curb, even at the most crowded
portions of Pennsylvania avenue.
All these comparisons will apply equally
well to the inauguration Of eight years ago
The 4th of March then was a bright and
beautiful day, and the triumphant democ-
racy, which was not yet acquainted with
Grover Cleveland and which had yet to learn
ms unknown policies as TO the distribution
h Of patronage and as to legislation, fiocked TO
Washington from all parts of the country
and greeted the first democratic president
since the war with noise and vehemence
which, If disorderly, was at least joyful
But there was none of this element in YES
terday's demonstration. 1t seemed to
be perfunctory There was no hear
tiness in the civic part of the parade,
especially among the political clubs
and, notably, the great Tammany deega-
tion which marched with noticeable air of
dogged determination. as if it had come to
Washington because it had been ordered
The air of the marching men was that of
people who were doing their duty, not that
of victors celebrating triumph. Both four
and eight years ago on the other hand, the
"A visiting clubs had Haunted their banners in
H the rain and in the sunshine and marched
II with joyous stride and exultant mien. Yes
terday the marching clubs acted as though
they were making public profession of their
4 faith in their party principles, rather than
Vi expressing their personal devotion to u
u political chief.
Disappointing as a Spectacle.
The parade itself was disappointment as
spectacle. The military portion would
| have been almost positive failure mad not
the militia of Pennsylvania, New York
Maryland and Virginia attended iE such
large numbers, Many military organizations
from other states, which had been expected,
did not put IL au appearance. From the
4 civic part of the parade were also missing
many party clubs whose appearance had
r been heralded. There was not in the line II
single democrat club as body from beyond
\ the Mississippi. The spectators, too, looked
on with seemingly languid interest, and some
y civic organizations and clubs did not attempt
4 TO keep up an organized appearance Some
OF them could not be found at their head
N quarters as for instance. the one from In
dianapols.
n AS to the size of the crowd, the accuracy
y of a comparison of impressions separated by
h four years of time might be doubted were it
not for the fact that the agents Cf the two
nllnglpal roads Cltprinp WlGlinptnp Nyhp
have had charge of the bulk of the trans
portatiou, agree in saying that not much
more than half the people came here that
were expected and that the aggregate mum
Der of visitors to Washington yesterday. al
though sufficient to tax somewhat the carry
ing capacity of the railroads and boarding
house accommodations and TO SLIGHTLY dis
arrange the regular course of traffic was far
less than either -four or eight years ago,
while it also fell even farther below the
number of those who visited Washington
last fail at the time of the reunion OF the
Grand Army of the Republic
Running Wide Open.
There is always of course some disorder
and drunkenness inevitable to the collection
OF so many thousands of people But the
quantity OF liquor consumed in Washington
yesterday and today must have been
enormous. Judging from the outward evidence
of its effect. Arrests for drunkenness in
. Washington are usually iufrCquCnt but last
night and tonight the station houses are
filled with involuntary dodgers. The law of
the District forhids the sale OF liquor after
midnight and ON Sunday, and this
law is ordinarily quite closely observed
ana rigidly enforced. Practically all Of the
saloons of the town, however have been
continuously open for the past two DAYS.
without reference 10 the hour, while TODAY
there las been no prctonsc of observing the
Sunday law More than this, the beer gar
dens, which have been closed for months
are IN full blast this Sunday night and as
your correspondent writes this dispatch he
can hear the bang, bang, bang of the guns
and the ringing OF the bells where the
'bullseyc' is hit in the shooting galleries in
the very heart OF the city, two blocks from
the white house and block from the Foun.
dry Methodist church. The elements" OF
the town appear 10 realize that President
Harrison's administration is at an end and
they are Introducing life on the bowery"
Cleyeland's First bay 10 onicc.
President Cleveland's first day in the
white house has been devoted To recovering
from the ardent efforts Of Yesterday Robust