Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-08-30
HOW THE STURDY FOUNDER OF
FREE GOVERNMENT
Must semoan the Change at the Cap
itaI of the Nation = Democratic
simplicity Unknown-How to &c,
TO Secretary.
WASHINGTON.

the greatest impression on the new /
members Of the Texas delegation in
Washington. according to colloquy
which The Gazette correspondent heard |
take place between all seven of them
this afternoon. is the bureaucratic arls-
tocracy of Washington.
They We're speaking Of It in the Off |
cial life alone. They have yet to be-
come acquainted with the more intricate
details Of the social aristocracy which
fiourishes here. Or to be mere defn-
itely correct, they were yet. through
their wives, to take up the historic and
unending battles of precedence which
never ceases 10 wage here, and which,
with every succeeding administration, is
taken mp Anew.
To speak first Of the ceremonies and
surprising formal observances necessary
for proper entrance to the sanctnns of
the bureaucracy. These sturdy Texans
are from the land of civil folk aud simple
manners. They have scarcely had time
to realize how long this artificial growth
has had to perfect its still growing sys-
TEN of petty ceremonies and subser-
yiency.
80 on tour of experiment with the
newly arrived congressman and see what
he sees They all have. as first duty
here. numerous visits to the departments
in the interests of constituency hun
CRY and anxious for office. They all set
out at once to get on good terms with the
cabinet officers, who, in the main, repre-
sent the president in distributing smaller
Offices. If by chance he makes his first
visit after = o'clock in the afternoon
he finds all the doors to the land OF
promise closed TO visitors although II
has yet two hours of official day before
It. Next time he comes in the morning
| He is met at the door by one of the
departmental police, and if he is at all a
suspicious character he is hauled before
the commanding guard to satisfactorily
explain his business. This experience was
gone through with by one Of the new
Texas members, who shall he nameess
here.
If he passes inspection satisfactorily
| he is taken in charge by one Of the
! guards and conducted down long corri-
| doris End about bewilderlng number Of
corners until he is lost and absolutely in
| the hands Of the mysterious and silent
| force of hundreds of servile minions
which attend every one of the great
chiefs IN their castle keeps. He is trans
ferred from guard 10 guard and at last
falls into the custody of the always mys-
teriously important pr,etoriin force
which keeps the drawbridge about the
| II ia alf los
Nearly all of these. soldiers of the
household are of African descent, but
arc none the less strong and ferocious
looking for that, and none the less ex-
asperating with all their airs to the aver
age nan from the far South This last
guard about the door to the prlvy coun-
cil chamber puts the new visitor through
an extensive census examination. Name,
occupation, object In coming and numer-
GUS other questions leading ont Of snch
tours Of investigation as is pleasing to his
fancy.
Even after this the visitor is not sure
of 10 entry. He may learn, as one other
Of the Texans did after having success
fully passed through all necessary dan
gers Of the route about the castle and
answered perfectly all the questions Of
his dusky examiners, that the secretary
only receives visitors on Mondays and
Thursdays. In this Instance he is put in
charge of some other murderols looking
mental and allowed to escape with his
life.
But If through luck and the possible
good hunor which the praetcrian guard
knows the great chief TO be in. It is de
cided to admit him, the captain of the
guard, he whose duty it Is to dance in
closest attendance on the toga-touched
heels II his mighty master, demands of
the trembling cntrancc-seeker card.
Suppose the simple. sturdy Texan as is
not unusual, has forgotten to provide
himself with dainty bits of engraved
cvardboard, what terrible dilemma with
the promised land all but in sight. He
must either go through the humiliation of
pleading a CARELESS condition Of poverty
or lliteracy, or ask permission to rctraoe
his steps TO the stationer, who thrives
upon this peculiarly active industry of
the great democratic capital.
But suppose he has n card OF course
1t Is not engraved. But in some idle mo.
ment while waiting about country hotel
ON court day down home he has paid to
see in how many elaborate and intricate
designs the man without arms could
write with his toes the name then be-
lieved to be destined to do the conyen-
tional time-corridor ringing act.
With great difficulty he finds the card
borrd, bent and dirty and poeket-worn.
This Is taken by the porter through a
lattice door into the apartment labeled
Private Secretary He can hear
through the lattice the injured-air ex.
PLANTATION of the negro and the grumbling
complaint of the private secretary.
Al last he is ushered into the presence
Of this most august Parsonage in the build.
ing The trembling new member under
goes his civil service examination again,
accompanied by a close and generally
CONCENTRATIONS survey of his wearing ap.
parel by the corfdant Of the great chief.
a -