The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-04-27
Our National Capital.


or in carriages. and one may see the man
sions and gardens. and the nurses. and
those toddlers who are the luckiest children
IN the Union; for Of all places Washington
is the most heavenlike for children But
in the mixed throng on Pennsylvania Ave
nue. there Is chance 10 see the people of
city 50 distinctively American as to con-
tain only $4,000 foreign born men and
women. The Southerners attract the eve
first. Their soft hats and Prince Albert
coats betray them. The lawyer, the lea
der in the South. has set the fashion for
all his people So it comes that all South
ern men dress like lawyers-in sober black
with long coat tails. In their carriage one
sees strange conflict of pride and sloven-
hness--prlde in the pose of the head, and
Incidence in their gait Their women,
petted to the spelling point when they are
young. are the life of the Avenue, and Of
all Washington. To be typical they must
be blondes and We see hundreds of pure
blondes in the parade And they must be
merry and much in evidence, having never
been restrained They are absolutely
queens at home. and hesitate at nothing.
Literature. art, wit. vocalization. dramatic
entertainment, reform, equestrianism, lead
ership Of fashion, social activity-there is
nothing into which they do not plunge;
and they and their peeuliarities are all in
tensiied in Washington. Their husbands
and brothers look on in blind idolatry.
For themselves the Southern men ask only
To be considered orators: and that they all
are What should we do but for the
Southeners in Washington-but for their
spirited and pretty women especially? But
there l. no need to discuss doing without
this leaven in the great lump And it is
fitting that they should be most eonspic-
uous there, for Washington is Southern
city geographically. True, George Wash
ington and his testy engineer, l. Enfant,
planned to have it grown to the eastward
of the Capitol ON the high plateau that
was hest suited for a city site And
they intended the White House to be
semi country seat, apart from the town.
The Southerners were in control then. and
where they thought the city would come
they laid out avenues for their beloved
States-V Virginia and Georgia and North
aud South Carolina avenues Alas fer
their hopes the greedy landowners and
spectators held that land top high. and
we built the city 50 that todaj the elegant
streets are the ones that bear the names of
IL .I,,,.x H.. N.uEoa
Next in order Of notabihty in the parade
are the Western folk-great in numbers
a. be6ts the representatives of nearly two
thirds of the Union There Is no mistak
ing them, either Their men are bearded,
hot eyed, intense beings, self-concentrated.
a. you can see in their every action and
movement and conversation Their women
include many Of the leaders of the official
aud the social sets. and vet, taking them
by and large. a. the sailor phrase goes, the
oftenest raw and i'll at ease in the formal.
ultra-eonyentional routine of the public and
social life. where power and place are
graded in one set and etiquette and eating
rule the other The darkies are very con-
spicuous BY reason Of their peeuliarities
and their numbers They divide them
selves into two bodies. The elegant and
ambitious form one, and the lazy, happy.
easy going work folk and vagrants form
the other But the darky mob is most
picturesque with its wasted nurse
girls. its hinge bandanna crowned mann
mics. its white bearded, rheumatic old
uucles in the whitewashine line, its
rigtag and bobtail loafers. out at elbow
toggle- -iointed loose all over, and content
whenever the sun shines ON them
Democracy is mere evident at the seat
of our government than anywhere else in
America Washington is great leveller.
Had the capital been set up in New York,
or any great commercial or manufacturing
city, the result would surely have been
very different The people or the officials
would have drawn line between the two
classes But a. it is, Washington is moth
ing else than official. and the men who
hold place become ordinary by mere force
Of numbers. Heart pangs come to new
CongreSsmen who find themselves count
ing for no more than ordinary citizens out
side their eouncil-ehamber Indeed, only
the members of the Upper House have
been able. by reason Of their fewness and
long tenure of office, TO create an artificial
dignity for themselves wholly within one
wing Of the Capitol In the hotel Hobbies
and in the streets uu one points out
Senator aS a Senator. though especial gifts
aud strong personality, OF great wealth or
eccentrieity may cause few To be whis-
pered about u they pass in the crowds.
And how can this help but be the case
where even the President walks about the
streets on fine afternoons, is met IN the
shops. goes on foot to and from church.
and rides about the country roads in a car
riage not different from those of his genteel
neighbors2 President Arthur fine figure
was IA common feature of out-of- door life
in Washington, General Garfield had
been long known. by sight, to all Wash
mgton before he was President Neither
Grant nor HAYES nor Harrison ever secluded
himself. and il President Cleveland does
81 il is because he is poor pedestrian and
an ill-adviSed worker attending to even
the routine duties which other Presidents
have shouldered upon subordinates The
custom of ri-weekly receptions to the pub
lie which Mr. Cleveland made feature OF
Washington life during his first term, which
Benjamin Harrison kept up, and which
many Presidents have observed. had great
levelhng effect The Member from Po-
dunk could not give himself airs if his
humblest constituent had shaken hands
with the Executive that day, and means
To do so again day after tomorrow, The
custom must have made many foreigner
marvel. 1t was ultra -American-the best
thing for the people, and the most disa-
greeable for their chief servant of any
phase of the relationship of the of6ceholder
to the masses in our government The
man whose personality made him seem to
6ll the place more fully and maiestically-
to the eve. at any rate-than any man
since Washington. used to hold such re-
ceptions wherever he went. and any man
could shake his hand have seen him
receive the people of a pastoral region in
the parlor of country hotel, and put new
pride into the Americanism of thousands.