The morning times., 1896-07-19
PARADE NOT A FAKE.


! Committee and Paraders Defended
From Very Unjust Charges.
I. Editor Times: / have heard So many
t remarks, such us: Wasn't it disma
| failure what a fake parade, after al
their talk" etc, made in reference to ouI
! parade or Tuesday night that think al
explanation of the cause of the DISMAL
I failure should be made and the blame
I placed where it belongs. namely: with
/ the police and certain specta tors.
| People who stood along the published
route for hours waiting FOR the line to
I pass, are Justly inceDsed, not a { the crowds
sylvania avenue. from Fifteenth stree
/, down To Sixth. ind made it impossible for
the parade to move, but at the wheeimen
who composed the parade. 1t is to justify
the course OF these wheelmen that / ask
for space in your columns for this letter,
knowing the interest The Times took in the
pa rade.
The citizens may we'll be indignant at
,, not witnessing the grand spectacle they
had anticipated, but their Indignation pales
into significance compared with that or
the wheeimen who were in line. The spec
tators who were fortunate enough to have
a position along tile route OF the procession
above Executive avenue have nothing but
praise for US, and truthfully say it was the
graDdest sight OF the kind they have ever
beheld; so would the people over the entire
route say now had We been allowed to
pass over 1t, but the crowd on Pennsylvania
avenue would not permit it.
In charity to the majority of them, /
refer to them as a crowd, but mob would
be more expressive of their actions. The
order of the marshal read four, wheels
abreast. From Fifteenth StTeetdown Penn
sylvaDia avenue the crowd stood ut least
nve deep on either side Of the small space
left for the procession at all places, and
in most places the leaders OF the, clubs
found an unbroken wall of people in front
of them and had to call halt until
passageway for their club single file'
was made.
ctf nor
aiing enough, the action of some people
hoodlums-was such that self-respecting
people could not pass between their lines.
ne 81 peo gSnE Wits to nae roo enough TO
move by keeping your wheel perfectly
straight and having ruffians knocking
at your lanterns, extinguishing the lights,
overturning and setting them on fire, or
pulling them from their fastenings out
light; breaking your flagstaffs, tearing
the decorations from your wheel, pushing
and running you into the crowds; and
worst OF ali, addressing personal and in
sulting remarks to the ladies' in line,
and you have pretty fair idea of the
participate in that parade and stayed in
the ranks after passing Fifteenth street.
If the public is aware of these things aud
approves Of them, Of course they will con-
for '.faking" them, butif, on the other hand,
they think, as l sincerely trust they do.
that the parade failed because of lack or
numbers, let them obtain a description of
the beautiful pageant from some friend
VINO saw it before reaching Executive
avenue with this latter description and
true description OF our reception further
down the line, i think they will Justify
the paraders in falling out of line and
breaking up what promised to be the most
successful parade and beautiful sight seen
in Washington in many years, and will give
the committee who worked so hard for
its success credit for possessing. not only
executive ability, but dellcacy in refusing
to lead gentlemen and ladies through
crowds, whose main object in life appeared
to be to break up the parade.
: We can excuse the police force present.
they did all they could considering their
numbers, but what can we say in extenua-
ton Of the conduct of the hoodlums II |
Washington. and the inability OF the police |
to control them. c. Z. /.