Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-06-23
A PARADE FIVE MILES LONG
'"'t'hs foiitlosi Clubs Wake tho Echoes
of tho ProverbIaliy quiet
Quaker City,

Philadelphia, June 19.-Fiye miIps of
clubs. mounted, on foot, by coach.
noats and in carriages, interspersed
with music, red fire and cakewalk. is
the shortest way of describing the
turnout of the visiting and local poiti-
cal clubs in this city last night.
The Critics Were Too Previous,
Those who had been complaining for
two days of the unusual quietude pre-
ceding the meeting Of a national con
Sention must have reflected last night
that they had criticized toosoon. Those
who had attended previous demonstra-
tons in connection with similar occa-
sions liken that of last night to the
great turnout of clubs in Chicago that
was reviewed by Blaine aud Logan pre-
ceding the election of 1884.
Advance Preparations.
The police had prepared for the
demonstration by roping Broad street
/ carl, IA the afternoon, carrying uut
the Washington idea of clearing Penn
sylVania avenue for parade purposes.
1t was a wise forethought, for before
dusk Philadelphia's appropriately
named thoroughfare was a mass of hu-
manity, which tuggcd at the cables
like an ocean liner.
The Entire Line Wns Crush.
The entire line of march was a crush,
but the section of the street between
the city hall and the Hotel Walton was
conspicuously animated. 1t was in
this section that there was the greatest
and most artisticarrangement and dis
play of electric light. The south
facade of the city hall was outlined by
strings of incandesccnt bulbs, which
looked like illuminated beads. Ropes
of similar lights extended from either
side of the building to the summit of
the lofty dome, terminating at the
| base of the Penn statue
Perfect Police Control.
For an hour before the head of the
column came into view at the variant
point of the street at the city hall, the
thousands who lined either side of
Broad street, and who occupied every
window, from the ground line to the
top, waited good humoredly. In part
this was due to their control by the
police.
1t has been many years since the po-
lice of Philadelphia has been called
upon to handle such banks of human
ity as it confronted last night,
Street Cars We're Held Up.
Before the column came in sight the
street ears on the various intersecting
lines were permitted TO break through
the lines at intervals of Is minutes. To
do this the police had to unfasten the
ropes at these intersecting points. In
opening the way the populace persist
ed in holding the cable taut until the
police forced the grip upon it, When
the way was opened groups of human
ity made rushes to cross the street and
in some instances succeeded. 1t was
here that the police showed their firm
ness and in finally controlling the i'm.
patient crush they did it withou, hit
ting head or causing, except in iso-
lated cases, any feeling of resentment.
Visitors from cities where the police
have great crowds to handle were pro-
fuse in praise of Philadelphia's police
last night. ....
CoIored Cake Walkers.
An amusing feature of the parade
and, by the way, an innovation, was
an interlarded cakewallf in the col
umn. The characters We're colored
men, women and children attired in
costume made the more attractive by
torches of red fire.
Vice-PrcSidcntinl Demonstration.
The only demonstration in the line
in behalf of a yice-presidential candi-
date was the display by one club OF
20 streamers, on which "Dolliyer' was
painted in big letters.
More than One Hundred Clubs.
The parade was divided into eight
divisions, in which there were more
than eighty local clubs and about
twenty visiting political organizations
The out-of-toWn clubs were scattered
through the eight sections, and were
escorted by the club which was as,
signed to entertain the visiting club.
men.