Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-15
Jeffersonian Simplicity

There is a great deal of talk about
democratic simplicity at the forthcoming
inauguration. and especially arc the REL
crences frequent to Jeffersonian simple
ity. AS a matter of fact jefferson was an
aristocrat, and this statement IL not to
9erosate one jct or little from the honor
due Jefferson as writer on the theory
of equal chances for all men. or equal
rights before the courts. or as brilliant
and sincere popular leader. But Jeffer-
son was an aristocrat and man OF lux
urious habits. though of intellectual In
dustry "A combination frequently found in
men of high intellect.
jefferson lived in fine house in SPLEEN
did surroundings. He owned fine paint
ings and statues. and used the finest fur
niture of the time. the finest china and
the finest silver tableware He owned
blooded horses. negro slaves and fertile
lands He had entry To the most eXciu-
sive social circles in Virginia and else
where. The difference between his stand
ard of living and that of poor white
of his period was greater than the living
difference between a rich man and poor
man today. Time has hazening ef-
feet on class distinctions as those DIS
tinctions We're observed by our ancestors
In the section OF the country in which
Washington stands today pioneer condi-
tons had been long outgrown "a century
ago and class distinctions based on fam
lily and wealth were harder TO break
through then than they are now. The
people of these parts hundred years
ago were much closer TO the English idea
of class of that period than We are to the
English idea of class today.
One Of the things constantly cropping
up is the reference to Jeffersons inaugu-
ration and his simple horseback ride from
his boarding house to the Capitol Jeffer-
was stopping at one of the expensive
obstetrics of the young capital-as much
difference separating it from the usual
drovers' tavern as separates the tall hotel
with oriental rugs and liveried bellhops
from the plain commercial house today
and the simple horseback ride is myth.
That story had it's origin in book OF
travels written By an Englishman-John
Davis of Salisbury. He called his book
Travels of Four Years and Half i'll the
United States of America During 119S-
1I9g-1Sii1 and 1902 The following eX-
tract from Davis book contains the
horseback-r!de story. which is refuted by
numerous current accounts of the inaugu-
ration of President jefferson:
The city of Washington was now the
center of attraction for the nation. Null
titudes hocked to it in different directions
TO hear the inaugural speech of Mr.. JEFF
ferSOn. OF this general enthusiasm was
not without my share. Mr. Jefferson S
notes on Virginia was the book that first
taught me to think. and my heart now
beat with a desire to hear the accents OF
wisdom fall from the tongue of that man
whose pen had engrafted much truth on
my mind l therefore departed for the
city of Washington, passing through, in
my way to ii, Philadelphia and Balti-
more. Let me now come to the OBJ
Jcct of my journey To Washington. The
uOliteness of member from Virginia
procured me convenient seat in the
anitol and an hour after Mr.. Jefferson
catered the house. when the august as
sembiy of American senators rose TO re-
c,ive him. He came. however, to the
house without Ostentation. His dress was
OF plain cloth and he rode on horseback
to the Capitol without a single guard. or
even servant in his train. dismounted
without assistance and hitched the bride
OF his horse to the palisades
The facts are that Mr.. jefferson walked
from his boarding house-Conrad's- son
New Jersey avenue to the Capitol. es-
corted on one side by Samuel Dexter OF
Massachusetts, Secretary of the Treasury,
and on the other by Benjamin Stoddert
OF Maryland. Secretary of the Navy and
accompanied by an honor guard of a
battalion of militia. An Alexandria mi
litia battery fired a salute In his honor.
great parade i'm those days was not
he'd. not because of any leaning toward
simplicity but because of the obstacles
to such an undertaking. Such streets as
Washington had then were roads which
in any part of the country today would
cause the farmers to form a road I'm
prOvement association. Travel between
cities was by schooner or chaise or coach,
on horseback. or afoot. The population of
the country was thin, and a ten-mile trip
took more time and cost more money than
hundred-mile trip in parlor car costs
today. 1t was harder to get a crowd of
a thousand Americans together at an in
auguration In Jeffersons time than for a
hundred thousand to get together now
1t Is a reasonable belief that in Jener-
sons time every American = especially
every democrat-wanted to attend the in
augural ceremonies. But the hardships,
the delays and the cost of travelling were
too great, and q small crowd would have
overtaxed the accommodation facilities of
the little capital.