Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05

twos and threes with heads bowed and eyes
cast down.
Not so with the chairman. He remained:
hoping against hope and wide eyed, till just
about the time that the gray of the dawn
crept in through the windows. Then he
stretched his tired body upon one of the
tables and closed his eyes in the dead sleep
of one who is wholly exhausted: At OF
the afternoon on Wednesday he opened
them again Before he broke his fast he
called a stenographer. to whom he dictated
a last defiant Claim" that, after all. later
returns in two or three states might change
the figures so as to show victory instead OF
defeat.
If the day before election is depressing at
national headquarters because of the sus-
pense how shall the days Immediately fol-
lowing defeat at headquarters be described2
The thing is impossible; the situation can
only be indicated. If the air is blue with
good cigar smoke election night 1t IS bluer
still with unauthorized gloom on the day
following defeat Only those. are there
whose melancholy duty 1t Is to close up the
place, burn the records and stationery and
otherwise attend the obsequies of COL
lapSed campaign. Over these squalid cere-
monies it were better that the veil were
tightly drawn.
News Of Victory.
Receiving the returns when they bring
news of victory is quite another matter.
Then hilarity sometimes verging on the ex-
travagant takes the place of gloom.
Four years later than the occasion
above described the returns were re-
ceived by the strongest and best ordered
political organization in the country at
it's headquarters, after a campaign which
all the members of the organization
thought they had good reason to believe
successful. So confident were they OF the
result that the ladies, as well as the men,
We're invited to come to the organiza-
tons headquarters and receive the news
as it came in over the wire.
The shipping department whence mil
lions of documents" had been sent out
over the land during the campaign was
cleared of desks and mailing tables, and
thus transformed into a spacious hall.
Handsome chairs took the place of the
shipping apparatus and the place was
brilliantly illuminated. Evening raiment
was the rule, and the gathering assumed
the appearance of a swell social function.
Glossy white shirt fronts cleaned In
snowy relief against black waistcoats;
jewels sparkled on dainty fingers and
graceful necks; the murmur of masculine
voices was complemented by the silvery
laughter of high bred women.
AS before, those who We're inclined to
figures brought with them tabulations for
comparison, and, as before, there were prep
aratons for the discounting of early re-
turns. But this time the returns were Of
another color. Message after message was
clicked off by the wire and read out So
norously. but all the news received that
night was good news to those who heard
it there There were no groans of dismay,
only cheers and happy laughter.
Celebrating the Occasion.
By o o'clock, said the experts with the
tabulations, there was further uncer-
tainty. By 10 the whole party had re-
solved itself informally into an amateur
glee club. Half an hour later the happy
gathering desisted from the hearing of
returns and the singing of songs, and de-
voted itself to the disposition of good things
to eat
When this party separated there was no
breaking away in ones and tWos and threes
in order to avoid the attention of the I'M
friendly, no hanging of heads, no casting
down of eyes. This time victory. not de-
feat, was in the air. and it was the fellows
of the other side who were plunged in deep
est gloom.
Today the strain of inaction has already
settled over headquarters in both politt-
cal camps pending the thirtieth presidential
election through which the country Will
have passed three days hence. Monday will
be the bluest NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. political
workers are gathered-that the country has
seen for four long years and the next day
the quadrennial fall of paper slips into the
ballot boxes will take place.
There are few readers, indeed, who are
Indifferent to the result, even if the cam
paign has been characterized by unwonted
APATHY" But every one of you may be
truly happy, whoever shall be elected, that
you are not obliged to pass through the
heartbreaking experience that must come
within the next seventy-two hours to those
who have been busy since some time in Au-
gust at the headquarters of the party for
which defeat is in store