The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-12-17

Natlonal Legislature 7aS NOT ret 30
Down to Real Work-congress Plan
ming Its Christmas Vacation-Th,
"WriggIe" Walk and the Social Sea
son-Taft's New Offices.
Washington, Dec. s. Especial =
This town is an ideal place for ma
tional capital. There is nothing else
here-nO distractions, no annoyances
no anything. The streets are wide, the
parks are charming, the buildings
many Of them, are classic, the people
are courteous, the avenues of an aft.
ernoon are full of color from swell
turnOuts, and all things combine to
make Washington about as beautiful
and agreeable a city as there is in the
land. But there is nothing doing. A
Sabbatical stiffness is over all. Yet if
one gets on the inside there is nothing
Sabbatical about 1t. In the inner
chambers of Washington a certain gen.
tleman of hoofs and horns is exceed
ingly busy. But there! l was almost
giving something away.
A Mecca Of Fashion.
The distinctive feature of most
American cities Is the travail of doing
things. Crude and noisy they may be,
but at least they are not dead. They
are hammering things out, forging the
future. They are filed with the clam
or of builders, traders, workers. Their
energy finds expression in the steam
engine, the dynamo and the machine.
One would suppose that this national
characteristic would find its most in
tense expression In the national cap
ital. Exactly the opposite is the case.
Here is the sound of no machine ex-
cept the government machine. The
loudest noise that assails the ears is
The visitor coming from any other
American city to Washington is al
most stunned by the quietude. If he
blows in from New York, for example,
it is like the change from lower Broad
way TO upper Fifth avenue. Indeed.
should call Washington the Fifth ave-
nue. of the nation. The smile is true
in more ways than in the quiet and
dress parade. for be it known that
this capital Of the land of the free is
swiftly becoming a Mecca of fashion.
have not yet seen the ''wriggle"
walk in Washington, but the social
season Is not fully opened. 1t will
probably make its appearance before
the Christmas holidays. II you do not
know what the "wriggle" walk is,
thank the gods for your ignorance.
Congress Getting Ready.
am not writing much about con-
gress In this letter for the reason that
congress is not doing much TO write
about. 1t has started off in its usual
listless fashion. The first day it ad-
journed out of respect to its dead. the
second listened to the presidents mes
sage, or, rather, did not listen. but
read It In the morning papers, and
since that time 1t has been thinking
about Christmas. Either the national
legislature ought to meet earlier in the
year or later, or abolish the Christmas
holidays, or inject little ginger into
itself. or something. Uncle Sam pays
for this wasted month and gets moth
ing In return. If the average bust
ness house, factory, store, bank or
were run like congress in
the opening month of the session it
would be in the hands OF receiver be-
fore it had time to wake up.
Where Taft Works.
In the absence OF other excitement
took a stroll around the new executive
building west of the White House. Or
Is 1t west? / am always mixed in my
directions in Washington. Anyway,
there is only one executive office, and
It matters not whether it is west. east,
north or boxes the compass. Perhaps,
being the apex of the nation, it is like
the north pole and everything from IL
Is south. 1t certainly is an improve
ment on the whitewashed dry goods
box that did service for an executive
office during the days of Roosevelt.
The thing that used to puzzle me was
how a man of I. RS cyclonic ac-
-lNlty COulu COnuHe Hlmsell III SuCu u
One expected every minute
hat he would burst out one of the
walls, go up through the roof or ex-
olode the thing with his suppressed
energy. Taft's official housing. like his
firth and his smile, is more ample.
Whether by malicious design or mere
accident. the new structure has spread
tself over Roosevelt's famous tennis
,ourt. That historic spot-the Mecca
" Jimmy Garfield. Clifford Pinchot
ind the rest Of the fianneled brigade
s no more.
A Wide Out Structure.
The new executive office is chiefly
notable for the wide expanse Of terri
org It occupies. 1t looks for all the
world like Que Of those churches that
he congregation is too poor to build
III at one time and so finishes the
easement and uses that until the pros
,erous hour when IL can add the
The presidents office
nnex Is not without dignity-a sort Of
ne story dignity. as it were-but it
las the appearance Of not being done.
4 IL a low razfSh structure that re-