The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-13
STEP LIGHT. LADIES.

preston which the country has gained of its
President a moral invertebrate, it would be
well afforded in the acclaim which greets even
the show of independence on his part.
It is heralded from Washington that the Pres
ident has at last put his foot down" We are
told that he is nsistcn that 'at least some eff
fort be made to comply with the Republican
platform pledge of legislation against the water
ing of stocks Having been quoted as being
willing 10 abandon altogether the stock watering
feature III the pending railroad bill, Mr.. Taft
summoned Elkins and Adrich, Mann and Wick
erahasn. and Cannon and ''bluntly informed them
he would not consent to such complete ignoring
OF the platform pledge Something he is
quoted SAYING must be done To carry out the
party pledge"
Was anything done Did the conferees look
into that determined eve and, quaIing, run to
do the bidding of the Executive and do some
thing even if something was merely any
thing toward the keeping of the partys faith
Scarcely, Instead, Mr.. Mann met the ode
mand@ with a plea ef confession and avoidance.
Very ,gravelv be informed the President that he
would be delighted to do something about stock
watering, except for the fact that he knew moth
ing about it. Nor did he thing that the House
| kRfeT Anything more Than he did Therefore Il
TO do something it knew nothing about.
Report does not say whether Messrs Elkins
I Aldrich and Cannon protested similar TO-
norance Of gentle art of which bv common re-
port they are al.conyersant, /, However that may
be, the point impressed Mr.. Taft. He was. how
ever, "adamant" that something be done. If the
Republican House, after months in session, did
not know anything about the evils of stock water
, ing which their platform denounced, it was time
, for strenuous action looking 10 their information
Putting down his foot Mr. Tafs demanded
that the entire matter be submitted to a com
, mission, to be reported on 10 the short session
OF Congress next December The President hay
ing carried his point the meeting adjourned
1t IL significant that what, after months OF dis
, cusslon Mr.. Mann and the House are in com
pcte ignorance of. the commission il expected to
T master IN two weeks.
The way in which Mr. Taft puts down his
foot reminds us Of the details given by Uncle
Sammy Bryson. of Snowbird Mountains. in his
r celebrated eulogy on the charms of his fayorite
danghter Pearl Snewbird Bfysotf, Dynamo
Among other things he said
Ladies and gentlemen. she's eighteen wears
old and weights a hunderd an eghtv-seven
, pounds. She is II foot 10 inches high She
wears No. o shoe and Kin walk a mile over
r birds eggs and never sqush she'll. Ladies and
, gentlemen, she's hiqh stepperE
Exceeding as he does all of Pearl Snowbird's
measurements, what can he said of the President
except that when he puts down his foot it is,
Notwithstanding its size--a ease of 'Step light
ladies'" lie is, in fact, in the class Of those
dancers whose twinklng toes never seem to
touch the floor, or of that tabled gentleman of
such exceeding speed that when he started out
to run he Invariably met himself comingsback'