The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-02-18
The PRESIDENT
VERY HUMAN,
Visits the National Press Club
In a Sweater.
ISOLATED IN WHITE HOUSE.

Sorry People Do Not drop In"-Pre.
pairing to Celebrate the Completion OF
the Panama CanaI-How Senator
Purcell Made the August Upper
House Gasp.
Washington, Feb THE picture of
President Taft visiting the National
Press club is one that may help in
forming an estimate of the man. Clad
in a sack coat and sweater, the cos
tune he usually wears on his walks,
the president went to the club in re-
spouse to an invitation, expressed de-
light with the quarters, tossed witty
sallies to and fro with the newspaper
men, met them in an utterly informal
way, talked in chatty vein of the
experiences he had in his walks about
Washington and expressed in one SEN
tence a human feeling that everybody
can appreciate. He said there was
sense of isolation in the White House;
that everybody came by appointment,
and nobody just dropped in" In his
manner and tones was a note of regret
that people didn't just drop in"
Something of the same element of self
pity entered Mr.. Tafts talk to the
magazine publishers when he referred
to poor deviP' who was trying to
meet his responsibilities. All of this
may not change anybody's opinion of
the president as an official, but can
do OIL oh
warm up to him as a man.
Celebrating In Advance.
There is already considerable talk
as to the proper place to celebrate the
completion of the Panama canal, and
of course everybody in Washington
thinks that this is the place. 1t sounds
trifle odd that there should be an
animated discussion of the subject so
Just when the canal will be finished
nobody knows. The last official state
ment of the chief engineer fixed the
happy day as Jan. 1, 1915. OF late
the canal work has been going for
ward in such efficient fashion that ev-
erybody has forgotten all about it.
All that has been heard of late is that
it is being pushed more rapidly than
was expected The very fact that the
chief comment on the enterprise now
concerns celebration of its compile
ton shows that we are over the back
bone of the task and on the downhill /
side BY all means let us celebrate in |
Where else? Everybody !
will be so happy when the big ditch
is done that he will not give a hang |
where he celebrates so long as he does |
celebrate. However, we are still some /
distance from the happy goal, and |
there is an adage about never shout
ing till out of the woods.
A New Senator Overnight.
The United States senate is seldom |
Jared, but it certainly did get jolt
when the new senator from North Da-
kota recently emerged. His actual !
physical presence was the first inkling
anybody had that there was new /
senator. 1t appears that when Gov
ernor Burke appointed his friend and |
neighbor, Fountain l.. Thompson, there
was a yell went up from every Demo-
crat in the state. AS soon as this howl
became articulate it took the form of
''Who the blazes is Thompson" or
maybe they did not use the word
'blazes." Anyway, they wanted to
discover the identity of Thompson.
Next the roar became a chant, like the
cheering In national convention
breaking into a song. Only this roar
In North Dakota was not made by
cheering. Far from it. The chant re-
solved itself into the tune Of Amer
ca" and purported to be the favorite
song Of Governor Burke, bearing the
now famous words, "Owotona Siam,
Owotona Siam, Owotonasw Well, ell
her the music or the bowling got on
Governor Burke's nerves, and he de-
,ided to make a new appointment
Senator Thompson gave the excuse of
illness. resigned and hied himself to a
health resort. In the same breath
hat announced his resignation he
rave the name Of his successor. w. E.
Purcell, who just then hove into the
)fiing. Senator Burrows gasped once
n twice. feebly expostulated that this
was most irregular, but in the end
subsidized
What Boosts Prices.
At last l have discovered the cause
II high prices. They have been ascrib-
d TO every other known reason. but
lere is the real thing. The malefactor
hat occasions all our woe is the hook
worm. That monster engrosses the
Ittention OF the agricultural depart
nent. and how can the supply Of farm
produce be kept up when the agricul-
ural department is busy doing some
hing else: I hasten to mention this
or fear some college professor may
eat me to it. The college professors
ave given reasons quite as fantastic.
A Political Haystaek.
The fact that the Democratic sue
essor OF the late Representative De
ArmOnd has almost trebled the plurali-
y Of that popular and able member
5 regarded here as the first straw in
icating the direction Of the wind In
he conversational alacfion nert fell If ,