Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-02-18

from appearing. One such occasion
was the dinner given to the governors.
Second to the White House functions,
the receptions by Vice President and
Mrs. Sherman have perhaps been the
most popular affairs of the season. III
the cabinet set Secretary of the Navy
and Mrs. Meyer have beer conspicr-
GUS. I do not know how much Wash
lngton social matters interest the
rountrv. but they figure largely here.
-
Notwithstanding the fact that for
eigners charge us with snobbishness
and plutocracy, Washington ut least
on the surface Is democratic. There
is scarcely a capital in the world that
has 81 few feathers and so little cere-
mony. In the Potomac basin cabinet
officers and government clerks are
seen skating side by side, the presi-
dent walks about the streets unattend-
ed, senators and other fu~nctionaries
are as simple in their habits as news
paper men or shopkeepers, and any
body can see anybody else, ever the
president, If he has any real business
n many times when he has not.
From this aspect, the form side, Wash
ington is most democratic. How 1t is
In its spirit, In the substance beneath
the form, | am not so sure. That
there is an undue kotowing to wealth
is perhaps true. but that is not con-
fined to Washington nor yet to Amer
lea. There ma also be a spirit of
snobbery here. but If SO 1t is for the
most part concealed. Washington is
what the country has made it. Men
congregate here from every corner of
the land, bringing with them the pre-
dominant traits of their sections-the
delightful courtesy of the south. the
informality and friendliness of the
west, the u~nassuming but real kindli-
ness OF the east. Washington Is the
nation In small compass, and snobbery
does not thrive in this atmosphere.
The statehood bill for Arizona and
New Mexico has gone to the SEN
ate and Is practically assured of pas
sage. 1t has the approval of the pres
ident and has been agreed TO In a
general way by the leaders of the two
houses. 1t provides In the usual way
for the election of delegates to a con-
stitutional convention in each of the
territories and the submission of the
constitution adopted by these conven-
tons first to- the president and con-
gress and afterward to the voters of
the territories. If the measure goes
through at this session the Two new
states will probably be admitted in
time to participate in the presidential
election of 1912. With Arizona and
New Mexico in the Union all the terri
tory in the United States proper will
have been carved into states. There
will then be forty-eight stars in the
flag. and no new ones can be added un-
less some of the present states are di-
vided or some of the outlying territory
Alaska, Porto Rico, Hawaii or the
Philippines-is made into states. Ell
Their contingency is remote. For all
practical purposes it is safe to say that
Arizona and New Mexico will be the
last of the American states. The only
unadmitted territory in our W prop
er boundaries will then be the District
of Columbia. which must ever remain
politically a No Mans Land.
Not only do the representatives come
up for election e. fall, but thirty of
the senators go out of Office on March
Q, 1911. and in most cases the legisla-