The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-02

1OAiSNfNatNN' veil is stronger than ever with the masses and will probably be elected Presi- dent in 1916. One hears very little talk about third termism now. It certainly cut very little figure in the campaign just ended"
 Varied Talents
 Not a few of the great composers have been also men of letters-notably Berlioz and Wagner--but 1t is not often that a man of scientific training and scientific pursuits composes music that is worth while," said an old member of the musical set.
 "On Zimbalist's programme one of the small but singularly artistic compositions was by Cesar Cui, the distinguished Rus sian He has written some large works including grand operas. He has writ ten two piano scherzos, suites for the piano and violin, a tarantelle for the or chestra and many songs. But he is said to be at his best, musically,in solos and love duets. Cui is a military engineer of the highest standing. In fact. he is the chief military engineer of Russia and has the rank of major general. He is the pro- lessor of Qualifications in the great Mill tary school at St. Petersburg.
 Another man of prominence in special ized work is Sir Alfred Scott Scott-Gatty, principal garter king-at-arms of the her aids college, In London, and is, therefore, Great Britains leading authority on her aldry. He is a Cambridge man and is
 
 Sir Alfred is a household word on both sides of the Atlantic, his music composed for children--Little Songs for Little Voices and several cantatas--being well thronughout the world. He has composed, altogether, more than 100 short songs and several musical dramas for juveniles. He IS the author of the words as wei as the music.
 "As the world advances in general cul- ture it will not be so rare in the future to find men of affairs and men of sci- ence writing music as a side line.' !" Regarding Our Political System q have long thought that the President of the United States should be elected for term of at least six years and should be ineligible for reelection, and some day the constitution will be amended so as to extend the Presidents tenure,' said a democrat, who was an active politician when Cleveland was first elected.
 Several changes in the constitution would prove popular, I believe The new President should come into office few weeks after his election and not several months. I am an American to the core, but England has a system that is more quickly responsive to public sentiment than is our system of government. When the party in power-the government, as it is called-is defeated on test meas ure in the house of commons, the minis try resigns and new ministry is made up from the opposition party. This is done few days after the election. Tn the last Harper's Weekly Maurice Low, the Washington correspondent, writes about the 'absurdly conservative ways. He starts out by saying: When Congress reassembles next week for a session of nominally three months, but which, excluding holidays and Sundays. will be actually only a little over two months, 1t will be borne home to the American people how far from progressive they really are. how absurdly conserva- tive they really are, how pace the gem eral belief-a belief as firmly held by Flu ropeans as by Americans themselyes--that Americans are always seeking change and keeping up with progress, they are, so | far as their government is concerned, the most conservative people in the world. There is no other country in which a po- litical party or a ministry repudiated by the people would be permitted to exercise all the functions of government for four months after the popular verdict has been recorded In England France. Germany in any other country having even a pre- the popular majority-when the people have spoken sentence is passed, and the mandate of the supreme court of public opinion Is instantly respected
 MT. Low goes on to say in part: Even if Congress were disposed to enact general legislation at the short session, it would be prevented by physical limitations. The time is all too short for the passage of the | supply bills. and it almost invariably hap pens that some of the great money bills do not become laws until almost the min ute of adjournment. They are damned through at the last moment. This, as every one familiar with congressional practice knows, is disastrous to economy or careful legislation. The congressman who wants to work job waits until the short session, when chairmen in charge of appropriation bills. always watching the clock and the calendar. cannot give the close scrutiny to items that they would I if they were less hurried.
 .'The remedy, of course, is obvious; it
 is a remedy that would have been applied long ago if Americans were not welded to the idols of their fathers. It is pity that it was not included among the ex- Icellent suggestions President Taft offered at the Lotos club two weeks ago. The