The Republican journal., 1914-01-08
Washington Whisperings.

WASHINGTON. D. c., Jan. 5. 1914. The
year just closed will be memorable !"
the annals of the nation for the inaugu-
ration of the first Democratic President
in twenty years, the passage OF tar'ii
bill along Democratic lines, the enact
ment of an income tax law In keeping
with an amendment of the constitution
and new law correcting some OF the
evils of the national banking act. Whiie
the act recently signed by President Will
son affecting our banking and currency
system is not wholly perfect, it is by
long !odds a better bill than the Demo
cratic leaders had hoped for, and by far
a better bill than the Republican minori-
ty had believed possible. The unanlml'y
with which the new banking law is being
received by the great banking lnstltu'
tions of the country indicates that the
time for change in the manner in when
our finances were carried on had arrived
nearly half century having elapsed
since the enactment of the last natlonal
banking act.
Senator John Sharp Williams OF MIS-
! sissippi, one of the lights OF the upper
house of the Federal Congress, has De-
come an out and out advocate for cessa-
ton of battleship building and armament
making. AS student at the UNIVERSE
ty of Heidelberg, Germany, where ne
specialized in international law and eco
nomic subjects, Senator Williams pc
came an ardent believer in the doctrine
of international peace, although at one
time in his career he believed in the
"code duello'' and practised it. Today,
however, he has the most profound re-
spect for man who does not tote
gun, relying upon natures own weapons
to resent insult and calumny..
Senator Williams, in conversation with
number of newspaper men the other
day, made the startling statement that
unless Germany calls a halt on its army
and navy program it will be bankrupt
nation in twenty years, the drift to this
condition being irresistible unless the
labor and socialist parties should get
control of the government within that
period. with Germany a bankrupt
nation,'' said the Senator from Mlssls-
sippi, "the finances of the world would
be unsettled, England and the United
States alone being able to withstand the
blighting effects of snch catastrophe.
Attractive and winsome Margaret Will
son, eldest daughter of the President and
Mrs. Wilson, has fairly captured Wash
ington, for she is full of life and vivacity
and all the beautiful attributes that go
to make charming woman. Along with
this, Miss Wilson, who is officially the
very FIRST young lady of the lard, -
bears distinction unique and without
precedent in the social doings of White
House families that have gone before,
for she is a singer of rare accomplish
ments, and, like her precedent-smashlng
father, ignores customs of the past, and
! just as any young woman in private life
would do, she appears in public and semi
public to sing for charitys sake. This
alone has captivated Washington; no
other "frst young lady of the land'
ever before has brushed aside the staid
traditions of eXclusiveness surrounding
her official social position as Miss Wilson
has done; and it is understood now that
she will cheerfully participate in public
or semi public entertainments here for
this or that charity whenever the cause
is worthy one and her engagements
will permit her to do so.
| The first appearance on the public
stage in Washington of this distinguish
id young lady was recently in song re-
cital for the pleasure OF the blind. 1t
took place in the reading room of the
National Library for the blind. For
these unfortunates, on that occasion, the
daughter of the White House gave a
program Of classic songs. Probably
never again in her life will Miss Wills on
sing to an audience more appreciatlve
and enthusiastic than this sightless one
within the pitiful walls of the institution
for the blind. The pathos surrounding
her unseeing hearers so affected the
talented but intensely human young
woman that when she returned that
night to the cheerfullness of the White
House, a decided suspicion of tears of
Joy, at the pleasure she had given, shone
in her lustrous brown eyes, eyes that
normally are constantly dancing and
sparkling with merriment.
Miss Wilson's voice is a clear, sweet,
resonant soprano, with rich mezzo
quality, and as she sings her audience
forgets she is the daughter of the Presi-
dent, and quickly finds itself wrapped
up in and hearing only and absolutely
the finished artistic. Her voice has good
carrying power, and every song she sings
is delightful.
Quite naturally, the President and Mrs.
Wilson are very proud of Margaret and
of her accomplishments Instead of
objecting to her appearance in public for