Fergus County Democrat., 1915-10-14
Tom Stout's Weekly Letter

~S'>At
about the national capital these lux
urious days of autumn. A few
sleepy guards and attendants sit
nodding here and thcr2, their siesta
broken only by the subdued passing
of an occasional crowd of tourists.
sighting for the first time the innum-
cradle places of historic interest to
| be found in one of the worlds most
famous piles of time-stained granite.
The corridors are empty, the cafes de-
| serted, except for the presence of two
OF three languorous walters who
spend their time upon the futility of
tips when there are no tippers and
| bemoaning that two full months must
pass before the return of light and
| life-and tips-to the great grey way
Like conditions of solitude prevail in
| the two great office buildings, mann
moth and costly heaps of marble and
granite construction for the conven-
fence of the army of men who consti
tute the first of the trinity of cor
ordinate branches of our national gov
ernment, the legislative branch.
/ i Il
/ | have seen not to exceed a dozen
| members OF congress since my re
turn to Washington a month ago. In
every instance, they are men who live
| near and have simply run down for
day or two to look into departmental
matters and We're invariably in
hurry to finish up and get back home
| The men from the middle west and
| their brethren from out beyond the
line where the real west begins have
not started to arrive They are still
resting up" among the folks back
home or perchance, having a last
critical look at the fences which may
haps be compelled to remain unat-
tended until after the opening of
another campaign.
The absence OF congress robs the
visitor to Washington at this time Of
his best opportunity to witness any
wheel of government in actual opera
| ton. True, the supreme court may
sitting, but nine black robed men of
somber mien sitting in a row behind
a long table. some listening and some
not apparently pretending to listen to
a dignified expounder of the const-
tutlonal eXpounding, in most unpaS-
sionate manner, certain views Of con
stitutional law, do not present a very
thrilling spectacle. 1t is profoundly
Impressive but, so far as the average
spectator is concerned, it compares
| with rough and tumble debate in
the house of representatives very
much as game Of humble peg com
pares to football scrmmage.
But withal, though such opera
ticns are largely hidden from the pub
lie gaze, there are probably as many
wheels revolving within the wheels
right here in Washington as ever be
fore in it's illustrous history. The
utter absence of activity up here on
the hill which is graced with the pres
ence OF the imposing capitol building
is more than offset by the ceaseless
procession of events of world wide
consequence down within the environs
of the White House, at the other end
:. OF Pennsylvania avenue. There and
in the other great building wherein
!, are housed the state, war and navy
departments, hundreds of men, from
the president down to messenger
boys, are working overtime, some try
ing to keep us away from war new
and others trying to perfect plans
which they hope will keep war away
from us throughout days to come.
Men who work in these depart
ments. and particularly in the state
department or about the executive of
flee, while snpremey guarded in
their every statement, tell me that
few people on the outside of Official
circles will ever know of the tension
which hnS cd
ing the last seven months. Those in
charge of affairs of this big nation
the population of which is largely a
conglomerate of the peoples of a
dozen warning countries beyCnd the
sea, have been sorely beset in thei,
eftors to maintain a state OF strict
and uncompromising neutrality They
have had constantly to contend Will
scores OF cross currents, many OF
tllem set in motion right here within
the borders OF our own land and gues
tons have arisen almost daily in find
ing the answer to which no recourse
could be had to the usually reliabl,
charted highways and hyways OF
. precedent and past experience. The
last few months have added years te
the ages of many faithful men in the
service OF their country and, despite
the excellent care which he is com
PEELED to take of himself, the presi
dent betrays, in the lines of his face
something of the suspense which he
has endured during these trying days
: | cannot help but reflect that the
president has been fortunate, and
doubtless the country likewise, thai
the legislative branch of the govern
ment has been enjoying well-earneG
: vacation throughout these parlous
times. This is said without the
slightest intention of being disre
spectful toward a body of which il
t is my privilege to be a member. The
congress of the United States is made
up of many men of many minds Fur
: thermore, all of them have tongues
in their heads and a desire in their
hearts to use them upon the slightest
proyocation at all With five hun
dred more or less loduatious indi
Viduals of official standing and vary
ing degrees of pre-eminence gathered
at one central point where opportuni
ties for the delivery of nnpolitica
and harmful speeches are not limited