Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-12-23
REpUBLIoAN PARTY UNITED


Washington, Decs22. Especial cor
respondenee). If any hungry Dem0~
cratic Congressman slipped by the
doorkeeper at Representative William
b. McKinley's Get Acquainted party
a few days ago, he PROBABLY skunk out
the rear door with his free trade ears
dropped; and then wrote back home
to store the pillow in the barn out of
the weather, and be kind to the old
mule because things were sort of Slip
ing in Washington and he would be
back home in 1916 to return to break
ing the glebe for considerable spell.
Nothing like that love-feast has
ever been witnessed in the New Will
lard Hotel since Landlord Nights
grandpa wore coppertoed boots. 1t
wasn't one of those sit-down-to table
affairs with your next-seat neighbor
to talk to and nimble-footed waiter
bothering your elbow, but buffet
luncheon. Tables were ranged along
two walls of the big red room, where
you could get anything from oysters
creamed in a chafing-dish to hot
dogs. Good food and no frills. Just
step right up and help yourself. Eat
! it standing and gossip between bites.
The only formality was in being in
| troduced to the new Members of Con-
gress, 1.-The freshman class, as Con-
gresham Mann calls them. AS you
stepped into the room you saw before
you long U-shaped line of capable
looking men, each wearing a badge
showing the State from which he hail
ed. You walked along the line and
were introduced to each Member, and
then the glad hand. When you ar
rived at the end of the line the names
were shaken up in your memory like
the pills in Kelly pool bottle, but
that didn't matter because "by their
fruits We shall know them. After
everybody had shaken hands with
Everybody else the line broke up and
there was a general levee of "hold-
overs, "comebackersI and new
Corners, to accept Host McKinley's
Technology.
The hum of voices and gusts of
laughter continued for half an hour
when Representative Martin Madden,
of Illinois was chosen POSTMASTER,
and some of the guests were called
upon for impromptu remarks. Sena,,
tors Weeks, Harding, and Sherman
ladled out some political hot-shot,
and then George O'Connor, Washing
tons silver-throated tenor, sang some
coon songs. When he had finished,
Floor Leader Mann addressed the
new Members, giving some sage ad-
vice, but remaining strangely non
commital as to what committee
assignments he intended for them.
The inf 20 h1n do Dada Form n
Representative from Minnesota, fol-
lowed. Mr.. Bede admitted following
the Chautauqua circuit, or Bryan
Boulevard" as he calls it, and he
punctuated some good Republican
logic with a number of side-split-
ting anecdotes. Senator William AL
den Smith was requested to speak,
but he had been called out Finally
they passed the buck to Uncle" Joe
Cannon, who, possessed of the vigor
of youth and the experience of for
| y years of political forensics, pro-
ceeded to lambaste the Democratic
party until nothing was left but the
rim, and that was broken. The ad-
dresses closed with a few words of
welcome from "our genial host,
Hon. William B. Mckinley, who is
a "come-backer" and, let it be add
ed, "stay-hither".
Underlying all the laughter, To-
quacity, and eloquence of the evening
was the stern resolve to dislodge the
Democracy in 1916, and the firm
conviction that it will be done. That
telling pervaded the gathering. 1t
lpermeated the atmosphere. You
could sense it as you entered the
room. And, why not? The Republic
can party presents a united front to-
day. The family quarrelis dropped that
the enemy, which sneaked into the
house while the family was having it
out in the back yard, may be kicked
into the street. When Mr.. Mckinley
first proposed the party, somebody
suggested it be called Get Togeth-
err" party. Get together, nothing"
replied Mckinley. 1--WE are already
together. Well call it Get Ac-
quainted' party, and the invitations
so announced it, and IAN enjoyable
time was had by ALI.