The Washington times., 1916-06-15
Democrats Whisper n
Epen About Weather
And When One Delegate Touches Another for
Ticket, It Looks Like Diplomatic Intrigue
in aBest Seller.
By THEODORE TILLER.

ST. LOUIS, June i5.--Undoubtedly the
champion whisperers OF the nation are
members of the Democratic party.
There hasn't been n mysterious Incl
dent connected with this convention,
but there's more whispering going on
than at the Republican and Progressive
conventions combined.
It just seems natural for q Demo-
cratic leader or delesate to speak in
low. solemn, and mysterious tones. II
you by the coat or the lobe OF the ear.
stick his mouth right against your coll
lar. and give an imitation of q man
who has lost his voice-then the inform
Probably II isn't worth while. anyway,
but ut st. Louis one may easily tell
when the talker thinks It's important.
Delegates OF high and low degree
soft-pedal their communication here.
and Me League. What they are talk
ing about Heaven knows. Nothing has
occurred or will occur here that couldn't
be shouted from the hotel roofs or car
ried over the tapped telephone wire, but
,tated stand about and wonder IL the
old nation If about to 90 90 the rocks.
Stone and Nc Combs Pose.
Bill Stone and william r. McCombs.
chairman OF the national committee.
posed the other day for movie man.
celebrities stood about two feet apart.
gesticulated. carried on an imaginary
conversation and looked uncomfortable.
In tire movie they will probably appear
No aocnsr hand h%d Ss pGsd
moved away. however. than a real life
like scene was cnacted-Just the sort OF
thing the movie man ought to have
had.
Senator Stone and Chairman Nc
Combs moved over against a nearby
sidewalk pillar. They put their heads
together like an engaged couple.
Senator stones mouth was showed
within an inch of Mr.. McCombs' ear.
Thus they stood for a couple of min
utes, whispering SO sedately that a
man a foot away couldn't catch q
word. a big crowd gathered on the
There's something. up" said a by
.stander. That's Bill Stone talking
to Mccombs. bet there's some trou-
Deep stun. KID said a eynic:
conversation between Stone and Nc
Combs was OF no more Importance
than something like this:
StOne-Say, Bill, L gotta have n
dozen more convention tickets. Nv
constituents are Fostering the life out
of me. I got a wad of them today.
but they don't go around. Slip me all
the extras you can put your hands on.
McCombs-Sure thing. I gotcha,
Senator. This Is your old home town.
and know. you ought to come clean.
Stone-Take some away from these
D. Republican States like Utah
and Vermont. We gotta carry Mis-
souri,.
McCombs-sh, TIL slip 'em under
your door tonight.
Another Famous Whisperer.
Ollie James Is another famous whis-
perez. 80 is Senator Bill Hughes
Col Robert Ewing. Congressman Jack
Garner of Texas, william Jennings
Bryan, Thomas Taggart, Senator
Walsh, and Cato Sells are among our
most accomplished mystery takers
and even Secretary Josephus Daniels
has learned here to talk from way
down in his throat. The Whispering
abilities of Secretary Houston. Roger
Sullivan. and Charles r. Murphy have
long stamped them as Democrats.
And nobody here has yet discovered
why anything said about this cut.
and-dried AFFAIR has to be as softly
spoken as a commencement speech al
a deaf-and-dumb institute or a con-
ference among the members of the