The Washington herald., 1916-04-09
The Thirteen Hoodoo,

Editor Of The Washington Herald.
Two neighobrS independent in mol
itlcs, as they each insisted, were de-
ploring the condition of things in Eu-
rope and Mexico and the hard luck Of
the wilson administration in conpec-
ton with II all. Many believe" said
one, that that number Ts' has had
something to do with it. You remem-
Der President Wilson said in an in
terview shortly after his election that
II was remarkable how the number
lS had been associated with him in
various ways during the campaign for
MS nomination and election. He quot
ed several instances how the number
had faVorably followed his fortunes.
He evidently believed It was his lucky
number instead Of an unlucky one.
Events have shown. however, that he
was mistaken. He has had hard luck
almost from the date Of his insuRurs-
ton Hard times set in shortly after
II, and then came Mexico and the Eu-
ropean war. with the Vera Cruz and
the Lusitania Incidents"
There may be something in II"
replied the other neighbor, and the
famous numersl, bounding the Presi-
dent may be responsible for the exis-
tence of the pacifsts and other feeble
minded followers of William len
nings Bryan. By the way, what has
become Of William Bryan Jennings,
as Web. Davis rechristened him. when
he nominated him for President in the
Democratic National convention at
Kansas City, as the unrivaled cham
pion OF the free coinage of silver in
the ratio of 1S to /; or was il ls TO
II Anyway II was an unlucky speech
for Web. and Jennings. for both were
repudisted by the people in the cleo
uons Of that year. The latest news
OF Bryan, the peerless one, said he
was seeking to be chosen a delegate
to the Democratic National convention
next June with the avowed purposs OF
voting for the denomination Of Presi-
dent Wilson for a second term"
20, that has been Indignantly denied
at the White House" cried the first
neighoor. Tt was said there" he con-
dnued, that Mr.. Bryan might be a dele
gate to the convention, but IT was wholly
improbable that he would support Mr..
Wilson as a candidate; at least il was
hoped he would not do so. That would
indeed be unlucky, apart from any num-
Der In the case-1S or 16 to l. The re-
port was doubtless sent out by someone
hostile to Mr.. Wilson's administration
and was as unreliable as dispatches from
the Rio Grande border, for from the va
rious fighting fronts of Europe, Asia and
AFRICA. BY this time President Wilson
has probably become convinced that the
number d9 with which he started out
so buoyantly, is a hoodoo. and no more
to be relied on for good fortune than the
left hindfoot of a rabbit shot at midnight
under full moon in a graveyard, and
carried by a colored man in the upper
left-hand pocket Of his waistcoat"
The foregoing dialogue doubtless rep
resents the feelings of large percentage
of the people Of the country who have
no party affiliations and who are really
independent i'm politics. Some OF them,
former Democrats, may vote for Mr.
Wilson for another term, while as many
more, perhaps, will vote against him. But
instead of holding the numeral "1S'' re-
sponsible for lApses. they will probably
look on W. J. Bryan as the hoodoo or the
Jonah of the Wilson sdministra ton The
apparent elimination OF Bryan from the
public at5airs of the nation will now be
hailed by them with relief and a hope
for the future. The old adage: ITS a
long lane-siXteen years and Inore-that
has no turn" Is proving true at last"
II. NJ. Scale.