The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-06-08
PRESIDENT ASKED
TO SUGGEST PEACE
CONGRESSMAN ARE DOING SOBER
THINKING OVER GREAT ISSUES
PENDING
FREQUENT VISITOR IN CAPITAL
Charlie Hart Secretary Of National
Press Club to Run for
Congress
(By J. z. Jones)
Brookings Register Bureau. Washington, DC.

(By J. z. Jones)
Brookings Register Bureau. Washington. DC.
War Zones
There never was more solid sober
thinking in Washington han is now
going on among public men and those
directly interested in the affairs of
government. 1t may be that in some
legislation pending in Congress, that
there Is a tendency to follow the
crowd" or obey the will of political
parties, or reflect the expressed de-
sires Of Congressional districts. These
facts may account for some of the in
constituencies on the part of Congress.
Washington is intellectual. War zone
number one.
Another war zone is to be found IN
New York, where the newspapers are
keeping the public in a constant state
of excitement, and where the large
foreign-bOrn population, so vitality af-
fected by the European war, is living
in a state Of tense expectancy, many
of them fully believing that the United
States must o become involved in
the struggle.
Still another Zone Is to be found in
P~ittsburg. Wilmington, Bridgeport and
various other centers where the manu-
f~acture of war munitions concerns the
welfare of he entire population, and
where big booms and little booms are
creating large and small fortunes, and
an era of prosperity.
A Congressman from the rich agri-
cultural regions Of the middle west de-
scribes another condition: THE fields
are ready for sowing, the trees have
put forth their green leaves, and vel
vety grass covers the entire landscape.
All nature seems to breathe happiness,
prosperity and expectancy. The peO-
pie who wan wal nave a hot chance
of getting the boys from our region
of the country to shoulder rifles and
go forth to fight Europeans. There is
nothing doing"
Another authority referred to the
record of the recruiting station in Bos-
ton, where underneath the shadow of
Bunker Hill Monument there was ex-
actly one enlistment in a whole week.
From the Pacific Coast there come
the reverbrant echoes of the old jap
anese controversy. In great sections
of the south, and in the interior of the
country, the great war excitement Is
unknown, and business and
are proceeding as TRANQUILITY as though
the world were not "af1ame."
The lesson Is that a republican form
Of government is a success, since the
people themselves have the principal
say In their own, method Of govern
ment; and no matter how powerful
may be the political domination of
leaders or high officials, there still re-
mains the final check of the United
States Congress, which never has been
known to defy the popular will, which
1t represents.
Shattered Presidents
In former times a President left
Washington at the conclusion of his
term, and he was not expected to re-
turn or make visits to the Capital. Ex-
President Taft Is a frequent visitor to
Washington, and both he and Colonel
Roosevelt were at the Capital in the
same week. Neither were invited to
the White House, but Mr.. Taft "just
dropped in" at President and Mrs. Will
sons garden party. Another custom
that was in force up to 4 few years
ago, made it an act of improperly for
an ex-senator to visit the Senate, not
~withstanding the rules provide that
any former Senator shall have the
privileges of the Chamber. Nowadays
former Senators bob" in and out SO
frequently that their presence is hard
ly noticed. Still another precedent
made it almost an affront against the
dignity of the Senate, and an act of
appearing too fresh" in the House, for
a new member to presume to make a
speech. Now the new Senator or
Representative who doesn't present
his views to his colleagues within a
few days after arrival in Washington,
is apt to be put down as "a dead one"
The Congressional Club
The wives m daughters of men,
bers of Congress meet regularly at the
Congressional Club, which Is conduct
ed by them and managed entirely for
their interests. The class of enter.
tainments and programs arranged for
their social affairs are of the highest
order. The day of the dominance of
butterfly society in Washington has
passed, and intelligent VINO
are now the social leaders of the Capt.
tai city, devote their time and thought
to the more worthy purposes of life.
The Congressional season recently
closed, and the last afternoon was
given over to a piano recital by Miss
Grace j. Gronna, the talented daugh-
ter of Senator and Mrs. Gronna, of
North Dakota. Her selections were of
the highest class, and she delighted
her audience, which was large not
w~ithstanding the fact that there was q
garden party at the White House the
same afternoon. The Congressional
woman taxa n vorv aorioua view Of
life. and they discuss politics and In
te%rnational affairs in q manner that
leaves absolutely no question a. to the
extent of their grasp and understand
ing OF the big problems which are