The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-04

read what he had already read and
never knew the difference. Apparently
he never does know the difference.
He had divided the industrial history
! of the country into several periods, the
first beginning in colonial times, the
second in pre-revolutionary days.
When by slow and asonizing degrees
! he got us up to 1861 on the calendar
and 1890 Oh the clock, he forgot once
more. TO our unspeakable horror he
sent as slithcring backward again and
once more--for the third timc-an-
nonnccd, II will now take up the sec
ond fiscal period, the beginning of
which | place at l775.''
We could not laugh politely, and at
length we could not laugh at all.
| was not SO bored as some of the
guests, for | had not heard many po-
litical speeches. The movies are SO
much more instructive, But La Fol
lcttc's mental processes interested me
morbidly. He seemed TO have solved the
impossible problem Of perpetual mo-
ton, and bcttcrcd it, for he wound
himself up just II little faster than he
unwound himself But at last, I, too
joined the vast ma iority-I could not
stand the noise longer, His engine
pounded I had a headache.
Outside the ballroom several hundred
exiles were gathered. joined them
Many of them had been driven To The
bar or to the supper room. They hac
grown hungry and thirsty again from
, the sheer cXertion of listening. Al
We're Disguised
Hes IL guest there. Hes driven us
all out and he talks ON. But the otheI
speakers have got some rights. We've
got to shut him up some way
At length they began to move bacl
gradually into the almost abandonc,
ballroom where La Toilette With undi
minished fervor was dcnouncing thu
! empty chairs the lettercd tableWar.
and the hastily dropped napkins of tn
I fugitives. He was calling the ahan
doned coffee cups and cigar stubs min
ions Of the trusts and accusing then
| of conspiracieS against the democrati
principles of freedom and equality. II
: was playing diabolo with the same oil
platitudes that he is shrieking now
Somebody started applause-that en-
rious, ironic American substitute 70
| Kissing and booing.
La Toilette was pleased by the frs
h round following his announcement
8 that he would now take TIP the Sccon
d fiscal period beginning with the yea
1775. He had heard nothing like AZ
It plausc as far back as he could remem
t Der. But now the applause broke in o
= La sentence. Gently, insinuatingly, wit
a a polite contempt and an unmistaiab
II sarcasm, the applause persisted. II
IL talked over it. 1t grew. He raised h
5 voice It's volume increased.
u Then his fac" ran red He fairl
4. shriclled: You can't stop me. Nc
= can't drown me out. But Ill tell W
r one thing-f you don't shut up an
,e listen I'll talk all night"
t. The applause stopped lie had take
le the last weapon of defense from Il
= helpless guests. He bad won. III
IT what a victory That was the answ'
= of a life long publicist, a senator
l. long fame, a would-be president of Il
3 United States, to a gathering of gentle
l. men whom he had talked out of II
Is almost ineXpusnablc patience of q
1t American audience.
liz He was the man that asked to be il
h trusted with the government of Il
ship of state and its guidance throug