Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-28

HE OMAHA SUNDAY BE
VleWs and ReUaeWs
Echoes of Political Field Day
at Washington
The meeting of the republican national COM
mittes and the conference Of republican state
chairmen at Washington was really field day
in advance of the nominating convention set for
Chicago next June. Both the exceptional at
tendance and the manifest enthusiasm may be
taken to reflect the prevailing confidence among
republican leaders that everything is set for .
republican landslide barring only unforeseen and
unforseeable contingencies 1t was the same
story over and over from every section of the
country, the south, too, that the people had been
satiated with the experiment of letting the
democrats run the government and were eagerly
awaiting the opportunity to call the repub-
licans back to power The strong plea presented
to make St. Louis the convention city to insure
carrying Missouri for the republican standard
bearers failed to carry the point because Mis-
souri, is figured in the republican column any,
way. In response to an inquiry as to my size
up of the situation l gave it as my opinion that
if the election were held today not state that
had ever gone republican in 4 presidential elec-
ton since the time of Hayes would fail to go
republican again, and that statement was ac-
cepted as very mild claim. Such condition,
OF course, tends to incubate q multiplicity Of
candidates and we may prepare for large flock
OF favorite sons, dark horses and receptive pos
sibilities. 1t is still everybody's contest-the
nomination Is quite likely to be more or less in
the realm of uncertainty until the convention
begins balloting.
hot -. H.. .k
This question is repeatedly propounded and un-
fortunately variety Of opinions. all of them
with the same lack of authority, are entertained.
The impression gathered from statements made
by those who ought to have the best informa-
ton is that he is on the mend and that there is
every reason to believe he will continue to i'm
prove and to serve out the remainder of his term
as chief executive. but that he cannot resume his
former activity. Referring to the false alarm Of
the presidents death perpetrated on him at At
lanta, Vice President Marshall declared that was
as near to being president as he had ever been
or ever expected to be, indicating his conviction
that the presidents, health has been restored
ment Of the White House patient, it is agreed
that his chief difficulty now is not mental, but
rather the slow regaining of his strength and
particularly the full use OF his legs for moving
about
The Gridiron dinner this time was for once
booze-less banquet with the "kick" confined
wholly to the stunts Naturally the disappear
ance OF the loy-water furnished theme for
would-be. presidents and president-makers was
not overlooked. 1t recalled the first Gridiron
dinner ever attended, which was also on the
eve of presidential election and at which a
newly-invented airship guaranteed to land the
passenger in the White House, was tried out.
sxyot,y kaI -
board the car, among them Mark Hanna, Sena-
tor Fairbanks, Speaker Cannon and others, but
the balloon wouldn't bulge, and after each had
been looked over and dismissed as ineligible the
White House special was sent back to the
hangar
Word brought from Mississippi is to the
effect that George L. Sheldon, former repub-
lican governor of Nebraska, has been elected to
the legislature as a democrat. He had prev-
ously gotten over into the democratic party
when he was chosen justice. of the peace a posi-
ton he accepted in order to have official author
ity to settle disputes and enforce order among
the colored population employed on his p1anta-
ton. The report also credited Ex-Governor
Sheldon with having acquired state of COM
Portable affluence through the profits of the
steadily rising cotton prices
Train travel in these days i. decidedly incon-
'SiiiSht anu DuIlnR past TWO
weeks it was If my experience affords fair
oasis or Judgment, even worse than during the
coal-less days just following the taking over of
the operation of the roads by the government.
In my trip to New York and Washington, with
intervening stops, l was on sleeping cars five
nights, three of them in upper berths. Out of
ten possibilities the trains were late in reaching
destinations nine times. Not only were the
sleeping cars filled to capacity, but additional
passengers were taken on in club and lounging
cars on chance to secure berths reserved for
them along the line Dining car accommoda-
tions proved wholly INADEQUATE, only first COM
eers gaining admission without waiting in line
from Is minutes to an hour and then often only
to discover that the food to supply much of the
menu had been exhausted Not enough red caps
to carry away the hand baggage, long waits at
the parcels check room, longer waits at ticket
windows, equally long waits for taxis. True,
several OF the fast through trains had been dis
continued pursuant to the coal conservation
program, but the travel habit seems to be at its
height. Though troops trains and soldiers in
uniform have disappeared, the pressure on the
roaliroads has apparently not only not dimin-
ished, but actually increased, and it is hard to
find an explanation except in the after-war un-
rest, coupled with the feeling of many people
who rarely travelled before that they are now
well able to indulge themselves in going about
tor business or pleasure. It goes without saw
ing that the congestion of the railroads finds a
complete counterpart everywhere in the hotels
and restaurants. The wayfarer who can not plan
well ahead and make advance reservations must
take what is handed to him and look fer no
solace through complaint.
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