Evening star., 1919-11-09


earlier-school-hour question.
Wonder what it would feel like to
go TO the polls. just as if we were
Americans, and vote. Why, there are
gray-haired men in this town who
never saw a ballot box and might
likely think il a beehive at passing
glance.
The idea is this: If the bill which
has been introduced in the Senate
making the daylight savings law ef-
fective in the District of Columbia,
which. of course, Congress can do,
comes up. an amendment will be Of
fered submitting it to referendum
vote of the citizens for approval pc
fore becoming effective.
This amendment is suggested by the
fact that certain special interests,
claimed to represent the commercial
and business side of the community.
are preparing to urge the daylight
savings change, while the great mass
of the citizenry who will have to live
under il have no voice. They cannot
leave their work and go to Congress.
and they have no organization to rep
resent them. The farmers in con-
gress, who repealed the law, are not
expected to interest themselves in be-
half of the citizens here. so as last
resort it is proposed that the refer
endum be taken.
The only general interest Congress
might have is said to be that the
change would establish two kinds OF
time for the National Capital-city
time and railroad, time. with an hours
difference-whfch might prove discon-
certine to the millions who vlslt
Washington in the course OF year
There is no question. 1t Is claimed.
but that the proposed change "ouio
find many opponents as well as sup
porters. and the referendum would De
q lively affair
Maybe such a referendum might
prove a stepping-stone to srantins
suffrage to the District Anyhow inc
citizens have heard a good deal lately
about "self-determination anu al
that sort OF thing. and say 'his may
be a good time to try 1t mere.
Everybody among the congressman
ro,i,icjans and ofhcials commented
upon the no
.,e az s1A1E ticeable reac-
NOT A DERELIcT. ton in feehne
in those cir
cle.. following the result OF the elec-
ton in Massachusetts, when sucn
decided wallop was given radicaiism-
For scrne weeks, therefore. men IN
public and political life had been low
in sDirfts- They didn't like the looks
of things. generally. II is not neces-
sar1 to specify or give blue PRINT
OF what Is meant; most everybody
felt IL and knows what is meant
But come Wednesday and Thursday
and everybody cheers up wonderfully.
The country isn't going to the dogs
at all; the mass Of the people, as in
dicated by the election returns in a
state where an issue was made be-
tween radicaiism and good horse
sense Americanism. are still sound
and not going to stand any foolish
ness. A quotation from Wallace
Irwin. which a confirmed optfmist
from Massachusetts sent the writer
the day before election. seems to ap-
ply:
Suppose that this here vessel" says the skip
''Should lose 'er bearin's. run away and bump
upon a stone;
Suppose shed shiyer and 90 down. when save
ourselves we couldn't"
The mate replies.
''Oh, blow eyes.
Suppose az in, she shouldn't"
And it seems that she didn't.
Three weeks from tomorrow the
regular or long" session OF this
Congress will
RUNNING SHORT. present ex-
traordnary ses-
sion being allowed to lapse with an
interval affording opportunity for
the national legislators to tear off
extra mileage. which will come in
handy about Christmas time. A little
bonus from US taxpayers: you're well
come.
And three weeks from tomorrow.
republicans say. their party in Con-
gress will have to settle upon and
settle down TO some plan of construc-
tive legislation if they expect the
voters of the country to pay any at
tention at all to their demands for
support in the presidential elections
Eext year. That the democrats are
watching their every move and are
intent upon taking advantage of every
failure to move is unquestionabl BILE. The
last issue of the weekly clip-sheet of
the democratic national committee
tossed this little taunt at the repub-
licans:
Republican leaders in Congress
have failed as signally to make po-
ltical capital for their party-and
that was one of their purposes-as
they have to enact beneficial legisla-
ton for the country. good legis-
lative record would have been at
cnce useful to the people and advan-
tageous to the republican party. A
catalogue of their opportunities hap
pens also to be a list of their fail
ures. When the special session of
Congress convened last May the coun-
try expected and demanded a whole
body of measures that would assist
reconstruction. There was. for in
stance. the problem of fixing the def
mite status of the railroads, which
were neither the property of the
government nor yet the absolute pos
session Of their stockholders. For
want of any decisive action of Con-
gress the roads still remain in the