The spectator., 1919-01-07


 vestigation 1t was found that the man in uniform was ex-Representative Con- nelley of Iowa, who was a very active member of the house a few years ago. He has already attained quite repu- tation as an aviator.
 One man who will be missed in the next congress Is Stafford of Wiscon- sin. For the last four or five years Stafford has been particularly active. He has been a sort of a second Jim Mann. although lacking Mann's tran scendent ability for house details and procedure. At the same time he has been generally conspicuous through his never-ceasing attention to every thing going on. and talking about 1t. Stafford was defeated by Victor Der ger, the Socialist.
 Until now there never has been any concerted movement for the removal of snow from the country's highways in winter. Efforts in that direction have been confined to city streets. Now that the war and the resulting strain on transportation have brought about the use of motortrucks as freight carriers, the federal govern ment figures that the question of keep ing our highways clear in the cold months Is worth consideration. AS a result the council of national defense has been giving attention to this prob- lem of snow removal. In the northern sections of the United States roads during the winter become almost im- If the new method of motortruck transportation Is to become really worth while, there will have to be some general effort to keep the high ways clear of snow drifts and mud holes.
 The Republicans began their presi- dential campaign for 1920 as soon as they had won the congressional campaign of 1918. Just now there has been a considerable amount of casting about for candidates and many names are mentioned in the course of weeks desultory dis cuSSion. It Is rather an interesting fact that people expect to see two eX- presidents with their That's in the ring in 1920. No one seems to doubt that Colonel Roosevelt will be very much in evidence at the next Repub- lican convention, and there Is now growing feeling that Judge Taft might make a successful ome-back race.
 One of the interesting suggestions as to Republican candidate came from shrewd political observer on the Democratic side of the senate. He remarked that the Republicans would be likely to go West for a candidate in order to get the geographical support which nomination of that kind would be likely to insure. In that case, he said, he rather expected the next Re publican convention to turn to a man like Senator Frank P. Kellogg of Min nesota. Minnesota, he said, was doubtful state, very close In the cam paign of 1916. Kellogg has had a fine public record. both as a prosecutor of
 
 has never been considered as on the presidential highway, but almost any thing is likely to happen in politics these days.
 Those who were in the galleries of the house of representatives on the opening day of the session of con- greSs looked down on President Will son and noted that he was showing age. While spick and span in his ab- solutely correct clothes, it was noticed that strands of hair were combed across the top of his head, and If those strands had been removed he would have appeared as bald-headed man. something that has never been thought of in connection with the president. Then 1t was also noted that his hair had turned gray very rapidly. It was evident that the worries of the past year or two have told upon him.
 One innocent little resolution that is always among the first to pass in both house and senate reads like this: That the hour of daily meeting of the house Cor senate) be 12 o'clock noon until otherwise ordered" Candidates for seats in the two bodies, particular ly the house, often rail at the late hour set by congress for its daily ses- sions. People back home" are apt to think that congressman can sleep until II o'clock in the morning and meander down to the capitol, where the wheels begin to move at noon and stop moving usually at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. But the new men who come to Washington flied with burn- ing desire to start legislating at or o'clock in the morning soon realize that for most of them legislating is the least of their worries. They are glad to have those hours before noon in which to attend to departmental mat ters for constituents.