The Washington herald., 1920-04-18
Folks and Things
Around Washingtou
Labert ST. Ciair..

The happiest man in washington,
perhaps. IL Representative Joe
Walsh OF Massachusetts, Within a
single week he was chosen TO act ss
temporary Speaker of the House,
owing to the absence of Speaker
Giilett, and President Wilson an
nounced that he would spend the
summer at Woods Hole, Mass,
Walsh's old home place. And n that
we're not enough to fIl his cup of
glee. Walsh beat his old foe, Uncle
Joe Cannon. at q game Of dominoes.
A rare feat. by the way.
Should Woodrow Wilson upon his
departure from the white House
assuming, Of course. that he will
not seek q third term-decide to
leave his sheep behind. the chances
are the new mistress Of the Ex-
ecutive Mansion will not turn them
out into the streets. Even ~ WILL
lam Howard Taft's famous COW, or
one Of her offspring. should come
wandering back TO the White House
lot. he or she might teceive a real
homelike welcome from the new
White House mistress.
All of which is srother way of
saying that a country gal, or one
who is familiar with farm and
small-town life. will be the next
first lady OF the land. For the
wife OF virtually every candidate
for the Presidency mentioned thus
far on either the Republican or
Democratic ticket is a village or
country girl. One OF them was
born in a large city OF this country
and another in a large city Of Cuba,
but both OF these women in more
recent years have seen much small
town and rural life SO that they
may easily qualify to give sheep
and cows a friendly welcome should
the occasion arise.
Take the wives OF the Repub-
lican candidates. for Instance. They
comprise the largest list and are
not placed first because the writer
of this nonpartIsan, nonsectarian
column thinks they may or may not
have the best chance OF breaking
into the White House next year.
Mrs. Leonard Wood was born in
Havana, Cuba, but since her mar
riage she has followed her hus-
band into some out-of- -the-way
places and learned country life as
few other women have. Mrs. Frank
Lowden was born in Chicago. but
OF late years she has lived on an
Illinois farm with her husband.
Mrs. Warren G. Harding was born
in Marion. Ohio. when IL WAS 80
small that some trains whixZed
right through without even taking
on a sack of mail. Mrs. Herbert
Hoover has lived in many remote
sections where her husbands busi-
ness as a mining engineer has taken
him. Mrs. Miles Poindexter was
reared on a ranch near Walla
waIls, Wash. Mrs. Hiram johnson
was born in Sacramento. Cal. but
now by preference she lives in the
little town OF Hyattsville, Nd.
Turning to the Democratic possi-
bilities, one finds that MIS-. william
Jennings Bryan halls from Perry.
Ill. Mrs. Champ Clark was a teacher
in a country school in Pike County,
Mo. when she met the former
speaker. Easton, Nd, in the heart
of the cantaloupe country Of the
famous Eastern Shore, was Mrs. A.
Mitchell Palmer's birthplace. and the
Palmers still call Stroudsburg, Pa.
their home Mrs. william G. Nc
town, and she has spent much Of
her time in recent years in the open
country. horseback riding or walk.
ing. The present mistress Of the
White House, too. was born in q
small Virginia town.
All of which goes to show, Mile,
that even IL this very minute you
should be ordered out to pail old
Bossy you should not lose hope. You
MAJ be only qualifying for a future
husband who. in running for PresI-
dent, will proudly say: MY wife
loves sheep and cattle, and when /
am President she will weave our
own clothes and make our own but
ter" Furthermore, IL clothes and
butter don't come down in prices
soon you may have TO do that, even
though you are the first lady of the
land.