The Washington times., 1920-05-24
Presidents and Pies
An Interesting Account of Washington Peo-
pie of Yesterday and Today BY the Wife
of the Well. KnOUn DiDLOnatist
BY Mrs. Larz Anderson.

results. looking forward TO election
day as only a man could who had
done his work conscien tiously and
well. lie showed no resentment over
the bitter shafts OF political war
fare that fell at his feet. and he
told an interviewer on one occasion
that summer, THE great dream OF
my life is TO have my country lead
In the permanent establishment OF
world peace thls was In 1912 and
In an Intelligent and high I
minded citizenship"
While the campaign progressed.
the signs were not favorable. As a
Springfield paper put IL. "In the
matter OF straightforward. frank
dealing with the public. the Presi-
dent stands conspicuous, and his
weakness in this connection, per
haps, lies in the failure 10 make "A
strong dramatic appeal to the gem
cral public to support him in an
emergency"
Hope mingled with apprehension
as election day drew near. l.. and I
were to sail the day after, so ] babe
my mother good-by and took the
train for New York where | was To
join my husband, who had returned
10 America from Brussels for few
weeks. We went 10 the Manhattan
Hotel TO dine with Mr.. Hilles. chair
man OF the Republican Committe.
Mrs. Taft came in soon after, with
her sister and several other reIa.
tives and friends of the President
The election news engaged us far
more than the dinner. of course, for
the wires were busy and the re-
turns kept coming in during the
evening.
All the news pointed one way.
State after State went to Mr.. Will
son. even those that for years had
been stanchly Republican. II was
impossible to shut our eyes to the
fact that the thing we had fondly
believed could not happen had
really come to pass. Because OF
the wretched split in the Republi-
can party. we were confronted by
the prospect of Democratic ad-
ministration. 1T seemed incredible
that Roosevelt should have been re-
sponsible for the defeat of the q. o.
L. which had made him, and
brought about the election of
minority President whose tenden-
cies and policies were so different
from previous ADMINISTRATIONS
There were many who never for
gave him. 1t was sad news for all
of us, and we could not be "A hilari-
Gus party, though we tried to joke
a little and keep the ball rolling.
After dinner a few more people ar
rived and joined our little com
pany. The discussions that went on
about the political situation
were certainly most Illuminating.
Through it all the disheartening
returns kept pouring in, and several
times Mrs. Taft was called up by
the President.
Finally, Mrs. Taft and few of
us 'ventured out into the street to
see what was going on there. the
wife of the President, with her
usual unassuming simplicity. pass
ing through the throngs quite un-
perceived. People were still toot-
ing horns, but we were too late for
the crowds before the newspaper
boards. Mrs. Laughlin seemed to
think her sister needed cheering
up, so we went into a restaurant
and had some supper. 1t was long
past midnight when we got back to
our rooms at the hotel, and ended
our evening; it had been so exciting
in anticipation, and SO disappointing
in reality. The impossible had hap
pened-the Democratic party had
swept the country. with thirty-five
States to it's credit.
Copyright, Houghton, Mifflin Coz
ITO BE Continued TOmorrow.)