Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-12-31
INAUGURAL BALLS.
GOVERNOR DIXON has ca

GOVERNOR DIXON has called
~ off the proposed inaugural ball
at Helena. 1t is understood that he
was opposed to it because It involved
a tax of SIS head on all who attend
ed it and the new governor consider
ed that undemocratic and preferred
a general reception which anyone
might attend by way of welcome to
his new office. We feel somewhat
in sympathy with Governor Dixon's
idea. Perhaps he also feels that in
these days when children are starv-
ing in Europe the money expended
in an inaugural ball might better be
devoted to the Hoover fund. No
doubt he does feel that also. In any
case the inaugural ball with its splen-
dors is getting little out Of date,
especially as it has come to be large
ly matter of show and money
spending for display.
However, President Elect Hard
ing does not seem to share the views
Of Governor Dixon concerning the
undemocratic character OF the IN
augural ball or its extravaganza
Preparations are going on in Wash
ington for the most brilliant social
event which the national capitol has
seen in many years. The price OF
ticket to the Washington affair is,
or used to be, only SIS, but it brought
in a good sum which was used tor
the payment Of expenses at other
public festivities, decorations, etc.
The Springfield Republican, how
ever. hears that there is some oppo-
sition to the inaugural ball in Wash
ington, not from the citizens, but
from members Of congress. 1t says:
"The revival Of the inaugural ball
at Washington is now taken tor
granted. Mr.. Mclean, chairman OF
the inaugural committee, seems tor
it heart and soul. Senator Harding
is unlikely to repeat Mr.. Wilson s
peremptory telegram OF 1913 III
which, to the CONSERVATION OF the
inaugural committee of that year,
he requested that the ball be aban-
doned and then made the telegram
public. The ball is the chief source
of revenue for the public festivities,
there being no congressional appro-
priation.
"The last inaugural ball was for
Mr.. and Mrs. Taft in 1909. But
that for Col. and Mrs. Roosevelt in
1905 remains the most memorable;
the decorations of the huge pension
building were particularly effective
and beautiful that year in the imita-
ton of a great Italian garden with
a starry sky overhead. There was
also Roosevelt's personality to lend
zest and flavor to all the events of
a vivid day.
There is a pardonable vanity in
recalling that one has been to an
inaugural ball, in spite of the tact
that the single essential is, or used
to be bofore the price of plain liv-
ing rose. a SIS bill. What the SIS
really buys is a view Of an interest
ing and sometimes beautiful spec
tacIe, a glimpse Of the new presl-
dent and his wife looking down upon
the scene, and a chance to testify
from personal experience that in a
crowd the most stiffly-starched shirt
front falls lamentably short Of the
effectiveness of an old fashioned suit
of mail in keeping ones neighbor's
elbow out Of the pit of ones stom-
ach. AS for the women-this years
fashions seem to provide little that
is in danger of being stepped on,
except feet
"In 1905 there were perhaps 100
out of 10000, not to exaggerate too
greatly, who managed to do the ap-
parently unintended thing at an in
augural ball and who actually danced,
unobserved and undetected, in a dis
tant corner Of the floor. But as the
subsequent development Of the art
of dancing has been toward the re-
ouirement of less and less space for
its successful demonstration there
may be more dancing next March,
even if spectators from rural constit-
uencies do not recognize it as such.
Anyway it will be great party;
all who can 60 doubtless will 60 and
ought to go. But unless congress is to
break with an old tradition we shall
first have much fervent eloquence
directed against the use Of the pen
sion building for the ball and then
the kind of final acquiescence,
familiar in some households under
the despotism Of youth, to the effect