New-York tribune., 1920-11-03

Last night was by far the dampest
evening New York has known since il
learned that Mr.. Volsted was sit
ting in Congress. Early yesterday the
word was sent tingling over the grape.
vine Of whispers that the dreaded reve-
nue. agents were going to take a much
needed day of rest. Broadway had pos
tive assurance that the Eighteenth
Amendment was to be given night
off. 1t was.
The night was very wet, but it was
that way long before the rain began
to fall. When Papa Knickerbocker
somebody, as Papa will every four
years, he found the old town about as
we'll saturated as he had ever seen it
in the dear departed days before tailors
began to increase the size of hin
pockets.
Serious students of civic celebra-
tions and metropolitan convulsions de-
clared last night that they could not
remember an election in which the
stuff that cheers played so importan mt
part. 1t was even reported along the
| primrose trail that many of our viii
layers tottered home to friend wife
without the slightest idea of who had
| been elected.
Scenes as of Old
The actual result of the ballotne
was the least of New Yorks troubles
The business in hand was to take ad-
vantage of the rare opportunity offered
for a two-fsted frolc
Old John w. Crouch, who has been
| insisting for months that the gayety OF
nations died with the birth of prohibi-
ton, had to admit that the general
! hilarity on all sides was reminiscent OF
the days before John Barleycorn's obit.
uary was written.
Prohibition failed in the role Of 8
killjoy on election night, and in many
well-known places within the glare OF
Broadway's electrical aurora boreali.
there were scenes that took one gala
wanting back to more unrestricted
elections.
In dozens of places within earshot
of Broadway's horn-tooting, marching
thousands one could get what cne
wanted for the asking. There were
few frustrated thirsts along the Gay
White Way. The price, to be sure, was
high, but New York was in one Of those
aproned bartenders strove only tc
please.
Water Mixed With Cheer
New York may have been legally
on constitutional water wagon last
night, but to the casual observer it
seemed as though the water had been
we'll known blight which the glare OF
prohibition is said to have cast ON pub
lie functions of this sort was thrown
into eclipse by heavy Scotch mist.
The hip-toters were out in strength
but the word that the lid was off
which seemed to be taken as a fact
soon diluted the customary caution OF
the everyday violator of the Eigh.
teenth Amendment. Those New York.
ers who, have acquired a Western
quickness on the draw found that ir
many Of our best restaurants they hac
only to speak softly to the waiter. He
did the rest and his resources were
apparently inexhaustibie.
New Workers entered into last night
celebration with the vim and abandon
of people unyoked and relieved of {
dull and dolorous care. Long before
the election returns began to be flashed
to the throngs on the streets, in res
taurants, theaters and hotels there wer
wireless vibrations that told of
change Of things in Washington.
Last Chapter of the War
One man, who was opening cham
pagne for a large party as though tn
stuff could still be bought for 81
bottle, probably expressed the genera
idea when he said that the celebration
was the last chapter of the war
giddy chaser to armstce night of 1915
Whether or not this was the spirit O
the night it was certain that the gaiet
of New York's throngs was of tha
spontaneous sort which is easily dis
tinguished from the unreal.
While the rain that began to fal
early in the evening forced thousand
to cover and relieved to a great exten
the work of the police, it was gener
ally conceded that New York never say
greater crowds surging about the opel
spaces where election returns wer
flashed on screens
From old Park Row-the Bagdad O
Amerlca-to the far reaches of uppe
broadway the army moved steadily al
night as though propelled by trad
wind. Even when the rain develope
into a downpour there were Still
throngs marching north and south, ap
parently oblivious of the weather.
Police Do Masterful Job
In handling the gigantic tidal wav
Of humanity that swept early in tn
evening through the navgable thor
oughfares OF the city the police did
masterful job. In the electrical zon
of the theater district, where the Jan
was the worst, the armies were kep
moving north by east and south b
west, and the twain never did meet
In Herald Square and Times Souar
there were occasional "tide-rips
where hurrying taxicabs got their sig
nails mixed, but these tangles wer
soon Strengthened out by the traf.i
squad.
A more good-humored throng neve
trod the storied pavements of Broad
way. Political questions were for
gotten and controversies were regarde,
as immaterial and out Of order. Ever
long g-haired radicals were caught i,
the sweep of fun-making, and wer,
seen to smile as they were sucked int,
the ebb and flow Of humanity.
Bonfires Blaze in Streets
Much of the crush and smash O
election crowds on Broadway that il
other years have made Broadway be
tween Herald Square and Forty-secont
Street q riotous place were removed
last night by efficient police work. TIL,
men OF the traffic squad exercised thei