The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-12-22
By FREDERICK J. HASKIN

hy De H
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 22.-One
of the classic tales of Washington
newspaperdom is that of the manag-
ing editor who wired his correspondent
here one night, There is something in
the air rush 1000 words" The edi-
tor had hunch-a feeling that big
news story was about to break-and
the tale has it that he was right His
correspondent having been warned to
be on the alert and get busy, did some
digging and turned up a worthwhile
scoop.
Just now there is something in the
air, politically. Party leaders in Wash
ington have the same sort of Fremont
ton that the editor had. They have
the feeling that something is about to
happen-a new leader or new idea is
about to appear, or a change is to be
made in the way the game of politics
is played. There is to be a new party.
or realignment within the old part
les. That shadowy yet very real AMI
altogether powerful entity called the
people" is about is about to demand
something. Events impend. The al
mosphere is electric with portent The
barometer is rising or falling or do
ing some dizzing stunt.
In consequence there is uneasiness
and disquietude among the statesmen
and Reinstatement. They don't know
whether to take to the cyclone cellar
or go out and try to make hay. They
can't tell whether it is raining rain
or violets-they are not even sure il
is raining or about to rain. They only
| know that they have that vague, in
| describable feeling not unlike the
| graveyard feeling so familiar to the
small boy.
/ When managing editors feel that
way they send cryptic messages tl
/ correspondents or issue orders that
send the members OF the local stat.
out to demonstrate that they possess
what is known as "a nose for news
| When statesmen get the feeling they
! put their ears to the ground. There
| fore it may said without extreme ex
/ travagance that the ground around
! these parts is covered with ears, ever
as the forest is carpeted with autumn
! leaves come with the first killing frost
| Staid senators and shrewd congress
men are distrait-herc but not present
Cabinet dignitaries nave the strained
look that comes with the use of a me
diocre radio outfit-they hearken bu
/ they hear not.
1t is even said that a certain priZe
Airedale has recognized distinctly OF
several occasions a strange preoccu
pied note in his masters voice anC
that the White House Victrola-i
there is a White House victrola-nov
and then plays that old record, 81 Won
der What the Folks Back Home Arr
Thinking"
Party Managers
Are Nervous.
Party managers are nervous ant
suffer from insomnia or talk in thei
sleep. Despite all their public state
ments it is apparent that they reall,
are at loss to interpret the result,
of the recent elections. They know
what happened, but they can not ex
plain it. Republicans. Democrats, Pro
j gresives, drys, vets, conservatives, la
borites, farmerites-all of them ar
more than bit puzzled by that in
tangible but portentious "somethin,
in the air." and every one of them i
anxious to be the first to get a lin
on what is about to happen and bea
the others to it.
That is the test of leadership-to b
able to discern the reform propose
or the issue to which the public mind
under conditions such as obtain a