The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-12-13
ANNUAL BANQUET OF
THE GRIDIRON CLUB


members of the Gridiron Club humor
and satire in abundance Saturday
night at their annual banquet.
The December frolic of the club,
which is composed largely of Wash
ington newspaper men, entertained
President Harding, Vice President
| Coolidge, members of the cabinet and
the diplomatic corps, other govern
ment officials and business men and
publishers from all sections of the
country.
The numerous picketings which
have become common in this city since
women suffragists paraded before the
White House, made the basis for the
greeting of the assembling guests.
Club members dressed in Italian
Fascist costumes met them at the
doors with appropriate banners. One,
typical of the group, bore the ques-
ton:
"Mr. President, are you with US or
against US? The hour has come"
The third party skit was the feat
ure of the dinner. Around large ket-
tie three members dressed as witches
and representing Senators Borah, La
Toilette and Johnson, concocted a
devils brew, Borah reciting:
"Round the cauldron go,
In new party issue throw,
Knocks of every known condition,
Russian soviet recognition,
Blocs the standpat goat hath got,
Boil thou first in the charmed pot. "
All the witches insisted the new
brew should not only have a kick but
should be composed of kicks. This
led Borah to soliloquize on the ques-
ton whether it were better to stay
within the party and swat the admin
Iistration, thereby affording the DEM
ocrats much glee, or be a new party
man in name as well as in deed. Sen
ator Beveridge then announced his
willingness to join, explaining:
"Twice have switched, each time in
turn rejected,
| seek some haven now where I caf
. be elected"
The act closed with Henry Fore
, feeding the fire with greenbacks anC
with a farmer and banker attempt
ing to stir up the brew together
whereupon there was an explosion ant
the party broke up with the organic
ers blaming everybody and shaking
their 9sts in each others faces.
, Four men wrapped in sheets ap
: Epeared as the ghosts of "normalcy,
reduced taxation" clover cost o
living" and the international court,
but when they were unveiled the is
sues were shown to be still alive.
Good music featured the dinner
, with several parodies, one of which
: entitled Sailing, sailing, sailin
= over the three-mile limit" describe
the troubles of rum ships. A musics
skit, "The Gridiron Follies of 1922,
. was the central point.
Finally member remarked tha
President Harding had number {
problems on his mind.
= "Take the next Congress for il
stance. / wonder what the presider
= will do with it."
81 have a better conundrum tha
that. What will it do to him."
= In the finale the president was asl
:, ed a number of questions in a son
= ending:
- =, "And now just a query in Gridirc
vein
- What will the president do?
Will he say he declines or will he II
again?
What will the president do?"
l This was the introduction to Il
presidents address, part of the pr
a. gram yearly, but as Mr.. Harding W;
Us told he did not have to answer Il
IN questions, and as it is Gridiron ru
On that neither his address nor those
other speakers are reported, his a
swers remain secret. Other speake
he included Justice Sutherland, of t
ne United States Supreme Court; form
IS. Vice President Marshall, Senat
Borah and "Uncle Joe" Cannon.
the dinner was the last public ente
r1r tainment in the national capital
no which "Uncle Joe" will appear,
70 was presented with bronze gridir
- as q nemento of the occasion.