Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-12-10
Satire and Humor Mark
December Frolic of
Club
BEAR DOWN ON HARDING
What Will Congress Do
to the President? Was
Query
tBy Associated PreAs)

aSHliiBtoH, Dec. S.-lne recent
elections and the suggested organiza-
tion of third political party gave
members of the Gridiron club humor
and satire in abundance tonight at
their annual banquet.
The December frolic of the club,
which is composed largely of Wash
ington newspaper men, entertained
President Harding, members of the
cabinet and of the diplomatic corps,
other government officials and busi-
ness men and publishers from all sec
tions of the country.
The numerous picketings which
have become common in this city
since women suffragists paraded be-
fore the white house, made the basis
for the greeting to 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
question:
Mr.. President, are you with us
Or against us? That hour has come"
The third party skit was the fea-
ture of the dinner. Around large
kettle three members dressed as
witches and representing Senators
Borah, La Eollette2and johnson, ,--eon-
cocted a devils brew. Borah recit-
irg:
Round about 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 kick, but
should be composed of kicks. This
led Borah to soliloquize on the ques-
tion whether it were better to stay
within the party and swat the admin
istration, thereby affording the DEM
Ocrats much glee, or be a new party
man in name as well as in deed. Sem
ator Beveridge then announced his,
willingness to join, explaining:
Twice have | switched; each time in
turn rejected.
seek some haven now where | can
be elected"
Hi Ford Burning Money.
The act closed with Henry Ford
feeding the fire with greenbacks and
with farmer and banker attempt
ing to stir up the brew together, |
there was an explosion !
and the party broke up with the or
yanizers blaming everybody and
their fists in each others
faces.
Four men Warped in sheets ap-
Deared as the ghosts of "normalcy,"
reduced taxation" "lower cost of
iving," and tn international
'ourt,' but when they were unveiled J
he issues were shown to be still
alive.
Good music featured the dinner,
With several parodes, one of which,
untitled Sailing, Sailing, Over the
Three-Mile Line" described the trou-
lies of rum ships. A musical skit,
The Gridiron Follies of 1922" was
he central point.
Finally a member remarked that
President Harding had a number of
problems on his mind.
"Take the next congress, for in
tance. | wonder what the president
sill do with it."
81 have a better cOnundrum than
hat. What will it do to him ?"
In the finale the president was
sked number of questions in a
ong ending:
And now just a query in Gridiron
VEIN
What will the president do? h
viii he say he declines or will he run S
again? o
What will the president do?" f
This was the introduction to- the a
residents address. A part of the n
rogram yearly, but as Mr.. Harding i
-as told he did not have to answer c
ne questions, and as it is Gridiron a
ale that neither his address nor b
nose of other speakers are reported, o