The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-11
Frederick Haskin' S Letter
ACITYOF HEADQUARTERS

&U0O6S q e2rIkI uill, ana mere again
experience would seem to indicate
that those who want something fare
better than those who merely ON.
pose. Perhaps it is because pro-
ponents Of measure or one Of itx
specific provisions are usually
more vitality interested than the on.
ponents, which is another way Of
saying that as rule selfishness
brings home the bacon. At any
rate, tariff schedules that are ia
benefit directly and tangibly the
farmer, the manufacturer, and thi,
or that group Of interests find
their way into tariff bills more cas-.
lily than free list items.
Fine Buildings Erected.
A few of the 800 organization,
that hold forth in Washington ham
erected fine buildings that contrib.
ute materially to the beauty of the
city. The American Red Cross. the
Daughters Of the Revolution and
the Pan-American union all haye
magnificent homes in Seventeenth
street on the way to Pontiac park
that rank high among the archjtec.
tural beauties Of the Capitol CITY.
The American Federation Of Labor
has a splendid office building in
Massachusetts avenue at Ninth
street, and close by is a similar
structure reared and occupied BY
the International Brotherhood Of
Machinists.
Probably the feature building Of
them all will be the new home Of
the Chamber of Commerce Of the
United States, now in course Of
erection, while the Scottish Rite
Temple in Sixteenth street and a
new edifice on the old Dean estate
on which the Masons will spend
millions are illustrative of what
fraternal orders have done to en-
nance the attractions Of Washing
ton. The National Geographical
society is another organization that
has a fine home of its own.
OF the political organizations es-
tablished in Washington the most
important are, Of course, the Demo.
cratic and Republican national
committees. Each occupies a great
suite in a downtown office build.
ing and each maintains a force and
equipment that is prepared to do
anything except make money. Any
one of the leaders of any party who
has had any practical experience
| will tell you that the national head
quarters of such an organization
should be located in the Treasury,
in one of the mints, or in the b.
treau Of Printing and Engraving
where there is quantity production
of bank notes and silver and gold
certificates. There is a popular
idea that all the chieftains Of the
political armies have to do is TO
expend large sums of money. That
is a popular fallacy. Their princi-
pal task-and one that must be dis
charged before they can do any
thing else-is to raise large sums
of money, and of late years they
have learned that while it may b
more blessed to give than to re-
ceive- there is no widespread han.
kering for that kind of blessedness.
The Socialist party also main
tains offices here. as does also that
organization that is undertaking I
coalition of the farmer and labor
vote and that may ultimately take
| the form of a new party. The wo-
mans National party is represented
in Washington and the organization
that fought for and against suf-
frage still maintains headquarters,
although much of the political &C
tivity of women is now linked up
(! with the organization work Of the
national committees of the old, e.
tablished parties.
Greatest of all the national Of
CARNATIONS maintaining headquar-
tiers here, and the one that is pop
ularly supposed to represent all the
people all the time, is the Govern
ment itself. It is the colossal mt
chine and all the others are bit
cogs or wheels within wheels. On
the whole it does big things in a
big way, and gets them done eff
GENTLY, too, although many OF the
minor organizations are Obstacles
in the way of its functioning prop
erly.
1t is this great organization that
has done wonders for Washington
making 1t. what it should be--the
most beautiful and the most inter-
esting capital in the world.