The Washington times., 1922-08-27

IT is playing politics, watching
= legislation, pulling wires,
keeping a wary eye on the other
fellow-and an anxious ear to
the ground for rumblings of
public opinion and popular de-
sire, with elections less than
ninety days off, and in some
States thirty! Il has no time
for functions. In homely phrase
it has "other fish to fry"-and,
alas, no coal to fry them with!
But none the less 1t Is keenly
interesting-and keenly interested.
II only because everybody who is
here-or who comes-has more or
less a finger in the political pie.
and takes a more or less intelli-
gent interest in what's going on.
There were nothing like SO many
people. in the gallery the other day
when the President addressed Con.
gress as there had been on other
occasions Of "a message from the
President"-personally delivered.
For that matter there were moth.
ing like so many people on the
floor Of the House. The Senate
did pretty we'll; II was rather
generally in town, for II was on
the last lap Of its long struggle
with the tariff-and on the verge
of-oh yes, apoplexy. doubtless,
but that isn't what ] wanted to
say!-on the verge Of vote. The
House had not yet really gotten
itself together after its recess. It
knew for a certainty that It would
not get the tariff for q few days;
and It didn't know for q certainty
when or even whether - the
President would address Congress.
And it was very VERY busy at
home!
The Supreme Court. usually an
impressive little group of big men,
was entirely absent-it Is scatter
ed to the four winds. The diplo-
matte corps, usually conspicuously
and decorously-not to say deco
ratively-present was rather con-
spicuously absent. 1t had no place
on the floor Of the house, and but
few Of its members were in the
diplomatic, alongside Of the execu-
tive, gallery. Many were out Of
town. Besides, this was mot their
funeral" The Cabinet-the Presi-
dents little official family-was
pretty generally in attendance.
the one or two absentees being
readily accounted for as absence
on perfectly understood public
business. There were some empty
seats on the floor Of the chamber.
There were even some empty seats
in the gallery. One could not but
agree with the murmured com.
ment Of q neighbor, "Humph,
stripped for action aren't they"
They were.
IT was sitting hot-and per-
haps one felt II the more, that
the summer had been % cool. The
week before was actually cold.
Washington had been sleeping
under blankets. and the condition
had given point to the coal ques-
ton which the President was to
discuss that day.
Watching the assembling Of the
audience? - congregation? Just
what would one call it?-was as
always interesting. Looking down
from the gallery on the bald
heads Of House and Senate, to say
nothing Of the Cabinet. It was
amusing to note the varying
shades Of red and brown of those
legislative domes. There was
Nick Longworth, whose we'll
tanned bald spot was suggestive
of a vacation spent at other
games than bridge. He seemed to
have reversed himself. He is in
winter addicted to brown clothes,
and his hands and face and his
good bald head gleam white
against his brown clothes. but
here he was In immaculate white
linen, with his skin toning from
oak to mahogany and his bald
spot a lovely golden brown. Near.
by him sat "Uncle Joe" Cannon.
sprightly enough In action. but
looking '"ss incredibly Old as a