Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-14
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

F4sticuffs beneath the Capitol dome
on February IL were valuable and
important in at least one respect
they demonstrated that political diff
ferences are not so much between the
two great parties as among members
of the same parties. The natural
thing would have been for a Repub-
lican and a Democrat to square on
in the Senate over farm relief and
the banking bill, instead Of couple
of Jeffersonians like Glass of Virginia
and Wheeler of Montana having at
each other So would ii also have
been the logical thing for House mem
bers on opposite sides of the aisle to
scrap over McNary Haugenism, rath-
err than for two Republican brother
Kansans like Tiny" Tincher and
Jim" Strong. TO mix things up.
Former Senator Charles S. Thomas,
Democrat. of Colorado, who is In
Washington for the wind-up OF the
session, AYERS, 1.-THE only difference
between the Republican and Demo
cratic parties today is their names.
Representative Percy Edwards Quin,
Democrat, of Mississippi is the author
of the merriest quip of the blithe
farm relief season. There comes
time" says Quin, Gin the life of every
statesman when he must rise above
principle" Quin rejoiCes in his 100
per cent Mississippianisln. He was
born In the Magnolia State, as were
his father and mother before him and
likewise the charming lady who Is
his wife. Quin has represented his
native district in Congress continu-
ously since 1914.
Although Abraham Lincoln is i'm
mortalized at Washington by the most
memorial in existence on
American soil, the Great Enamel
pator's birthday anniversary passes
at the National Capital with conspic-
uously few signs of public recogni-
ton. Apart from the Stars and
Stripes that adorn Government build
ings every week day, one could easily
count the flags that were displayed
on February u. Lincolns birthday
is not a legal holiday in the District
of Columbia, although more than
half the States have SO decreed 1t.
That may be one reason why the ma
tional banner Is not more freely flung
to the breeze along the Potomac in
I.incoln's memory. Another explana-
ton, which one occasionally hears. is
that Washington, after all, is very
much of a. Southern community.
Harry s. New. Postmaster General,
always has a private anniversary cele-
oration OF his own on recurring
of February. On that date.
40 wears ago, New got his first job as
a newspaper reporter, and he COM
memorates the event as the one which
started him upon a distinguished pub
lie career 1t was on the old Indianap-
,lis Journal that the Postmaster Gen
eral served as cub chaser of the
nimble item. lie ended up by becom-
Ing it's editor and publisher. leaving
the paper In 1908 after % years of
active journalism. New interrupted
his newspaper career during the
Spa nish- American war to serve as as
sistant adjutant general of the Sd
Brigade, I'd Division. 9TH Army Corps
II Cuba. Soldering has always been !
he Postmaster Generals hobby. In |
MS salad days he was an officer of the |
indianapolis Light Infantry, the crack |
irill team OF the Middle West.
4
Not for q long time has the Capital |
listened in at such q feast Of genuine
,ratory as was vouchsafed participants