Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25

"No matter what party may be sue
cessful at the polls this Fall" says The
Demand for 1850. land whether
rIAo%;or Teu the winners may b
eesAoA A"' able to gather the
fruits of victory in peace or not gather
them at all, there should be nothing
but defeat and enforced retirement In
store for every member Of either house
Of CONGRESS who will consent to the
adjournment of that body until 1t has
passed o well considered and perfectly
just plan for counting the electoral
votes. Men who are willing, either from
venience or in the hope of gaining some
miserable parties an advantage. to put
the country to the risk of another such
strain as 1t endured less than four years
ago for the want Of proper legislation
on the subject, deserve nothing but
public scorn and disgraceful obscurity.
And this, too. they are likely to get.
Happily there is rapidly increasing
element in both political parties that Is
the subordination Of the public welfare
to selfish or partisan considerations.
These intelligent and independent ele-
ments are likely to make themselves felt
more sensibly at the polls this Fall
than ever before. They may be said In
fact to constitute the balance Of power
In the two parties at the present time"
The Hanlan- Courtney boat race took
place on the Potomac on Wednesday.
Hanlan. Courtney resulting in a
Boat Race a Farce. tSs FORMER u1i
the Canadian champion. The ease
with which he won, with Courtney
practically conceding the race by putt
ting UP ridiculously poor performance,
caused a great deal of feeling. The
Star Of May 40. 1880, says:
I'm the so-called boat race between
Hanlan and Courtney on the Potomac
yesterday every requisite was present
but the race itself. The day was simply
perfect, the course was admirable, the
water was in unexceptional condition,
the spirit Of fair play and enthusiasm
was manifest everywhere, and such o
crowd of spectators was present as
never before assembled on such an oc-
casion in America. All that was lacking
was pair Of strong-nerved. willing
oarsnen on the river. For want OF
these, what ought to have been an his
torical contest turned out to be con-
temptible and disreputable hasco.
Just why Courtney pursued the
course he did viii probably never be
known to the public. Nor does II mat
ter much now. He may have been sick,
as Is claimed. and he may have taken
his part from choice. His friends, who
insist that he lacks neither strength,
skill nor endurance, explain his fall
ure yesterday by saying that In q
crisis he is subject to nervous prostra-
ton, which almost invariably units
him for q contest and sometimes send
him to bed. This is O charitable view
and It is perhaps well enough to accept
1t. But, all the same. the fact remains
that when he is weighed In the balance
he is found wanting. He may have
been At to row yesterday and he may
not have been. When he came upon
the course. however, he must have
known that he either could not or
would not row. In either case, 1t was q
duty he owed not less 10 the public than
TO himself to stand out Of the way and
let Riley take his place In the race, in
order that the vast throng which had
come together to witness O trial Of
skill and strength should not turn its
face horneward In disAppotn.rent and
disgust. That he did not do this IS
enough. He should withdraw himself
from public view, ut once and forever.
He is no longer an object Of interest"