Evening star., 1936-11-01
By Lucy Salamanca.


~ by his intimate family circle,
~ will wait beside another fire.
4 a side on Tuesday night while
returns pour in by telegraph, by tele-
phone and by radio to announce with
incontestable flnality the will of the
electorate.
At another fireside, in Topeka,
Kans.. Gov. ALT M. Landon. the out
standing aspirant for occupancy Of
the White House, will similarly await
the voice of the people as it speaks to
him the most important word OF his
life.
Millions of families at millions Of
firesides the country over will, in
measure, wait with them. A common
pulse beat will stir the Nations life,
and whatever a mans political aff1li-
ations may be, however his wife may
have voted, one question will be upper
most in the hearts of every citizen
before his loudspeaker, Who will oc-
cupy the White House for the next
four years."
Naturally enough, present occu-
pant Of that stately mansion will find
that question more absorbing than any
of his fellow Americans. Democrat
or Republican, whatever the individual
voter may be, his life will take up
again its normal pace once final re-
turns are in. But life itself is altered
for the victor or the defeated. and
their immediate families, on these
fateful Tuesdays, when the people
have spoken. A drama intense and
vital is played out for them that must,
despite outward appearances of calm,
reach at times an almost unbearable
pitch of excitement. How do they pass
these hours Of crisis? How do they
act, what do they say as returns come
in? What is the scene at the fire.
side Of Americas royal fanily?"
What occurs in this intimate circle
during these moments of suspense, Of
ductuating hope and anxiety?
This year the flreside scene will be
staged at Hyde Park, where the RooSe-
welt family will receive returns. In
o book-lined study, before an open
log fire, with special telegraph instru-
ments clicking necessarily in a near
by room and wires held open to WASH
ington and Democratic national head
quarters in the Biltmore Hotel in New
York City, with messengers coming
and going and a general undercurrent
Of excitement among the White House
correspondents gathered there, Presi-
dent and Mrs. Roosevelt and members
Of their immediate family circle will
listen and wait, wait and listen just
as the Joneses, the Smiths or the
Montmorencys will wait and listen the
country over before their humber
hearthstones.
IT IS curious that on this one occa-
sion, depsite the fact that it Is SO
vitality affected by the issue, the city
Of Washington plays very minor role
In the national drama. Interest turns
now from the National Capital, rather
than toward it. The reason for this
Is that New York and Kansas oc-
cupy the attention of the United
States when electoral votes are to be
counted and interest is centered in
these important sections. The White
House, whose future occupancy hangs
In the balance, stands practically de-
serted among its shadowing trees.
It is true that presidential groups
have sat about a White House fire.
side to receive returns. But election
night, in the majority Of instances,
finds but few lights in the windows
Of the Washington mansion Of our
Presidents, and very reduced staff
remains on duty in its press room or
executive Office.
It is easy to understand this when
one reflects that every President, run
ming for second term, must return to
his home State to cast his ballot. It
Is natural enough that he should re-
main there to learn the results that
same evening. So the White House
has not always been, by any means,
the scene of these f1reside gatherings.
Presidents seeking second terms have
learned their fates, with their families,
in widely scattered places. But all
down through our history 1t is GER
tainly an interesting fact-and per.
haps very significant one-that they
have often been brought knowledge Of
defeat or victory beside glowing fire.
Hoover learned Of his decisive VIC
tory over al Smith on November 6,
1928. in the oak-paneled study Of his
home in Palo Alto. sitting beside an
open fre and gazing through . wide