The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1937-01-07

Back to airy, 1885, or the
Nornalcy years immediately
preceding, but the
rormalcy of the year in which that
ouadrennial spectacle, an lnaugu-
ration of a President, takes place.
But Washington's normalcy is a con-
dition that comes in cycles and it
matters not how the wheel Of life
turns, those who are resident here
get used to it and of necessity they
take the condition in regular stride.
That sounds like Washington resi-
dents are blase. And they are to a
greater extent than residents OF
most cities. But paradoxical as it
may seem, native Washingtonians
and certain percentage of those
in the political field be come so ex-
cited that they lose all sense of pro-
norton on occasions such as an in
auguration ceremony. The answer
seems to be personal vanity-a de-
sire to be tout in front" and to
"show off, by having important
places in parades and having their
names and pictures in the newspa-
pers.
But there is another side Of this
Washington normalcy. 1t is the side
Of the political powers who have
little concern about the District OF
Columbia as such or what goes on
therein unless those affairs strength
en- the position these political pow
ers hold among their constituencies
'back home. ~z -
Hence, under the dome Of the
great Capitol building, there is all
the activity of a bee hive. The
old timers among the legislators
have learned to proceed with eau
ton and to develop their plans slow
", but the newer members Of the
house and senate are all agog, each
one with his own pet idea for saving
the nation; each one with a varying
conviction about his own i'm
portance as a member Of the ma
tional legislature, and each one de-
termined not to overlook a single
opportunity to show the folks back
home that their representative or
their senator has become national
figure. @l
Then through the corridors, the
halls, committee rooms and Offices
there are the hurrying feet Of news
paper correspondents, representa-
tives Of this interest O.: that, mes
sengers and lowly members of the
CapitoPs vast staff Of carpenters,
cleaners and chore workers. They
are. Of course, important only as
they make the Capitol habitable but
they are an unacceptable part of the
picture-of Washington normalcy.
Downtown" Washington has an
other picture. In the executive de-
partmentS, in the
All 10 bureaus, commits
Activity sions and agen-
cies. Of which
scores have come into being under
the Roosevelt New Deal, there is in
tense activity. Policy makers of
these various units make plans,
study, confer, propose or reject
IDEAS for consideration of the new
congress and the administration
heads. These fellows are less con-
cerned about the folks back home
han are the legislators. Their chief
concern usually is perpetuation of
tneir jobs. development of their
units or agencies into places of such
Importance that the country cannot
40 without them. Theirs is a per-
sonal interest hardly less to be con-
oemned than that of the self-seeking
politician.
Un top Of all of these-the gov
efnmental activities of the govern
ment = there is still another nor
malcy in Washington. 1t is the So
eiai side. Of course, all Washing
@n society springs and has its being
~ White House reflection. From
me great mansion at 600 PennsyI-
wanna avenue, there radiates every
A'nd and condition of a social en-
sasement. Outstanding among
u'ese obviously after the Inaugural
uon OF President is the Chief Ex-
ecutive's dinner to his cabinet. A
reception to the Supreme Court of
ue united States and the other
members of the judiciary follows.
~ rapid order come receptions to
We legislators, to the army, navy
sao marine corps, to the foreign
piomats resident here and all of
usse are interspersed with smaller
vneial dinners in the great state
Niins room a. the White House.
IN various sections of the city and
Ill. me notels dinners, receptions,
L.A'ah parties continue in cease.
ss chains. And if the brutal state
- ei' must be made, the truth is
a' nearly every one of them has a
sn. above and beyond personal
i.Oyment, but the selfish interest
gaite frequently so deeply con-
q. aiea that .nose who are being
a. sated' may not realize what
4'e objective is.
.-sse random obsnrvations have