Judge — July 3, 1920 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Drawn by Hemwax Patwen Joun A. Stetcuer, President Revaen P. Stetcner, Secretary Perrtrox Maxwett, Editor GAINST the scenery of Buffalo there projected itself, some years ago, the personality of Riggins. Riggins wasn’t in fact his name, but it is used here for pur- poses of camouflage, and on the theory that there's no such name in real life. Riggins was by way of being a brcker in loca! securities; at least that was his ambition unti! he came up against the finan- cial magnates. The town had never had a local broker, and the magnates apparently didn’t think there was any crying need for one. The magnates were for the most part elderly men who bad made their money in business and graduated into bankers and the like. They had scant sympathy for the enthusiasms of youth. Their time was spent mostly in combing their whiskers with pocket combs, running the affairs of their respective churches, and really worshiping at the shrine of seven-per cent. first mortgages on improved real estate. Riggins dressed nattily, was a quick talker and had a vast amount of nervous energy. He was what today would be called a hustler. He spent most of his time darting in and out of other men’s offices, offering and asking quotations on the local treasures. One of the magnates was asked what he thought of Rig- gins. This magnate had an old-fashioned gift for simile and metaphor. “Oh, Riggins is all right,” he replied. ‘He is the same use to the community that a boil is toa man. The man doesn’t care much for the boil, but it’s a kind of safety valve for what's in his system.” RIGGINS and his description are referred to here on account of their aproposity to the recent national con- ventions. (At the present writing the recent conventions haven't taken place, but they will both be recent when this is read. This is be- cause one of the boons provided by unionized labor in the printing trades is the increase in the elapsed time between the pen of the writer and the eye of the reader.) The conventions, and particularly the preparatory period for them, have let a lot of internal matter come to the surface and to the relief of the country at large. Being neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, JupcE is unable to make any worthwhile comment on the nomi- nees. Certain it is that the great advance expenditure in behalf of James S. Mercatre, Contributing Editor A.E. Rottaver, Trearurer' Grant E. Hamittox, Art Director J. A. Watorox, Associate Editor some of-the candidztes has come dangerously near to the ap- pearance of buying the nomination. Professional politicians and others -vho profit by the expenditure of political money are vigorous in claiming * that it is necessary and justifiable to spend money in that way. The people at large do not believe it. They do not like to see the man seeking the office with a wad. If the Republicans have chosen one of the spenders, he may find the spending a heavy handicap between this and November. The Democratic candidates, in spite of Democratic war profits, haven’t been so conspicuous in this kind of generosity. There have been vague statements about underground influ- ences at work for McAdoo, but these influences probably had their basis more in administration friendship than in anybody’s bank account. Otherwise the Democratic record seems clear on this score, and they may be expected to make the most of it in the campaign now under way. [ is to be hoped that the Republicans, if they have chosen a dark horse, have selected one who combines the American- ism of a Harding, the business ability of a Lowden, the firmness and courage of an Allen or a Coolidge, and the anti-entangle- ment prejudice of a Johnson. All of these qualities will be required in the man who will have to clean up the mess left by the Wilson maladministration next March. And then some. Correcting Burleson’s blunders is a man’s job by itself. The qualities of the Democratic nominee are less important. If there is any other wing of the party than the Wilson wing, it is heartily to be hoped that the standard-bearer has been chosen from the more obscure section. At all events the ambitions and aspirations of several deserv- ing gentlemen in both parties have now been set at rest. The national ball-room is ready. On with the dance. Let joy be unconfined. ie was not to be expected that the retiring Executive would have a very lofty opinion of the body that has so thor- oughly squelched his ambitions as a would-be world force. Un- fortunately his contempt for Congress is based too much on per- sonal disappointment to add greatly to the general disesteem for the legislative branch. Congress’s main claim to popularity is that it has successfully opposed its patriotic obstinacy to the _ more selfish obstinacy of the President.