The Alamance Gleaner
VOL. LVI. GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13, 1930. NO. 41.
1?New German machine, known as the "Zeppelin on wheels," which made a speed of 04 miles an hour In
tests at Hanover. 2?Maj. Gen. Hanson E. Ely, commander of the second corps area, pauses during his inspection of
the crack Sixteenth Infantry at Governors Island, N. Y., to find fault with the length of a private's coat. 3?Mrs.
Otis T. Wingo of Arkansas, who was elected to the seat in congress left vacant by the death of her husband.
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENTEVENTS
What the Great Democratic
Landslide Means and
What Caused It.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD
BUSINESS depression, hard times,
unemployment, dissatisfaction of
the farmers with farm relief, local
political conditions, and last, hut not
least, the wet and dry Issue, all con
tributed to the Democratic landslide
on election day. The Democrats de
clared the people of the nation had
, thus registered their emphatic disap
proval of the administration of Presi
dent Hoover. Tills the Republicans
denied. Take your choice.
In the new congress, it appears,
neither party will have a constitutional
majority In the senate, and the same
condition may prevail In the lower
house. The Republicans will have 48
senators, the Democrats 47, and the
Farmer-Laborites 1. If the last men
tioned, Shipstead of Minnesota, votes
with the Republicans, they can organ
ize the senate. Otherwise It would
take the deciding vote of Vice Presi
dent Curtis.
Unless a recount gives the Eighth
Indiana district to Vestal (Rep.), in
stead of to Ball (Dem.), the member
ship of the house wilt stand: Repub
licans, 217; Democrats, 217; Farmer
Labor, 1. A constitutional majority
is 218.
In both houses the progressive or
radical Republicans will hold the bal
ance of power In matters of legislation
and by coalition with the Democrats
can continue successfully their habit
ual course of hampering the national
policies of their party.
NINE gains of senate seats which
the Democrats are sure of at
this writing were made in Massachu
setts, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois,
Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahomu,. South
Dakota and Colorado. They lost one
seaf,- In "KwoT where Representative
Dickinson defeated Senator Steck.
Three .administration senators who
were beaten were Allen of Kansas,
Robslon of Kentucky and McCutloch
of Ohio. However, two anti-adminis
tration senators lost out?I'ine of Ok
lahoma and McMaster of South Da
kota. Two administration senators
who were victorious In hard fights
were Metcalf of Ithode Island and
Hastings of Delaware. Hastings ran
as a dry in a notoriously wet state,
and against him was all the Influence
the antl-prohlbltlonlsts could muster,
but he decisively beat Thomas F. Bay
ard, former senator, wet and a Dem
ocrat.
There was much rejoicing nmnng
the wets. They elected four new wet
senators: Lewis of Illinois, Rulkley of
Ohio, Coolldge of Massachusetts and
Gore of Oklahoma, and they claim
Metcalf of Rhode Island will vote wet.
However, three drys replace as many
wets: Dickinson of Iowa, Huey Long
of Louisiana and White of Maine. As
for the lower honse, the wets claimed n
gain of about 70 members. Of course
the drys will continue to control both
houses by heavy majorities, hut the
leaders of the wets assert the elec
tion presages the eventual repeal of
the Eighteenth amendment.
Heavy wet majorities were shown
In each of the three states. Illinois,
Rhode Island and Massachusetts,
where there were referendum votes
on various phases of the prohibition
question.
SOME of the election results were
spectacular. For Instance, In New
York Mate Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Democrat, was re-elected governor by
the unprecedented plurality of 725,000
votes, completely swamping his Re
publican rival, Charles N. Tuttle. The
"Happy Warrior" thus becomes the
outstanding figure of the Democratic
party and a potential candidate for
the Presidential nomination in 1932.
He supplants A1 Smith as a getter of
Empire state votes both metropolitan
and rural. There was a Tammany
tidal wave in New York city, but Mrs.
Ruth Pratt, Republican, was re-elect
ed to congress, defeating her Tam
many rival and Heywood Broun, col
umnist and Socialist; and Representa
tive La Guardia, also Republican, re
tained his sqat.
James Hamilton Lewis, picturesque
nnd able Democrat, swept Illinois like
a prairie fire, having a plurality for
the senatorship of about 720,000 over
Mrs. Ruth Hanna McCormlck, Repub
lican, who straddled the liquor issue,
and Mrs. O'Neill, independent dry,
who was a very poor third. This was
the climax of one of the most in
teresting campaigns in the country.
The Democrats also captured almost
all the offices in the state and in Cook
county, which includes Chicago.
Pennsylvania clung to its rock
ribbed Republicanism and Gilford
Pinchot, radical and ardently dry Re
publican nominee for the governor
ship, was elected despite the defec
tion of many of the party leaders and
the adverse vote of Philadelphia.
Ohio seemed to Indicate its wetness
by electing Robert J. Bulkley, wet
Democrat, to the senate; but on the
other hand George White, Democrat,
who was chosen governor, is a dry.
Wisconsin, as usual, went La Follette,
electing young Philip F. of that- fam
ily its governor. Like his brother.
Senator LaFolIette, he is nominally a
Republican. Democrats of Indiana
elected nine congressmen, to four Re
publicans; among the latter is the I
veteran Will R. Wood who has repre
sented the Tenth district for many i
years. Mrs. Otis T. WIngo of Arkan
sas easily won the seat In congress
held by her late husband.
MVT>T? will ?? HTnoK
A Ington or the country at large over
the elimination -of Senator J, -Thomas -
Heflln of Alabama. Forced from tlie
Democratic party becauRe he opposed
Al Smith two years ago, he ran for '
re-election as an Independent and
was thoroughly beaten by John Bank
head. the Democratic nominee. His
peculiar role In the senate, as the
source of sensational news stories,
may be partly taken by Huey P. I.ong
of I^iulslana. Mr. Long Intimates that
he will complete his term as governor
of his state before taking his seat in
the senate.
Among the new senators of quite
different caliber will- be Dwlght W.
Morrow who was elected by New Jer
sey Republicans; Secretary of I-abor
Davis, sent to the senate by Republi
cans of Pennsylvania, and Robert J.
Bulkley, the choice of Ohio Demo
crats. Mr. Morrow and Mr. Bulkley,
both wetsi are looked on as Presides,
tlal possibilities two years hence.
Thomas J. Walsh. Montana's veter
an senator, was returned to the npper
house, but he had no easy time defeat
ing Judge Albert Galen, the Republi
can aspirant.
California escaped the Democratic
flood and James Rolph, Jr., known
sometimes as "Sunny Jim" and some
times as San Francisco's perennial
mayor, captnred the governorship
with little difficulty.
Nebraska's new governor is Charles
W. Bryan, brother of William Jen
nings Bryan. Be held the office once
before and was the Democratic vice
presidential nominee In 1924. He de
feated Gov. Arthur Weaver by a rath
er narrow margin. Senator George W.
Norrla, progressive Republican, won
re-election without great difficulty.
COMMENT by some of the party
leaders is interesting as represent
ing widely divergent views depend
ing on party affiliation.
Chairman Fess of the Republican
national committee said no outstand
ing Issues controlled the results, which
lie viewed as a "crazy quilt." It was
to be expected, he added, that the
Republicans would lose 35 seats even
without the disturbance caused by the
economic depression.
John J. Raskob, Democratic na
I tlonal chairman, termed the Demo
cratic sweep a "notable victory on
clean-cut political issues." He an
nounced he would do everything in
his power to have the Democratic
party view the tariff as an economic
rather than a political question, "thus
removing from business minds all
I cause for alarm and uncertainty as
to how business will be treated in the
event that this election and future
elections give control of congress to
our party."
Robert H. Lucas, executive director
of the Republican national commit
tee, asserted that "everything consid
ered, the result must be taken as a
vindication of the national adininistra
I tion." Explaining this, he said no ad
ministration had ever gone into a con
gressional election under such adverse
conditions. The results, he added,
were "convincing evidence of the
abiding faith of the thinking people
of the country in the leadership of
Herbert Hoover."
The view of Jouett Shouse, chair
man of the Democratic national exec
utive committee, was:
"The Democratic campaign was 1
conducted on the issue of the failure
of the administration to meet Its re- i
sponsibiiity and carry out the prom
ises on which it obtained election two I
years ago. Embraced In a subsidiary
to tliis main theme were such items
as the enactment of an indefensible j
tariff and the breakdown of the farm- J
relief plan of the administration,
which had pledged itself to rehabili
tate the agricultural industry."
IN FORMAL ceremonies lasting but
n few minutes, Dr. Oetullo Vargas
assumed office as provisional Presi
dent?of?Braztlr and -immediately an
nounced the members of his cubinet,
all the factions of the revolutionary
movement being represented. Ills
minister of finance Is Jose Maria Whlt
aker,' of English descent, who has
been a strong opponent of Washing
ton Luis' colTee marketing scheme.
His appointment means the certain
reorganization of the government's
financial policy, and especially the
revocation of artificially sustained cof
fee values.
ClNCLAIR LEWIS. American novel
^ 1st, has been awarded the Nohel
prize In literature, specifically for his
novel "Babbitt," which Is regarded In
Sweden as his masterpiece. The
money value of the award Is $46,360,
and Mr. Lewis, Interviewed In New
York, said he would accept It "with a
feeling of the highest honor, gratifi
cation and pleasure." He Intimated
he would spend the money on himself
and his family. The presentation cer
emony takes place In Stockholm on
December 10.
GAS explosions and fire In a mine
of the Sunday Creek Coal com
pany at Millfleld, Ohio, entombed 06
men, of whom 76 were killed. The
others were brought out alive and
taken to hospitals, many of them .seri- m
ously burned. The disaster occurred
just after an Inspection party had de
scended to the lower levels, and all Its
members were among the dead. They
Included William Tytns, president or
tfas company: Howard Cpson. field
manager: Hubert Lancaster, chief en
gineer, and other officials.
(Sk use, Wasun *?nww Coioa-i
HI i ?? wmiwit $t wtuui wwwi miiow ? ?
FLOWERY CHATTER
The whispering of the flowers In the
garden made the air so fragrant and
so sweet.
That was really not at all surpris
ing. for they were whispering secrets
of how much they loved the sun and
the garden, and how well looked after
they were, and how many buds they
thought would open the next day.
"I'm going to the big ball tonight."
one was saying.
"What big ball?" asked another.
"I am being saved for the great
ball," repeated the rose which had Just
spoken a moment before. "I'm not
sure which ball or what ball, but I
hear It is going to be a very fine one.
"I am being saved for the girl who
loves us so much, and who spends so
much time over us.
"Yes, I nm going to be worn by her.
I am to give color to her dress, so she
said.
"She Is to wear a white dress, and
as I nm durk and red, I will make
her look quite dressed up.
"That was what she said! Think of
the honor of .making some one feel
dressed up ut a splendid ball."
"Whatever do you mean by saying
you are being saved for the ball?"
asked the little flowers which had
grown up from seeds planted early In
the spring.
There were candy-tufts, mignonettes,
popples, and many others.
"We mean," said two of the roses
together, "that we will not be picked
until a certain time, and then for a
great entertainment such as the rose
who spoke to you about, the ball."
"Well,"' said one of the little mig
nonettes, "we try to be as sweet as
can be. We, too, try to look our best.
We hope we are liked."
"Indeed you are," said the roses.
"You are loved so much and you be
"I Never Cen Make Up My Mind."
long to a dearly loved garden such a*
the one In which we live.
"They love to pick you and have lit
tle vases filled with you In the old
house."
"Yes," said the nasturtiums, "and
they say they like our gay colors, too.
"They tell us they like our bright
ness?for we're not so fragrant, but
we do try to be us gay and colorful
as possible."
"Oh, yes, you're very gay and bright
and colorful," the little mignonettes
told the nasturtiums; ??*
Just then two little girls came out
In the garden. They each had a pair
of scissors and were picking flowers
for the old-fashioned house.
"I never can make up my mind,"
said the first little girl, "Just which
flower Is my favorite.
"One day I say that I have decided
on three, and the next day I have
chosen three more.
"After all. I think I love them all
the same. For they are all sweet or
bright or lovely in some way, and they
make me so very, very glad to see
each one of them."
"Yes," said the second little girl, "I
am the same way, but I have decided
that no one flower is my favorite, but
that all flowers are my favorites."
And the flowers In the garden each
nodded their pretty heads In thanks,
and not only looked, but felt their
very best!
RIDDLES
What la always behind time? The
works of a clock.
? ? ?
Why la a dull boy like n wild pig?
Because he la a bore (hoar).
. ? ? ?
Nothing outahle, nothing In, nothing
, corered by a akin? ,A bubble.
? * ?
Why la a motor car like a sleepy
boy? Because both are tired.
? ? ?
What Is It you can keep after glrlng
It to somebody else? Tour word.
? ? ?
Why is the letter T Uke a frog? Be
cause It la found la earth and water.
Our ThanK^vm
Noi Umotie nfe^K? ^
ThiMnlLsi^ivJrt^ inrfewAmsterdaniiLJ
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
Drawing by Ray Waltara
tl.THOUGH It Is true
thnt Thanksgiving day,
which we will celebrate
on November 27 this
yenr, Is "a distinctively
American institution" in
the way In which It Is
observed, our celebra
tion of a "Thanksgiving
day" Is not unique. As
n matter of fuct, the
fundamental Idea of the
day as a feast day may be traced back
to ancient times. Itead the Book of
Judges in the Old Testament and
there you will find this description of
n practice of the Canaanites, from
whom the Children of Israel derived
some of their customs:
"And they went out into the fields
and gathered their vineyards, and
trode the grass and held festival, and
went Into the house of their god, and
did eat and drink."
This vintage or harvest festival ap
peared Infer among the Hebrews as an
act of worship to Jehovah and was
called the Feast of Tabernacles. In
Deuteronomy, Moses gave specific di
rections for its keeping.
I'agan Greece and Home, too, had
their thanksgiving season In honor of
the harvest deities. At Alliens, In No
vember, this feast, called Thesmoph
orla, was celebrated by married wom
en only, and two wealthy and distin
guished members of the sex were
chosen to prepare the sacred meal,
which corresponded to the Thanksgiv
ing dinner of today. The Romans on
October 4 worshiped Ceres, their god
| dess of the harvest, with processions
| In the fields, music, rustic sports, and
a feast at the end of the day, which
was called Cerella.
In the modern world, England for
centuries observed an autumnal festl.
val called the Harvest Home, which
traces Its beginning hack to the Sax
ons. In 12.18 A. D. "aolemne fasts and
general processions" were held In Eng
land and were thought to have helped
a backward harvest In thut year. The
Englishman has always followed the
custom of setting aside days to com
memorate public blessings. The dis
covery of the Gunpowder Plot was
thus observed and Guy Fawkes day
was established as a day of "public
thanksgiving to Almighty God." This
happened only a short time before the
rilgrlms left England for Holland, so
It la easy to see how they later car
ried to the New world the Idea of a
day for giving thanks.
Insofar as all the familiar pictures
of the first Thanksgiving day In Ply
mouth show Indiana taking part In the
Pilgrim feasting, we have come to as
sociate the red man with this holiday
particularly. Few of us realize, per
haps, that ths American Indian con
.rlbuted more to our Thanksgiving day
celebration than ws realize. For the
many American families which will
gather around the loaded Thanksgiv
ing day tables this year to enjoy their
roust turkey will be observing a cus
tom that prevailed before the Pilgrims
landed on the rocky shores of New
England.
The records of the Smithsonian in
stitution In Washington, records which
bridge the gap between the abo
riginal civilisation of thousands of
years ngo and ours today, show that
the Indiuns of the Southwest domes
tlcated turkeys and fnttened them for
the choke morsels at their ceremonial
feasts. The practice of such feasts,
however, had been established long be
fore by the cliff dwellers who raised
turkeys and when they wanted a ulce,
fat bird for one of their ceremonial
feasts, all they had to do was to go
out to a pen where they kept the fowls
and get one.
Although we look upon the English
settlers of New England as the orig
inators of our Thanksgiving day, we
should not forget that the Dutch who
settled the New Amsterdam which be
came New York also contributed
something to the day. For there Is
no doubt that the Pilgrims, while they
lived In hoyden and observed the man
ner in which the Dutch celebrated on
October 3 the delivernnce of their
country from Spain with much feast
Ingand Tn a spirit of thank fulness,
were somewhat Influenced by the char
acter of this celebration In establish
ing their own Thanksgiving day after
they came to Americn.
Then, too. Thanksgiving as It is ob
served In New York city today Is in
many respects so different from the
New England Thanksgiving as to
cause the stranger In Gotham to In
qulr^ Into the Mnrdl Gras nature of
the day, and the answer is that It is
a survival of an old Dutch custom.
For New York holds a great mum
mers' show on Thanksgiving, that Is
to say. Juvenile New York does. For
while their elders are going to church
to acknowledge their blessings and
housewives and cooks are busy pre
paring the Thanksgiving dinner, the
youngsters are engaged In blacking
their faces and turning their clothes
Inside out, or converting themselves
Into clowns and caricatures of movie
actors and hobgoblins.
As a matter of fact not one New
York boy or girl in a thousand can
tell the stranger In the city the origin
of the custom. All that most mum
mers seem to know of It is that they
"always go out for Thanksgiving."
However, the researches of a New
York woman, Esther Singleton. Into
ancient Manhattan history recently
disclosed the fact that mumming on
Thanksgiving day has been practiced
in that city for nearly three centur
ies. I'nder the Dutch, the Dutch Re
formed church in this colony endeav
ored to stop popular observance of an
cient Catholic festivals by legal Inter
i diction. Shrove Tuesday celebrations ,
?still continued In Holland as "vas*
ten avond"?were found Irrepressible
mainly because the children liked
them.
Children persisted in their pre-I<en
ten masquerade. "They walked the
streets," says Miss Singleton In her
"Dutch New York," "carrying the
romniel pot, a pot covered with a
tightly stretched bladder. In the cen
ter was n hole through which a stick
wni Jammed. When moved up and
down the stick would make a dull
rumbling noise. Children went froin
door to door singing (in Dutch):
I've run so long with the rumbling pot
And have as yet go no money to buy
bread.
Herring packery, herrlng-packery.
Give me a penny and I'll go by I
"They wore masks and false faces
and sometimes a 'devil's suit of
clothes.' This masking and dressing
up still survives In New York on
Thanksgiving day."
Manhattan's Thanksgiving Is now
one hundred and eighty-six years old.
Director General Kelft of the Dutch
West India company instituted the
flrxt on March 4, 104.3, as a day of
fasting and prayers of thanksgiving
for a temporary cessation of Indian
outbreaks, excited by tribal resent
ment against the sale of rum by the
Colonists to young braves. Hostilities
were soon resumed, lasted till 164.3.
and then on September 6 came anoth
er thanksgiving day for "peace with
the savages."
After the surrender of the colony
to England a generation later and the
final adoption In New York of the
Thanksgiving day Instituted nt Ply
mouth and Massachusetts bay. the
New York children transferred their
Shrove Tuesday mumming to the au
tumn holiday, preserving the custom
among themselves even though their
elders had long lost track of what It
mount and whence it locally derived.
It is also worthy of note that the
state of New York saw the first offi
cial proclamation of a Thanksgiving
day as an annual custom which has
been observed without interruption for
more than 110 years. In 1817 Gov.
Dewlt Clinton officially proclaimed
Thanksgiving day, and ever since that
time New York governors have fol
lowed the precedent. It was also fol
lowed by governors of other northern
states, but Jt did not become a gen
eral national holiday by Presidential
proclamation until 1863. The first
Presidential proclamation was issued
by George Washington from New York
city, then the Capital of the nation In
1789. Several Inter Presidents issued
such proclamations from time to time,
but It remained for Abraham Lincoln
in 1863 to fix the last Thursday in No
vember as the national day of thanks
giving.
(? by WsaUta Mmpapar UaUa.) ^