The longer the depression. lasts, the more the President's control over Congress and influence over the Beneral public declines.
The President himself remains perfectly cheerful to all outward apbearances. At his regular press con ferences he laughs and jokes as of old, disarms criticism with @ quip, and deflects a pointed question with a laugh. But occasionally he has shown signs of irritation, as when congratulated the Senate on not allowing a flood of telegrams to "purchase" their votes or when hel made public a letter to a friend say-Ing he had neither the inclination nor the ability to be a "dictator." The practical "politicians throw up their hands at such comments these.
Talk of purchasing votes by telegram leads to the natural rejoinder that patronage and public work al-cations are used with real effect for the same ends, To deny being a dictator Is merely to call unneces sary attention to a frivolous charge and cause many people to think that after all there may be something in Such incidents as these leag_the! practical politicians of Congress to complain of "Instability," "emotional outbursts" and "lack of calm judgment." They begin to feel that they must stand on their own fect poli tically and carr no longer rely upon riding into office on the President's coattails, They grow more independent,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.