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Show What Was Done in America n- York rirmtii Bureau. 1 wasblacwn, D. . Dec, 23. 1 THE overwhelming rejection by the American people of membership In the League of Nations, taking the form of a repudiation in the national elections elec-tions of those who sponsored it. the turning out of power of the Democratic party and the substitution of Republican control, served as the outstanding feature of the last twelve months in the domestic history of the United States a year filled so to the rlm with events of magnitude that It Is difficult for those even at the closest range to reallzs their importance. Just prior to this decision the United .States, after years of consideration of tbe subject, extended the ballot to women in national elections. Woman suffrage had bcn in effect for some time In tsome of the States, but the ratification of the Nlneteenin Amendment to the Constitution, throuun the action of the Tennessee Legislature in August, made it universal, in consequence women all throuKh the land voted In the November elections, piling up a. total tha' approached 30,000.000 ballots, tbe greab number ever cast in a single day in America, That the entire political condition ui the nation is changed by the enfranchisement of women is an obvious deduction Hardly less In Importance is the application applica-tion of the Eighteenth Amendment lo the Constitution, providing for national prohibition, prohibi-tion, ratilied in 1 lie year preceding, but proclaimed pro-claimed b- the .Secretary of State to become effective on January 16. 1920, Although the country had been dry under an act of Congress, Con-gress, as part of tho wartime legislation, for six months preceding, the institution of tho eighteenth Amendment brought about the enactment of the Volstead law. with rigorous rigor-ous penalties for its violation, and thus was undertaken the most comprehensive moral teform ever conceived on the face of the earth. The election resulted ln the breaking of the "s'olid South. ' since the civil war th.- stronghold of the Democratic party. The Republicans captured Tennessee and made heavy inroads In Other eommunitles. not alone in the border States, but in the industrial indus-trial centres which have been building up well below the Mason-Dixon line. Missouri ,- nd Oklahoma, which, while not of the "soil! South." had always been counted on as Democratic, went Into the Republican column, col-umn, along with others of Democratic leanings, lean-ings, such as Montana. New Mexico and Arizona It Was a Republican sweep Miiitft unexpected by even the most optimistic of the Republican leadership. Not only' did the Republican party capture the Presidency, Presi-dency, but the Senate and the House as we. I by unprecedented majorities. Senator Harding, after 1 brie! vacation which Included n trip to the Panama Cniuil went t.. his residence in Miri.ni. '.... 1 a series of conferences with authorities in international affairs, to be ready to solve the problem or the settlement of the war as soon as his administration begins. He had the assurance of omplcto support from the Senate and the House, which will he heavily Republican, and tho prospects were that no Chief Executive ever approached a term of "dl ie with a road so well paved for party assistance In the reforms to be undertaken, starting with a special session of Congress, probably beginning in April The end of the year found President Wilson Wil-son recovering slowly from tho illness with which he had suffered for a considerable time In fact, since October. 1910, when he was compelled to abandon his countrywide tour in advrnacy of the League of Nations. Throughout the year the President found It possible to attend to important affaire of Stale, but he was conlim d to the While House, except for occasional automobile rides, and his communications to the country coun-try took tho form of written State papers. There was continued agitation for a set-i set-i mi nt of the soldiers' relief measures, in-dudlng in-dudlng some sort of a bonus measure, in line with those adopted by other countries. Congress, when it met in December, had this problem before it to solve, alonj; with many others which were of an emetgency character. One of these was some measure which would afford relef to th farmers, manufacturers, manu-facturers, cotton growers, tobacco producers and othere throughout the country who were pinched by the general drop In prices, which tame toward tha end of the vear (Jon-Kress (Jon-Kress was considering the reestabl'-ehment of the War Finance Corporation, which had been In successful operation during the W ir to lend money to those who needed it and who were unable to obtain tt through the customary banking channels. Despite the drop in prices the reports received by the Fedeial Reserve Board demonstrated that the country generally was In a Healthy financial condition. Th.: dbnormol conditions which had prevailed uurlng the war, a shortage in supplies ma much profiteering, due to the Inability of the Government lb restrain those who wished to make undue profits, were being adjusted. The reports Indicated that the general decline, de-cline, while in some Instances seriously affecting af-fecting various industries, as a matter Of fact was healthy. The officials were confluent confl-uent that with the Improved banking machinery ma-chinery of the Federal Reserve system the f WOuld be no panic or anything api coaching coach-ing It Gen er all) there w is 1 feeling of conn-Gence conn-Gence that tin- new- year, with e change In administration and an adjustment of d -nicst as well as international Questions, would bring more satisfactory conditions foe the people |