It started a drab and serious
affair. The war was on and restraint was in the air. Railroad
executives are like all other people--busy, serious and worried.
The railroads are carrying an enormous load. Equipment is over-
used and the replacements are just not to be had under the
circumstances. And so, the dinner lagged. The talk ran to the
Special Session, and each speaker praised the Legislature for
setting in motion the plan to allow "our armed forces" to vote,
and there was gentle inquiry as to how long the Session would
last. Naturally, their patriotism would want it to be short, with
nothing done against the carriers. Eventually they got to me, and
for my opinion.
I told them I had sensed the restraint of the dinner, but as I
had no further political ambitions, and was standing no stud
horses, and had no past due notes in the Bank, I was more or less
of a free agent, and would try to speak the truth; that it was my
honest opinion the average soldier didn't give a damn whether he
voted or not out there wherever he was; that not one out of four
of our armed forces out there in the trenches would try to vote
unless it was more or less compulsory, amazingly easy and did not
interfere with whatever he or she was interested in at the time;
that not one out of four of the ballots of those who did vote
outside the U.
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