The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-19
Observation-Disclosures
AN AFTERNOON In THE WHITE
HOUSE
With Some Strange People and Very
Impress enable Foreigners sw
the Smart Ones Managed,

Win Some Strange People ann Very
Impress enable Foreigners. -IIeW
the Smart Ones Managed,
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or THE APPEAL.
WASHINGTON, December H.-The
accessibility Of the President is the
wonder of every foreigner who visits
Washington. / found = Scotch tour
list at his hotel the ether night in a
state ofgreat disappointment because
he had not been able TO see the Capt.
toll and the White House as hehad
expected. He had gone down to the
boundaries Of the Capitol grounds
when Congress was not in session,
aud, as he did not find anybody there
to give him permission TO enter, he
walked away without going inside,
for he could not think Of intruding a
foot within those precincts, which in
his idea must be SO sacred, without a
pass. He thought there was some
thing wrong VIXEN he found no dra
goons on guard and no turnkey there;
but he could not think of taking ad-
vantage of what no believed must be
the temporary absence Of the guard.
The idea Of walking straight up
through the Capitol grounds aud into
the Capitol itself and all through it
without asking any questions never
occurred to him.
A member Of the British House
Of Commons, and an intel igent Irish
member at that, who came to Wash
ington on a visit short time ago,
after sitting in his room and wonder
ing for a couple of days how he could
get entroe to the Executive Mansion,
put the question to me one night and
asked nae how il could be managed.
walk up to the front door and pass
in" said. But don't you need to
be known or to have a passf" he in
quired anxiously. | assured him
nothing of the kind was necessary
and walked over with him. When
we came to the gate at the entrance
to the grounds he stopped and looked
up and down as if be had missed
something. "Are there no guards at
alp" he asked. lie had expected to
find half q dozen euardsmen in gay
military attire, with gun and bayo
net, walking up and down in front OF
the rail fence to challenge every
conner.
HEN WE REACHED THU WHITE
uOWSE
he was bewildered to see that all we
needed to do was to open the door,
step inside on the fancy tiles of a
wide vestibule, where VIC met moth
ing more formidable thana young
man without military dress, entirely
unarmed and engaged in the harm
less occupation Of chewing tobacco.
II we had not opened the door for
ourselves that young man would have
opened the door for us and invited
us in, for he was the doorkeeper
then on duty. Even if he had not
known either Of us he would have
shown us freely into the East Room,
where the public receptions are held
and which is by far the largest and
most magnificent room in the Exec
utiVe Mansion. But after all that
is not saying much, for there are
private bathrooms in Washington
that more than equal it, both
in respect to size and ele-
gance, and the rest of the Execu-
tive Mansion would not rank above
a..socond or third rate private resi-
eence in the fashionable northwest
quarter. When that Irish member
OF Parliament was conducted up
stairs TO the room where the Presi
dent 3 private secretary was working,
and by the private secretary taken
into the next room and introduced
without ceremony to the President,
and when tho President as uncere-
moniously dropped his pen, rose up,
gave the visitor a warm, Democratic
handshake, and, folding his arms and
crossing his legs, stood up against
the desk to talk TO him like a plain
straightforward man of business, the
the Irish member Of Parliament
could not understand it, To be
brought suddenly into such close
contact with what he had regarded
as so distant and inaccessible as
founded him. At every door, at
every turn, he waited Tor something
which did not appear, which did not
happen. He was entirely unpre-
pared for the audience which came
to him so suddenly If he had an
ticipated it he. would have given
some study to official titles aud pro-
per forms OF address, but he was
taken unaWares
When the interview was over and
he had recovered his breathing pow
ers he remarked that your form of
is wonderfully simple"
To some very careful aud appre-
hinsiye people
THE PRESIDENT
might seem to be too much exposed.
Day and night the front gates Of the
White House grounds are vide open
and the winding path up to the man
sion unimpeded, During the day
time the gates and spreading lawns
in the rear OF the mansion are as
open and free to all, aud up TO 2
o clock in the afternoon the ground
floor of the house itself is open to all
corners, and in the tourist season it
resembles a busy railroad station in
the constant conoourSe of people ar
irving and departing.
But the President has an able body
guard. The largest measure of lib
erty is given freely. but beyond that
there is no trespass. As general
rule it is only those who are known
to have business with the President
OF Congress and the Cab
met, heads of Bureaus aud Govern
ment officials generally-are permit
ted to see the President, and in every
case the visitors card goes to the
private secretary first, except in tho
,ase of = Cabinet Minister. He
walks right up to the door of the
President S room and knocks. There
b special doorkeeper there, but
.hc nahinet MiutQtcr na,yar vyosts CO..