Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-17
FIFTEEN CENTS A WEEK
NOT A SOFT SNAP.
1t Takes Work to Prepare the
Presidents Message.
PerpleXing Times During the
Past Six Weeks.

The writing of Book is Nothing In Com
parisOn with the Construction of a
Presidential Message Little Charity
in the Criticism and Diligently Sought
FOr-Stir Hard at It.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.-It is improb-
able that any man i'll all of this great
country has had more perplexing time
during the past six weeks than Presi-
dent Harrison. He has during that
period been engaged upon his annual
message to congress There is no work
more vexatious under ordinary circum-
stances than that of compiling presi-
Dental message, and under the circum-
stances which have surrounded the pres
ident of late it is hevery quintessence of
veXation. In the first place, itisnecessary
to exercise the greatest possible care as
to accuracy Facts must be stated just
SO as to make a misconstruction as near
iy impossible us can be and nothing must
be over-stated A point can be en-
phasized too much, or it may be under
stated. The choicest phraseology is nee
esSary. History for year is the basis
of the work, and good Judgment plays
a fine part i'll the comment. Wisdom is
necessary in every recommendation, and
it must be put just SO MS to not offend
any element Personality of desire must
be covered. Politics must not be inter
mixed with craftsmanship so as to draw
strength from proposition. The writ
ing Of book is nothing i'll comparison
with the construction of presidential
message, for there is little charity in
the criticism. and every word is analyZed
and by those who seek flaws and desire
to break down the objects of the docu-
Inent.
While the president has been delving
into reports from his cabinet officers and
treating some OF the most complicated
points in diplomacy, he has been almost
hourly presented with questions of state
craft. He has had politics from New
York to California to consider; appoint
ments, from special agents and messen-
gers to diplomates and cabinet officer;
petitions for paTdons and requests for
combinations of Santences to hang men.
He has had to think and act upon the
Chilian complication, while trying to
write about internal taxes or public-land
laws; to pass upon reported massacres Of
missionaries in China and the Carolina
islands while penning statements of the
finance. While writing ON delicate
point in his message he has had to drop
his pen and talk upon a dozen different
subjects, all foreign to his work. While
trying to frame paragraph upon postal
affairs, great panoramas of political COM
plication in various states, judicial ap-
pointments and wrangles in the forth
coming congress float III his vision, form
ing an abstract but dizzy part Of his
thoughts
Old army officers who have attempted
to write orders ON the battlefield while
dodging bombshells and hiding from
picket shots, do not reflect upon their
task as overcoming in comparison with
the work the president has been doing
for six weeks. No sooner has he gotten
down to work upon one question than
another has been forced upon him. He
has locked one door to his working room
only to see another open, man enter
and a dozen schemes rise before him.
To lock out callers has made him much
annoyanCe-mOre than those who have
on his message working days, Mondays,
been refused admission. Ii has been his
experience that when he has fairly got
ten out his memoranda and begun to get
point for the writing tablet, caller,
who wanted to leave on the next train
and who came thousands Of miles, may
be, to see HIM and who cannot wait, is
at the door To refuse him admission
under the circumstances is to offend
him, and to admit him is to take
perhaps hours out of the work at hand.
The man who can keep his good humor
and n continuity Of thought under these
circumstances is good one Writing
presidential message in campaign times
IL M f11u talten at its hest