The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-28

THE POLICEMAN AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
man with a half weeks growth of beard
on his face, his uniform, buttons, star
| club and all suggesting more the street
corner than the parlors of presidents
house. A policeman is a useful agent OF
| society in his proper place. but submit
his proper place is not in the executive
mansion among ladies and gentlemen of
high degree.
| One would not be likely to 20 a second
time to the house Of a private gentleman
In which policemen were stationed among
the guests, possibly for the purpose of
arresting the disorderly or keeping an eye
on the silver. 1t is shock to ones sensi-
bilities to come up short against a police
man in the long corridor Of the White
| House, and it does not relieve ones feelings
any to discover that the officer is fresh
| from his beat, perhaps in the slums of the
! town, where it may have been his duty to
arrest malefactors of exceeding vicious
ness and vulgarity. OF course there is an
| excuse for it, and it is no new thing Po-
licemen from the city squad have been de-
tailed for the executive mansion on recep-
ton occasions for many years, and the re-
sponsibility cannot be laid at the door of
any ouC III PAL oiCuldT lie IdUlt Is III uHO
way we republicans OF the greatest repub-
lie have OF running things. In the first
place, our White House or executive pal
ace is very much too small for the cere-
monial purposes to which it is so often
put, and in the second place the regular
staff of employees. servants and watchmen
Is much too limited.
l have made inquiries about this with
the result of ascertaining that it is physic-
ally impossible for the regular employees of
the mansion, on account of their limited
number, to handle" the crowds which at
tend the presidents levees and card recep-
tions They have all they can do to guard
the door, see that the cline" is kept NOV
ing in good order and to attend to the
cloak and hat rooms Outside the house,
where the coachmen are to be called and
occasionally disciplined for the coachman's
chief fault, that of crowding and over
reaching, and inside the house. where
prudence demands the presence of guards
and watchmen in case of accident or panic,
policemen from the squad have to be en-
ployed. Sometimes officers are sent in
citizens dress. but of late the custom has
been to send them in full uniform. The
proper remedy for this is to give the presi-
dent staff of employees commensurate
with his station and his requirements
When the president of the United States
sleeps he is guarded by the same policemen
who guard, or who are supposed to guard,
private citizens. Only one man, and he
night Waterman. who, in addition to his
other duties looks after the fires and lights,
is specially detailed to stand sentry over
the sleeping head of the nation. After
midnight he is the only man awake within
the White House premises. Its a peculiar
fact, and one on which have heard for
eigners comment in surprised tones, that
half dozen resolute men could assault the
executive mansion in the dead of night,
break down the door, or force entrance
through a window, and murder the presi-
dent in his bed. They would have but the
one Waterman to deal with, and by taking
him unawares they might even prevent
him turning in an alarm.
Perhaps no other ruler is left thus prac-
tically unguarded, without soldiery or
sentries. AT a very late hour one recent