The Progress., 1893-01-21
A NEW WHITE HOUSE.
A FESTlLENCE PLACARo FURNISHES
AN ARGUMENT IN IT'S FAVOR.

The Old House Is a Menace to Life and
He.itb-Mr- c,ercI,,d.. p,ar. ,,. a.
80 ,,.o..,,;.
"NS"'N''i " % ''''' H. 80 ''' - INV
- It's history the f7nitc House mas naa d
pestilence placarl posted on its front door
The cause IN this instance was the prescuca
of scarlet fever within, the victim bciu"
little MartEona. the presidents grand
daughter. Luckily the attack was Il mild
one. Tie Capital City Is Eow fall of scarlet
fever and djpL.heria. Hv.rT block in tii.
town nearly = marked w..., one or Wurr a
the omiu0E,iy red signs 80 the health de
partmeuJ warning gil conner, of the dan
ger Of passing within 1t 50 happens that
most of the eases of scarlet fever Ike the
case at the W lite House. uirnf n mlid type.
But 1t the attack Gp'n the president -
granddaughter ".."a virr'ent enc 81 scar
let fever, dIu.jE.E2 or amy other disease,
the argument Do s.taE 'i the immediate
building o. a Lc'y N",e House could h.t
be stronger than It i~. In no other nation
OF the world, even III ore oi Tie urimr"r
taut pHnclpalltleS oi Europe, would the
family OF The ruler and Tie Official house
hold OF the icIGuiuE sovereign be require!
to live under the same roof, and that roc!
shtlterlhS puCHc Once "E" rooms used
dallN bN thc FuDi!c as We!! a. 'heI I"ihii\ and
employees @uch i the case ~ the scat %
executive power Oi TINS great SJ.2.AnrIi.
How htt,e Maftncna took the scarlet
fever l. not known, nut IL would DC silrpIlS
ing II the executive mansion were to eSca.
any conta9on which visits the Coy, Tor IL,
lower floor OF the mansion Is daily oycrruu
10y visitors from all ->ttl"ES oi the COUNT =.
To visit the White House roam thrOuGi
the parlors of state on the lower floor aL3
gaze upon the rich hangings and fTesyar,
and fine portraits is one of the privilege, 0,
American citizenship which cannot b,
abridged or denied Many of the visit lr-
bring children with them. and uo one can
say that il was not in this manner that he
germs Of disease were DEPOSITED which
caused the red sign to be posted on IA,
front door during the last three weeks.
Uncle Saln i, rich enough AL gr-l. q,
be generous enough to give the family 81
the president at least "A decent and heaI;l
ful abode They should have plenty Of
room. plenty of air and sunlight. and at
least a semblance of privacy. The rrv-rf.t
house is 100 Years old. Ii was we'll Uuilt il
its dav and generation. and was tL.n scni,.
what of "A palace. Bat il is 10, ibr."s; ,l
the times III comfort or clcganc-.. ror r.
provisions for the health Of ia, oc.a:raI.is.
Besides il is much too small L,,.. ec.
eral times pointcd ont the dancer that +.
incurred every time a uulli. rr...si,r /.
heldin the cd house Their. a. only GA.
exit IN such occasions. and this very ul-
row and 50 located thai it would quickly
become chokcd with humanity in case 4
fire or panic
Fifteen hundred people. urICng them the
most famous IN che land the shining lights
OF congress, court. the army and navy--are
crowded in n space not large enough for
more than oUe-third the number ! do not
want to pose as an alarmist or croaker but
some day if the present White House he
continued in Use without enlargement, there
will be within its walls one of the most
dreadful disasters ever known on the Amer
iCsm continent Hundreds of tie most ia
nous men and women of the capital will
be crushed or burned or injured Then OF
course there will he Il great wave of public
indignation sweeping across the country.
Every one will want to know why precau-
tions were not taken against such casualty,
and there will be n loudly echoed demand
for the names of the persons who are re
sponsible foe the Overcrowding of a build
ing without adequate exits or protection
against fire or crush. The responsibility
will not be fixed, and even if it could be
and some sort of punishment meted out tC
the offenders that would not assuage the
grief of the bereaved, mend broken limbs
or efface the disgrace thus brought upon
the American government
Something ought to be done. and done
at once. The appearance of pestilence
placard upon the door which leads 10 the
Office of the president of the United States
is sufficient evidence of this. Years will bt
required after the appropriation has been
made to erect II new building or an addition
to the present mansion, and no time should
be lost No false notion Of economy should
be permitted to interfere with the prompt
institution of this work. raise my voice
in favor Of immediate action, and call upon
my friends and readers to speak or write tc
their members of congress or their senators
in this behalf, II you don't 90 anything
more, clip out this letter, put it in an cu
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