The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-28
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, JAN 10.-For the first time
in its history the White House has had a
pestilence placard posted on it's front door
The cause in this instance was the presence
of scarlet fever within, the victim being
little Marthena, the presidents grand.
daughter Luckily the attack was mild
one. The Capital City is now full of scarlet
lever and diphtheria. Every block in the
town nearly is marked with one or more of
the ominously red signs of the health de-
partment warning all corners of the dan
ger of passing within. 1t SO happens that
most of the cases of scarlet fever, like the
case Mt the White House, are of mild type
But if the attack upon the presidents
granddaughter were virulent one of scar
let fever, diphthcria or any other disease
the argument in favor of the immediate
building of new White House could not
be stronger than it is In no other nation
OF the world, even in one of the unimpor.
tant municipalities of Europe, would the
family of the ruler and the official house
hold OF the reigning sovereign he required
to live under the same roof, and that roof
sheltering public Office and rooms used
daily by the public rs well as the family and
employees Such is the case in the seat of
executive power of this great government.
How little Marthena took the scarlet
fever is not known, but it would be srrpris.
ing If the executive mansion were to escape
any contagion which visits the city, for the
lower floor of the mansion is daily overrun
by visitors from all sections of the country.
To visit the White House, roam through
the parlors of state on the lower floor and
gaze upon the rich hangings and frescoes
ana fine portraits is one of the privileges of
American citizenship which cannot be
abridged or denied Many of the visitors
bring children with them, and no one can
say TINT it was not in this manner that the
germs of disease were deposited which
caused the red sign to be posted on the
front door during the last three weeks
Uncle Sam is rich enough and ought to
be generous enough to give the family of
tho president at least u decent and health
full abode. They should have plenty of
room, plenty of air and sunlight, and Mt
least scmblance of privacy The present
house is 100 years old 1t was well built in
its day and generation, and was then some.
what of palace. But it is not abreast of
the times i'll comfort or elegance, nor in
provisions for the health of its occupants.
Besides it is much too small. l have sew
eral times pointed out the danger that is
incurred every time a public reception is
held in the old house There is only one
exit on such occasions, and this very mar.
row and so located that it would quickly
become choked with humanity in case of
fire or panic
Fifteen hundred people, among them the
most famous in the land-the shining lights
OF congress. court, the army and navy-are
crowded in space not large enough for
more than onc-third the number. do not
want to pose us an alarmist or croaker, but
some day, if the present White House be
continued in Use without enlargement, there
will be within its walls one of the most
dreadful disasters ever known on the Amer
lean continent. Hundreds of the most fa-
nous men and women of the capital will
be crushed or burned OF injured Then of
course there will be great wave of public
Indignation sweeping across the country.
Every one will want to know why precau-
lions were not taken against such casualty,
and there will be loudly echoed demand
for the names of the persons who are re-
sponsible for the overcrowding of build
ing without adequate exits or protection
against fire or crush. Tho responsibility
will not be fixed, and even if it could be
and some sort of punishment melted out to
the offenders that would not assuage the
grief of the bereaved, mend broken limbs
or efface tho 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 to the
office of the president of the United States
is sufficient evidence of this. Years will be
required after the appropriation has been
made to erect n 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
Of T
in favor of immediate action, and call upon
my friends and readers to speak or write to
their members of congress or their senators
In this behalf! If you don't do anything
more, clip out this letter, put it in an ell
velope and send it to them. This will be
evidence to them that the people are aroused
on the subject Though you may not think
SO, the average member of congress has n
very high respect for public opinion. Let
ters from his constituents are sure to have
great weight with him. 1t is upon public
opinion that he depends for his maintc-
nance In public place, and no citizen of this
republic should underrate his influence in
good cause To help induce congress
to build new White House, one worthy
the great nation which has it's center of
power within it's walls, is a cause good
enough for any of us to engage in.
1t is not necessary to tear down the pres.
ent building. 1t has become one of the i'm.
situations of America. Now, just hundred
years old, all the presidents but one have
lived within it. Here practically all of the
famous men of our national life have been
seen. Nearly all the great political events
of n century have been more or less asso-
ciated with the White House Within it
score or more of American women, loved of
all the people, have made their temporary
home. This old house has been the scene
of comedies and tragedies, marriages and
births, illness and death, till it has fixed
itself in the memories and affections of the