Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-12-01
THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION.
How They Are Made and Issued at
Washington.

~ do thO I'LL piOhPtu N@AtiNcotoh ~
the national Executives religious
gratitude, is the terror OF the State
Department. Every thing new in
that line, and its efforts to say the
same thing in different way, to
avoid if possible verbatim copying of
last years letter, is one of the ven
cradle jokes Of the diplomatic green
room.
About the first or second week of
November Everybody knowing that
the day falls on the last Thursday of
that month)th chief clerk of some
assistant secretary suggests that it
ia time 10 think more about the
proclamation
The chief clerk accordingly runs
down the list Of drafting clerks, as
certains which of Uncle Sans SER
wants is at the time basking in in
nocuous desuetude aud dispatches
to the delinquent by messenger an or
der to get up draft for the procla-
nation.
This rouses the clerk from his
letbargy. He rises to the situation
with alacrity. His first inspiration
is to turn out paper different from
its predecessors. The second arrests
the divine afflatus. What on earth
can be say that has not been said?
He writes the word whereas"
and pauses. In despair at length
he turns for help to the classics
that is, he consults what Van
Buren,, Tyler and Fillmore have
said in past years and makes that a
groundwork for draft. This en-
broyo proclamation is then sent,
through the chief clerk, to the assist
ant secretaries. ~
The FIRST touch-up the document
receives is the insertion of a lot of
capital HIS for dedication, which the
clerk has forgotten in the throes OF
composition. Than an assistant secre-
tary, finding it remiss in pious fervor,
proceeds to insert piety with red ink
marginal notes. y
Thus the word prayer is followed
by "songs of praise" and ''tribute
of gratitude" is bracketed after
worship. So long, so faithfully has
this servant of the people discharg-
ed this selfappointed task that he is
known in office parlance as the "di-
vine invocator."
Thus revised the draft proceeds
to some other grand mogul of the
diplomatic green room, who finds
that now that the Deity has been
duly attended to. something compli-
mentary is due the nation at
large. So carets, in blue pencil, in
sert "our prosperity and greatness"
the "labors of our people or "our
marts of trade and traffic.
This tri-color draft is now hand.
ed ar4und again, and encounters an
official IN a new vain. His lunch
did not agree with him. He is in a
penitent mood. SEEING pencil
he adds, "that we have not been
visited with swift punishment for
| our shortcomings"
Another handles the document,
and finds that it is too general, fails
to identify the year, so he brings in
few master strokes in purple in
delible pothooks alludiug to the
"deadly march of pestilence," "af-
Aictive dispensation and "fury OF
the elements"
The d0c1 II now seems to meet
the requiem MIS-. II is sent to an
engrossing clerk, who proceeds to
"tecit secundum artem," like drug
clerk making up a prescription.
There are rules to be observed, rules
as inviolable as those governing1t6e
-+1+s.s-.-s& 4 E++,srlrrrc.-- A cerJaK cream
colored, giit-edged paper is used.
An deliberately ornamental title is
fourished halfway down the page
in old German capital script an
nouncing "a proclamation by the
President of the United States"
The original Whereas has met with
many vicissitudes during the travels
of the draft.
Restored to its proper dignity,
the chief difficulty now is to olsen
tangle the many colored insertions
which crawl like caterplllars all over
the sheet. By standing on his head,
squirting on the bias, or humping
his guessing bump to its utmost,
the engrossing clerk at last turns
out highly respectable and decor
ouslooking document.
He submits it to the chief clerk.
Meanwhile he waits in nervous sus-
pense lest it be returned in request
for another copy,or be disfgured by
the insertion of more colored cater
pillars.
If the engrossed copy is approved
it is taken to the White House.
The Executive may or may not read
it; it's pretty safe to say he does
not, but he never fails to sign it.
With the Presidents signature it re-
turns to the State Department.
A Autograph copy is struck off and
sent abroad to our ministers and con-
| suls.
The original is filed in the "Book
of Credence," sombre, venerable
volume exhaling an old time aroma,
from it's yellow, time stained pages,
which preserves from the foundation
of our glorious Republic the procla-
nations of all our Executives in ex-
quisite script, for the typewriter, that
cruel electrocutor of the epistolary
art, has yet to desecrate the precious
files of the State archives.
Before seeking its massoleum, how
ever,a typewriter copy oftheThanks-
giving proclamation is given to the
Associated Press, and its millions of
readers think what a very pious God
fearing man is the President.-N Z.
World.