The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-11-21
THE PROCLAMATION.
WORKING UP SENTIMENTS APPRO-
PIRATE TO THANKSGIVING.

"A fhDhGh EPialt wv '-At E'ib NV
Picks Up Additions In inks Of All Col
ors-rinally Encrosscd Oh Cream Col.
ored, Gilt Edged Paper and Signed.
The connection Of that time honored
focument, the Thanksgiving proclama-
ton. which sails forth annually as tho
%inpromptu expression IF the national
executives religious gratitude, is the
terror of the state department. Every
year it is called upon to produce N
thing new in that line, and its efforts to
gay the same thing in a different way,
10 avoid if possible verbatim copying
Of last years letter, is one Of the veneer
able jokes Of the diplomatic greenroom.
About the first or second week of No.
vember, everybody knowing that the
day falls On the last Thursday of that
month. the chief clerk or some assist
ant secretary suggests that it is time TO
think about the '~proclanation.'
The chief clerk accordingly runs
down the list Of drafting clerks, ascer-
tains which of Uncle Sans servants is
at the time basking in in%nocuous desue-
tude and dispatches to the delinquent
by messenger an order to get up "a draft
for the proclamation.
This rouses the clerk from his lethar-
6 He rises TO the situation with alac-
rity. His first inspiration is to turn out
a paper different from its predecessors.
The second arrests the divine afflatus.
What on earth can he say that has not
been said?
He writes the word whereas" and
pauses. In despair, at length, he turns
fer help to the classics-that is, he con-
suits what Van Buren, Tyler and Fill
more have said in past years and makes
that u groundwork for a draft. This
embryo proclamation is then sent,
through the chief clerk, to the assistant
secretaries.
The first touch up the document re-
ctivos Is the insertion Of a lot Of capital
Els for dedication, when the clerk has
forgotten il the throos of composition.
Then an assistant secretary, finding it
remiSs III piOus %fervor, proceeds to in
sert piety with red ink marginal notes.
Thus the word prayer is followed by
songs Of praise, = and tribute Of graf
itulo' Is hracictod after worship. 81
long, so faithfully has this servant CT
the people discharged this self appoint
ed task that he is known in office Ia-.
lance as the divine invocator."
Thus revised the draft proceeds to
some other grand mogul of the diplo-
matte groenroom, who finds that now
that the Deity has been duly attended
to something complimentary is due the
nation at large. So carets, III blue pen
ell, insert ''our prosperity and great
ness. " the 'labors of our people or
'our marts Of trade and traffic
This tricOlor draft is now handed
arouj3 again and encounters an official
in a new vein. His lunch did not agree
with him. He is il "a penitent mood.
Selling 4 pencil, he ADDS that we have
not been visited with swift punishment
for our shortcomings.
Another handles the document and
finds that II j. too general, fails to iden-
tify the year, so he brings in a few
A4|SNN4 ENANhNS ia Iui llC l4iNt14DiO pun
hooks alluding TO tho deadly march Of
pestilence," ''at1lictive dispensation"
and fury Of the clements"
The document now seems to meet tho
requirements. 1t is sent to an engross-
ins clerk, who proceeds to ''fecit secun-
dunn artcm," like Il drug clerk making
up a prescription. There are rules to be
observed, rules as inyiolable as those
governing the Bank Of England. A GER
tain cream colored gilt edged paper is
used. An deliberately ornamental title
is fourished half way down the page in
old German capital script announcing
"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 II discntangle the
many colorod insertions which crawl
like caterpillars all over the sheet. BY
standing on his head, squirting on the
bias or humping lis guessing bump to
its utmost the cngrQSsing clerk at last
turns out q highly respectable and dec
orous looking document.
He submits it 10 the chief clerk.
Meanwhile he waits in nervous sus.
pense lest it be returned with a request
for another copy or be disfgured by the
insertion Of more colored caterpillars.
# the engrossea copy is approved, it
is taGan 10 tho White House. The exec
uuive may CT may not read it. US pref
ty saio to say be does not. bet he never
fails TO slgn it. With the PRESIDENTS
signature il returns 70 tie state depart.
ment.
"A, l~itkcec4rh cory IS sarcL OF ana
2srr aoroad 70 cIc p. .2.sters a4d COY.
.eiE<