The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-01-11
THE PROCLAMATION.
WORKING UP SENTIMENTS APPRO-
PIRATE TO THANKSGIVING.

a Rough Draft Goes the Rounds and
Picks Up Additions In Inks of All Col
ors--Finally Engrossed on Creaa Col
ored, Gilt Edged Paper and Signed.
The concoction of that time honored
document, the Thanksgiving proclama-
tion, which sails forth annually as the
impromptu expression of the national
executives religious gratitude, is the
terror of the state department Every
year it is called upon to produce some
thing new in that line, and its efforts to
say the same thing in 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 proclamation.
The chief clerk accordingly runs
down the list of drafting clerks, ascer-
tains which of Uncle Sans servants is
at the time basking in innocuous desue-
tude and dispatches to the delinquent
by messenger an order to get up draft
for the proclamation.
This rouses the clerk from his lethar-
gy. He rises to the situation with alac-
rity. His first inspiration is to turn out
paper different from its predecessors
The second arrests the divine affiatus.
What on earth can he 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 con-
suits what Van Buren, Tyler and Fill
moro have said in past years and makes
that a groundwork for draft. This
embryo proclamation is then sent
through the chief clerk, to the assistant
secretaries.
The first touch up the document re-
ceives is the insertion of lot of capital
HIS for deification, which the clerk has
forgotten i'll the throes of composition
Then an assistant secretary, finding it
reniss in 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
itude" is bracketed after worship. So
long, SO faithfully has this servant of
the people discharged this self appoint
ed task that he is known in Office par
lance as the ''divine invocator {"
Thus revised the draft proceeds to
some other grand mogul of the diplo-
matte greenroom, who finds that now
that the Deity has been duly attended
to something complimentary is due the
nation at large. So carets, in blue pen
Gil, insert "our prosperity and great
ness, " the "labors of our people, or
''our marts of trade and traffic -
This tricolor draft is now handed
around again and encounters an official
in a new vein. His lunch did not agree
with him. He is in a penitent mood.
Seizing 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 iden-
tify the year, SO he brings in a few
master strokes in purple indelible pot
hooks alluding to the 'deadly march of
pestilence,'' "affiictive dispensation"
and fury of the elements.
The document now seems to meet the
requirements. 1t is sent to an engross-
ing clerk, who proceeds to "fecit secun-
dun artem," like drug clerk making
up prescription. There are rules to be
observed, rules as inviolable as those
governing the Bank of England. A GER
tain cream colored gilt edged paper is
used. An elaborately ornamental title
is flourished half way down the page in
old German capital script announcing
ga 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 disentangle the
many colored insertions which crawl
like caterpillars all over the sheet BY
standing Oh his head, squirting on the
bias or humping his guessing bump to
its utmost the engrossing clerk at last
turns out highly respectable and dec
orous looking document.
He submits it to the chief clerk.
Meanwhile he waits in nervous sus-
pense lest it be returned with request
for another copy or be disfigured by the
insertion of more colored caterpillars.
If the engrossed copy is approved, it
is taken to tho White House. The exec
utivo may or may not read it. It's pret-
ty safe to say he does not but he never
fails to sign it. With the presidents
signature it returns to the state depart
ment.
A lithograph copy is struck off and
sent abroad to our ministers and con-
suls
The original is filed in the "Book of
Credence, " a somber, venerable volume
exhaling an old time aroma from its
yellow time stained pages, which pre-
serves from the foundation of our glori-
Gus republic the proclamations of all
our executives in exquisite script, for
the typewriter, that cruel electrocutor
of the cpistolary art, has yet to desc
crate the precious flies of the state ar
ohives.
Before seeking its mausoleum, howev-
er, typewritten copy of the Thanks
giving proclamation is given out to the
press, and the millions of readers think
what very pious God fearing man is
tue president New York World.
Economical.
The Boston Transcript has heard of