Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-11-18
HAIL, THANKSGIVING
THE PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION
 AND HOW IT IS WRITTEN.

Washington Issued the First Proclamation.
 Only General, However, Since Lincoin's
 Time-The Ceremony In the State De- partment- What the Proclamation Savs.
 A few days since the president issued through the press his annual Thanks giving proclamation The custom of issuing national proclamation has been annual only since Lincoln's time, though George Washington issued as early as 17S9 proclamation, which has served as model for his successors. The Revolutionary fathers believed they had particular reason for giving thanks, and they lost few opportunities of doing so. Thus Ill the continental congress there Were resolutions passed setting aside days for acknowledging the kind ness of Providence ill giving victory to the Revolutionist forces The chaplains of congress were the prime movers in this. But the thanks of the nation were given rather grudgingly afterward, and 1t was due to a Boston woman S efforts that President Lincoln made habit of proelaiming special day for giving thanks
 Since Lincoln's time the presidents have all issued Thanksgiving proclama- tions early in November. These procla- nations are composed usually by the presidents themselves, and in most in- stances they have been written with the presidents own hand From the White House they have gone to the state de- partment where they have been copied with eXaetness on that office's blue paper. The proclamation is never type written. The typewriter is nsed in all the departments freely, with the excep- tion of the state department Here Sec retary Gresham used it for his corre- spondenee, but before him it was not used even for the secretary's letters. No official document emanating from the state department is ever written on the typewriter. It is invariably engrossed i'll flowing script on the department's blue bond paper
 When the proclamation has been en- grossed, it is sent to the office of the clerk of pardons and commissions. He has the custody of the great seal No impression of this can be made without a special warrant signed by the presi- dent of the United States himself This seal is kept constantly under lock and key, except when it is i'll use for the att testing of pardons, commissions or proc lamations of the president It is an elaborate affair, which cost $1 ,000, and the making of the impression is accom- plished with much ceremony and not little labor.
 When the seal has been affixed the document is copied by clerks, and copies are sent to the governors of all the states. It is given to the press at the same time, and the press associations telegraph it to all the quarters of the country for publication. It finds its way into good many thousand newspapers, and probably is read by ten or fifteen millions of the people of the United States.
 The first Thanksgiving proclamation, that of President Washington, was is sued in New York Oct 3, 1789. Presi dent Washington, it will be seen, took time by the forelock. There was no tele- graph ill his day to transmit the procla- nation to the uttermost parts of the United States. It had to reach the in terior by stage and carrier, and no doubt many of the people who had some reason to give thanks did not hear of this ap- pointment of Nov. 26 for that purpose until November was long past The original of the Washington proclama tion is in the hands of the Rev. J. w. Wellman, who inherited it remotely from his great grandfather, William Ripley of Cornish, N H. 1t was much like the proclamation of today. It began with the formal, By the President of the United States of Ameriea-A Proc lamation. "
 In the first paragraph the president says that ''whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both houses of congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanks giving and prayer, 10 be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by atfording them an oppor- tunity peaceably to establish form of government for their safety and happi- ness, now, therefore, he recommends and assigns Thursday, the 26th day of November, as day of thanksgiving. /" New York Sun.
 Governor Mckinley Quits Smoking.
 Abner Mckinley, New York attor- ney and brother of Governor William Mckinley of Ohio, was recently ill Pittsburg on legal business. He said :: "The greatest piece of news know of is not in the line of politics My broth CT, Governor Mckinley, has actually quit smoking. His fondness for the weed was proverbial, wherever he is known,