Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-03-14
THE PROCLAMATION.
WORKING UP SENTIMENTS APpRo-
PIRATE TO THANKSGIVING

TICKS Up -At4u1hkSas In oNs SN
cr-Ffnai,y Ens-o~sed On Cream Col
er~a. GTf Edged Paper and signed
The c-oncoction Of that time honored
document the Thanksgiving proclams-
Eon, which sails forth annually rs the
.tmpromptu expression Of the national
executives religions gratitude is the
terror of the state department Every
year il is called upon 10 produce some
thing new In that line, and its Efforts 20
say the same thing In q different way,
% avoid il possible verbatim copying
Of last years letter, is 4 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 ONE assist
ant secretary suggests that il is time 70
think about the proclamation"
The chief clerk accordingly runs
down the list Of drafting clerks, ascer-
tains which Of Uncle Sans ervsnts is
at the time basking in innoe q desue-
tude and dispatches 70 the eelinquent
by messenger an order 70 get up : draft
for the p-oclamasIo4
This rouses the clerk from his lethar-
gy. He rises 20 the situation with alac-
rity. His first inspiration is TO tur out
a 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, be turns
for help 10 the classics-that is, he con-
suits what Van Buren,, Tyler and Fill
moro have said in past years and makes
that q 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-
ceives is the insertion Of a lot OF capital
rs E7r dedication, which the clerk has
forgotten in the throes Of composition.
Then 81 assistant secretary, finding it
remiss in pious feryor, 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 i~nvocstor."
Thus revised the draft proceeds 70
some other grand mogul Of the diplo-
matte greenroom, who finds that now
that the Deity has been duly attended
&C 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 q peDitent.mood.
Selling a pencil. he adds that we have
not beelI 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 indehble pot.
hooks abiding to the deadly march OF
pesrileBce," affective dispenation'
and "tnry Of the elements"
The document now seems TO meet the
Requirements. IL is sent TO an engross.
Ing clerk. who proceeds TO "fecit secup,
dun artem," like a drug clerk making
up q description There are rules TO be
ohsGrYel. rules as i%nviolable as those
governing the Bank of England A Ger.
tain cream colored gilt edged paper is
used An deliberately ornamental title
Ia hourished 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 10 its proper dignity, the
chief difficulty now is to disentaDgle the
many colored insertions which crawl
like easerpillars all owe the sheet. By
standing ON his head, squirting on the
bias or humping his guessing bump to
it, utmost the ~engross.ng clerk at last
turns u a highly respectable and dec.
orous looking document
He submits il TO the chief clerk.
Meanwhile he waits in nervous sus
pense lest IL be returned with a reeues,
sor another copy or be disfgured by the
insertion of more colored caterpillars-
II the engrossed copy is approved, il
d taken TO the White House. The exec
1tive may or may not read it. It's pref.
= safe TO say he does not, but he neve,
Fails 20 sign it With the PRESIDENT
signature il returns to the state depart
aent
A Autograph copy is struck OF ant
sent abroad TO our ministers and con
Oula
The original is fled In the BOOK o
Credenoe, a sombcr, venerable volum'
sxhaliag an old time aroma from Ia
yellow time stained pages, which pre-
serves from the foundation Of our glori
Gus republic the prociamations Of al
our executives in exquisite script 70
the typewriter. thar cruel electrocuto
Of the epistolary art, has yet 20 desc
srate the precious dies Of the state ar
chiyes.
Before seeking its mausoleum, howev
sr. a typewritten copy Of the Thanks
giving PROCLAMATION is given ont to tn