The times., 1897-04-10
A Department of the Affections.

A Department of the Affections.
Recent Investigations at the White House
disclose the fact that large rart OF Prest-
dent McKinley's mail consists of letters
from unhappy couples in ana out of we'd
lock. Even to read these letters is no
small job, for sometimes the woman gives
her side OF the trouble, and sumetimes the
man gives his and sometimes, when they
are married, they write a Joint letter and
give both sides. They always promise that
the Presidents decision. shall be finai
and show the most childlike faith in his
Judgment. If the politicians would only
catch the conta gion how heavenly it would
be!
President Mckinley makes Toint of
answering all OF his correspondents. The
letters from needy inventors are referred
ceas, to Mr.. Gage; the officeseekerS. to
the department most nearly concerned; but
there seems To be no place for these senti-
mental problems. The President must set
tie these himself, or let them 20, and they
are so numerous that it is really d great
tax on his time and strength. OF course,
he feels the responsibility Of deciding the
entire future life of two people in that
off-hand way, especially as he cannot get
at any impartial witnesses, and the writers
do not even fnclose photographs as a
general thing. And another thing which
makes it hard for him is that this sort
of business has never been his speciality.
He has never worked up reputation as
a divorce lawyer, and his own married
life has been so exceptionally harmonious
that he can hardly have a conception Of
the strain it is ON some people to try to
live together There oughtto be some way
to attend to these cases without taking
quite all OF the President time. He needs
some of il for the financial question. Why
not have Department OF the Affections? |
1t may be urged that this departments is
not necessary. But that objection has been |
made to every new department since the |
Government began. 1t has been often said |
that the great bulwark and foundation OF |
American life was the home, and is the |
home to have no representative in the Cabi |
net? Are there any problems important ]
and so absorbing as the questions which |
these anxious couples irnportune the Presi- |
dent to decide? why should they not be set
tied; not by one overworked and inexperi- |
enced man. but by a department composed |
of men who have studied questions Of SEN |
timent in all their variations, who can give /
six months, If necessary, to getting docu-
ments and information on some particular
case, and whose time Will, at all events,
not be quite so valuable to the nation as
that Of Mr.. Mckinley?
1t may be said that there is no demand
for such bureau; that it is like woman's
never TO be fact, because the
people do not want it. Let the objector
ook over the Ruth Ashmore columns in the
Ladies Home journal, and the personal
in the daily papers, and say, if he
dare, that the American people are not
for information on how to behave
at home! Let him inquire of the people In
the Agricultural Department, who get let
tiers every now and then from some lone
somC farmer in womanIess region Of the
West, who wants some girl tocome out and
marry himl These letters go floating
around the departments, finally finding
place in the waste-baskets, and all the
time there is that lone, loTn bachelor in |
he West pIning for the society
Of some lone, lorn maiden In the
Last A Department of the Affec-
tons could scientifically bring those two
together, and separate them afterward,
f necessary. With such a department we
night also, possibly, have a uniform d.
Torce law.
The Dingley bill must be entirely salts