The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-26
A STRAIN ON M'KINLEY
The President Under a Heavy
Load.
BEING PULLED DOWN by INCHES.

BEING PULLED DOWN by INCHES.
No Time For Consideration of Important
State Papors-How Office Seeking In
nuences Senators-Truth and Sincerity
Needed.
WASHINGTON, May 25.-[Special -
Among tho intimate friends of President
Mckinley find considerable anxiety con-
corning his health and his powers Of en-
durance. Although tho president is we'll
in tho sense that he has suffered 10 illness
since he calno to tho White House 2%
months ago. he is very tired. Tho strain
which he has been under for year or n
year and half is beginning to tell upon
him, and his nearest friends aro advising
him to protect himself in every possible
way. The Cuban complication Is sure to
mako IL great demand upon his mental
and physical Vitality, to keep him up
nights, to bring slcepless hours to his pill
low. The responsibility of war or peace Is
going 10 be Il momrntous one for him to
bear, and he will have need of all his
strength. In conversation n fcw days ago
with member of tho cabinet was told
that every one of the presidents oilicinl nd-
viscrs had urged Mr.. Mckinley to shield
himself from the horde of people who want
to sec him, to adopt rules which will give
him certain amount of leisure every day
for consideration of pressing public bust
ness.
n Hard Worked Man.
81 do not believe the country apprcciatcs
Il tenth part Of the work tho president per
forms, said this cabinet officer. ''rhc
president is I'M carly riser. He breakfasts
every morning at 3 o'clock. By 81 he is
ready for work in his office From that
hour till late at night no knows not what
rest Is. There is no pause, no moment in
which he can sit down and take it easily
During the forenoon senators and members
of congress call to SEQ him. There is ~
stcady stream of them. They not only
come themselves, but they bring friends
and constituents with them, ana to each
OF these strangers the president is expected
to saya few words, to shake hands, to con-
ccntratc his mind upon them md their af-
fairs. Any one tllnt has ever had any ex.
pcricnco III this work of concentrating the
mind upon ono man ind ono thing after
another, hour after hour, knows what "A
strain 1t Is upon the nervous forces 1t
just pulls man down by inches, tires
him, takes the vitality out of him and in
the ond, unless he gets rest, breaks him up.
The trouble with the president today is
that, while he is sound and well physically.
mentally he Is as weary as man cnn be
AT ii O'Clock twice u week no must
meet tho cabinet. This is not so hard. In
CABINET the president really rests for the
conferences are us often social rs ANYTHING
else. We talk and laugh n little over our
work ana try to make it easier for our
Chief. 1t Is well understood among us that
we shall make these meetings us lively and j.
pleasant as wo can, not too serious or 81
ILL.,.
dent carry his load. Wo arc ali amazed Mt
hlr. Mckinley's endurance. 1t often hnp
pens that ono Of lis has to run over to the
executive mansion for consultations Wo
lind the presidents anteroom filed with
people waiting to see him.
The Ubiquitous Caller.
If tho president could have his after
moons or even all his evenings to himself.
1t would not bo so. bad. But he permits
the callers to comoIall day. In the after.
noon alta o'clock nc goes down to tho east
room and shakes tho hands of from 400 to
700 people who have assembled there to
pay their respects to him. All this takes
tiihc ana strength. Then in the evening
there are nearly always important callers,
senators or members of the cabinet. who
run in for talk, or personal friends from
out OF town who must bc entertained and
Tor whom tho president has such affection
he wishes to do everything to make them
happy. What time is there in all this for
earnest serious consideration of importnnt
state matters? What would Won thinl, of
II lnwycr whose time was wholly taken I'M
receiving reoplc in his Office and at his
house? What opportunity would he have To
prepare his cases and make his researches
ana studies? The trouble with the prcsi-
dent is that he likes the pcoplc and loves
to meet them and please them, and he is
wearing himself out doing il. He has ac
ccptcd several invitations out of town. and
every trip of this sort is another straw
upon the camcl's back. Our hopo is that
nc Will provo strong enough to endure tho
ordeal that lies before him."
One day last week President MCKINLEY
wanted to see the papers filed Mt the state
department. in tho case of n certain con
sulship. The president had about con-
oi'iued ne would mako an appointment to.
that office and wished to look over tho nm.
plications of the various candidates. IIo
sent to the state department for tho dozen
mcnts, and went on receiving callers
httlc later he happened to think of the m
pers for which he had sent. and asked See
rotary Porter to bring them in. II think
you hau better come out hero and SEQ
them, Mr.. President said Secretary Por-
ter. The president was little surprised
ut this, but walked out in tho next room
ana there he saw IL large sofa full of for
mldablc looking papers contained in biz
envelopes and jackets whats thiss, he
asked. "Tho papers in the consulate which
you asked about" Mr.. Mckinley pnyo n
up He told Secretary Porter to take tho,
documents buck to tho state department.
lie did not want to look them through.
Too Much Jolly"
There is good deal of complaint among