The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-24
TROUBLES OF HIS OWN
Presidents Position a Trying
One at Present.
HOW FALSE RUMORs ARE STARTED

Doe 10 mchinieys Habit OF Gross Ques-
tioning His Advisers - Has . Definite
Policy. Notwithstanding Rumors to the
Contrsry-seoretary Sherman.
WASHINGTON. March 24.-[Special. l.
These are trying days for the president of
she United States. Mr.. Mckinley is begin
ming to show the effects of the strain TO
which he has been subjected during the
last month or six weeks. or late he has
not been able to sleep we'll, and he has
spent great deal Of his time pacing to
and fro In the White House or taking
short walks by himself In the grounds
surrounding the executive mansion. That
he has taken his troubles to bed with him
Is quite obvious to all who have been
brought in contact with him during these
stirring times, and these facts indicate un-
mistakably the keen sense of responsibility
which the president has felt. It ia no light
matter to be in position where one must
decide questions which make for war or
peace, which may change the whole his
tory of the country and possibly of the
world.
During all these trying times the presi.
dent has not forgotten that fine manner
which is one of his chief characteristics.
He is bland, genial, even jocular when it
suits his purpose, and always the perfec-
ton of courtesy and good humor. One
senator with whom was talking said:
1t does us good to go up to the White
House now and then. We sit about in our
cloakrooms at the capitol and speculate on
the possibility of war till we get nervous.
Then we go up to the White House, meet
the president, talk with him few mo-
ments, and we feel as IL we had run up
against bank of roses"
This may be very reassuring and COM
forting for the senators, but do they pause
to think what demands are made upon the
nervous resources of the man who Is at
the very center of the storm, who has upon
his shoulders a tremendous responsibility
and who yet summons his self possession
and lightness of heart In order to give re-
assurance to others?
A Yankee Trick.
President Mckinley has one habit which
now and then gives rise to queer rumors
He loves to ask questions of his callers.
In order to avoid answering too many
questions himself, he has the Yankee trick
of asking them himself. This saves him
some mental wear and tear, IL pleases his
callers, who naturally think their opinions
are sought because they are valuable, and
1t also gives the president sort of con-
sensus of opinion at the capitol and
throughout the country. 1t is often re-
marked that President Mckinley is in
closer touch with public opinion than any
other man in the government, and this Is
the way he docs it: He asks questions and
induces all his visitors to express them
selves.
But this habit of asking questions has
its disadvantages For instance, one day
the president will ask senators and repre-,
sentatives who call on him:
What would you think of demand on
Spain that she stop the war by June ~"
The president gets the benefit of the
callers opinion, but the caller Is likely to
go out and hint to his nearest friend that
the president has decided to demand OF
Spain that the war be stopped by June /.
Next day, or possibly the same day. the
form Of the question may be varied. This
time it will be:
"What do you think of the plan of ask
ing Spain to give Cuba a complete home
rule government after the Canadian plan"
In few hours the rumor is all around
town that this is the course the president
has decided on. AS matter of fact neither
Of these things Is likely to be the pro-
gramme nearest his heart, the one which
he seriously meditated carrying out.
Another result of this habit of asking
questions which are largely hypothetical
and designed as Ia barrier against converse
ton of more pertinent and perhaps loss
comfortable sort is that the impression
spreads round that the president has not
actually made up his mind what to do;
that he is uncertain and vacillating, and
that he Is afraid to make strong move.
asked one of the cabinet ministers about
this, and he replied with laugh:
~ am not surprised that the presidents
hobby for drawing out his visitors on all
sorts of topics should give rise to some
such impression. But, bless you, the presi-
dent knows what he wants to do as well
as any man i'm this country knows
what he wants to do with the affairs
under his control. Mr.. Mckinley Is
not sitting up nights and studying all
these things for nothing. He has had his
policy right along, and, though events
have interfered with 1t or shaded 1t, he
has not vacillated at all, nor 10 he suffer
Ing from 1nueclsiOn. bub you musb re-
member that he is compelled to see dozen
or 40 men day, and II he did not adopt
some expedient for getting their opinions
instead of permitting them to worm his
out of him he could have no policies or
plans that every one did not know"
Secretary sherman and Judge Day.
There has been great deal of gossip In
the newspapers because Secretary Sher-
man is not in charge of Cuban affairs ut
the state department and because Assist
ant Secretary Day is. At first there was
an inclination to critioise Judge Day as
too new a man to have charge of such i'm
portant affairs, but so far no one has been
able to point out any mistakes on his part.
Besides, In times of stress the rule is that
q president takes virtual charge of the for
eign negotiations himself. Nearly all our
presidents have done this, and whether
they intrust the details to a secretary of
state or an assistant secretary does not APP
pear to matter very much. In the very
nature of things an affair like this Span
ish imbroglio Is one to absorb the energies
and attention of the president. It Is by
long odds the most important matter with
which his administration has to deal