The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-05
WORN AND WEARY
President Mckinley Shows Eff
feet Of War;;Trials.
Has Not Been Sick But Is Grow
ing Thin.
WHITE HOUSE MALI
Exceeds That of Any Admins
tratiOn Ever CHARTERED There.
President Has Received Tons
i of Advice on the War.

Washington, Sept 5.-President Nc
Kinley shows the effect of the strain
that has been upon him during the war.
He is naturally Of buoyant disposition
and RECEIVERS quickly from fatigue, but
during the war care has been constant
~ with him and he has had no oppor-
tunity for recuperation. Nor are his
cares over yet. Loss of color and drawn
lines in his face testify to the wear on
his constitution. He has not been sick,
however, and has come out of the many
trials that have beset him better than
might have been anticipated.
Public attention has been so absorbed
with the war that it has hardly occur
red to any one that the president, while
having all these cares. was also being
troubled by office seekers. It is a fact,
however, that some of the most trouble
some questions of civil patronage have
pressed themselves upon his attention
and are now bOthering him. A number
of persons who feel and whose friends
feel that they are entitled to some rec
OgnitiOn which it has as yet been i'm
possible to give them, are becoming i'm
Fortunate and the consideration of their
demands has been and still is troub-
ling the president. The perplexing
question is how to find means to graf
ify the demands. Political questions
have not been entirely obscured by the
war
1SS4OGnL ACA4Hl6Y mas a most as
founding mail. It is a matter of office
record that he receives more letters
than has any Of his predecessors in the
White House. There are frequently
as many as twelve hundred letters re-
ceived in a day, and the average daily
mail does not fall far short of a thous-
and. The force of executive clerks has
been increased from one administration
to another until now there is a conside-
cradle number, and they are kept busy
from early in the morning until gener-
ally IL o'clock at night. Every letter
received is answered within twenty
four hours after it reaches the White
House. This habit of prompt response
encourages correspondence, the writers
feeling that their letters are appreciated
and probably welcome, but the presi-
dent insists that every communication
of whatever character, and from how
ever humble a citizen, shall receive
respectful consideration and polite re-
sponse- Therefore, even letters that are
from obvious cranks are politely &C
knOWledged. Mr.. Mckinley has prob
ably as wide personal acquaintance
in this country as was ever enjoyed by
a man who has held high position in the
government This leads to the receipt
of a great many letters, and they have
to be read with a great deal of care
Matters which would ordinarily be for
the departments are called to his at
tentiOn by thousands of men who count
on their personal acquaintance with
the president serving them if they ad-
dress him direct.
Probably no man in the White House
ever before got as much assistance"
in the way of advice from people out
side as does President Mckinley. The
existence of the war and the discussion
of a new foreign policy has apparently
excited desire on the part of a large
percentage of the American citizens to
in some way aid by suggestions in the
settlement of all difficult problems
which confront the administration. This
giving of advice by mail is not confined
to that class of citizens who win for
themselves the title of crank by their
observation-disclosures in the way of ad-
vice to all people on all occasions. The
newspapers have on several occasions
said that the president was trying to
sound public sentiment so as to be able
the people in the matter of a national
policy. These publica tions have been
fruitful of many letters. Not an in
considerable number Of letters of ad-
vice have come from men who have fig
ured at some time or are now figuring
in public affairs. They have been re-
ceived from ex-cabinet officers diplo-
mats-sOme of foreign countries-sena-
tors and eX-senatOrs and men of local
from various parts of the country.
Many of those that have been received
from men who have not figured in Of
fetal life inclose a clipping from some
newspaper reciting the desire of the
president to know how the people are
thinking, as an excuse for writing
Some of the communications are learned
and the product of a capable mind OF
course there are thousands from un.
obviously cranks or theorists with a