St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-05-07
READY FOR A FRAY.
United States New Fully Equipped
for All Emergencies.
There Was Method In President Me-
kinlcy's Remarkable Patience
National Honor Preserved
with Prudence.
Especial Washington Letrer.l

Especial washington LetIer.l
"There is divinity that doth hedge
about king" and the same sentiment
might be paraphrased concerning Q
president.
When President Garfield made the ap-
pointment which caused the severance
of friendly relations between Garfield
and Conkling political talk was as Bit
ter as political feeling in this city; but
when President Garfield was assas-
sinated partisans were chilled into
silence, and rancor fed away and hid
itself behind the barrier of oblivion.
The writer has witnessed many po-
1itical upheavals in the national capt.
tai. The people of this country are as
mercurial as the French, and us ready
for extreme action on slight provoca-
ton; but they are also just cool enough
to follow Davy Crockett's maxim: BE
sure you're right; then go ahead"
The plain people of this country
would Indignantly resent coarse al
lusion to their president, no matter
whether he were in political accord
with them or not. They feel that there
is divinity that doth hedge about
president" in that he represents the
majesty and power of a great sovereign
people.
But here in Washington, where presi-
dents are not seen afar of, but where
they are known of all men, where usually
they are known before they become
presidents, there is less of that worship
full respect shown our chief magistrates
than is shown them in our remote cities
and rural communities. Therefore
presidents with a degree of familiarity
which would surprise and probably
anger the country folk.
Many readers of this letter would go
five miles or more to see the president,
even if they were obliged to walk. But
the older residents here would not walk
five blocks to see him, any more than
you would walk five blocks to see some
one whom you have seen again and
again for IS years or longer. There is
no disrespect meant in this statement
of fact; it simply illustrates, in a de-
gree, what is to follow in this story.
During the past five weeks the writer
has heard men refer to our president as
"a coward" also as ''in league with the
power" and as being willing to
"sell dead sailors for Spanish gold and
call it indemnity
That may shock you. but many such
have been made here which,
il made at distance from Washington,
would have resulted in serious personal
But here the men of ex-
perience pass such people by, knowing
that they are belittling themselves, and
not injuring the president nor our in
Congressman Hit, of Illinois, chair
man of the committee on foreign af-
fairs, for many years employed in the
of state, and for Is years a
of congress, who is regarded as
ere of the ablcst men in public life,
says: "People do not realize the grav-
ity of the situation which confronted
Cleveland, and which has con-
President Mckinley. The peo-
pie believe in their united strength, and |
they believe that they could fight the
whole world. But the president has |
been aware of the fact that we were not |
prepared for war. He has realized his |
great responsibility before God. as well !
ss before the people. Therefore it was
necessary to prepare for war, and, in |
the meantime, avoid war.
"The president knows what people
fhink. He reads it in the newspapers.
He gets 1t from representatives of the
people, who bring him personal letters |
to read. He gets it from the senators,
who tell him how their states are going.
Therefore, when there is a great popu-
lar clamor. the president knows all
about it. The people wonder why the