The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-04-27
GUARDING THE PRESIDENT.
The Precautions that arc Taken to
Protect Him from tho Assassin's
Knife or Gun,


Knife or Gun.
The Washington correspondent of
the Atlanta journal says if any one
Thinks that tho President of the
United States is allowed to go about
unattended he is or she is greatly mis-
taken. The President himself is igno-
RAM oi the great prccaution which is
taken TO preserve his life and to pre-
VehI MS person being reached by such
lanatlc as Booth or crank US Guitcau.
mas recently come to my know
lcugc just To what extent the officers
ol This government do go to prevent
any tragedy such as has twice marrcd
INC history Of this republic. ~ good
ocai uscd 10 bc said about tho number
Vi detectlVes which wcrc wont to ac.
company Ircslucnt Cleveland and
some Snecrlng comments were made
oy those who ought to have known bet
Ccr, cut there was no more prccautiou
Iaken 10 protect the person Of prcsi-
ucnt Cleveland than is lakcn duriur
This administration or was taken in
lhat OF President Harrison. president,
CicVclanu was not as 1.-the Of limb as
ciIhcr Ar. Harrison or President Me-
Ninicy ANA con ,GUucntly WAS not seen
ABROAD as much rs either, but he was
tS ""NNhSSiouS aS clII!cr 10 the sense OF
danger.
This | learn from some ON, who
knows what he is saying and who is
thoroughly posted on tho WAYS and
means provided to insure our chief cX-
cCutlvc from assault
Ihls country, little over hundred
years old, has had almUsC as many
rulers assasSinatcd as France with her
Thousand years back Of her, and one
more than England. | am not taking
into consideration those pri ncus and
rulers who were murdered after they
were dcposcu and imprisoned, but OF
actual bona tide assnssi nations such a.
that Of President Lincoln, Prcsiden,
Garfield and President Carnot.
Aj | said, the Pres idcnt himself j.
ignorant OF the precautions taken lo
protect him. He would deny that such
were taken because he is
ignorant OF them, and if the secret
service bureau WAS asked the plain
question if it had force OF men de-
tailed for this work its head would
doubtless disclaim IT for the reason
that there is no law which authorizes
The treasury department TO detail men
for such duty.
Ii any cnC doubts that such Drccau.
lions arc tpkcn let him imagine the
proposition Of il govern
ncnt OF sixty or seventy millions OF
people permitting their head TO go un-
attended through the world at The
mercy OF cranks. 1t is said that if the
=ccrct service men detailed to guard
the life OF Garfield had done their
duty properly his life might never have
been sacrificed to the pistol OF Il mad
man.
From the standpoint OF the European
our executive is absolutely unguardcd.
In this Is his chief safety for whcr"
There AZ Q Tower evidences Of fear there
':rc less incentives to crime. The very
absence of guards is protection. Bat
1T Is tic crank that has to be watched
and for this work six Of the ablcsL mcn
in the secret service branch OF the
government have been selected. They
arc absolutely trustworthy and have
an almost unlimited amount OF mo lev
TO spend. They have to report TO no
one save to each other, one OF whom is
chict, SO understand, and in this way
their coming5 and gOinss are con.
Quoted without suspicion. They ar.
rive in town as do other travellers, put
up at the best hotels and wear the
smartcst clothes. Sometimes they
come with large tourist parties and
take IN the sights, going through the
White House with as keen AN appetite
for bits Of gossip as the vrricst " hay
seed " in the party.
They will assume any disguiscs
they want. but they usually go as wei
equipped gentlemen. They mlngll
with crowds and watch the vagrun
snd the loiJerer about the White Hous
grounds with trained eye, rowing il
every direction. They know thcil
business as Thoroughly as do any mcl
In their profession in the world, it il
eaid, and their disguiscs are impcnc
trable. ltmakes no matter W no is Pre-
sldent and what the executive wisl
may be on the subject, the silent and
ever watchful vigil continues.
The President himself would scorr
the idea that he needed protcct tion OF
any kind, but for all that he is pro
tectcd when least suspccting it. The
system has been continued since the
time OF Lincoln. Up to that time it
was no. thought necessary to throw
safeguards about our Presidents. The
systcm had become a little lax when
inc assassination OF Garfield made it
evident that the rigidity Of this pre-
caution must never be allowed TO rc.
lapse into an Indifferent state again.
In 0thcr countries this secret service
precaution is carried to far greater
extent than here, but it is doubtful II
it Is more elective. In England, for
Instance, IL Is said that SO many are
the disguiscS assumed by the dctcc
tivcs about Victoria that that poor
lady's life is made miserable by wOn
dcrlng who these people arc and bS
what right they arc permitted to roam
about her estates. in France the
system Is carried on very much ns it i,
here, save that the secret service i:
Increased by Officers and guards in uni
form, and scntinGlS stationed at every
door and gateway.
-------------SOH E
An orange tree that will flourish
and bear fruit rs far North as ST. Louis
10. mi 10, hu