The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-26
The Hardest Job in the Word.

respondent. this last week. Il have
seen a good deal of public. professional
and industrial life in this and other eoun-
tries" continued the cabinet member,
''but I know OF nothing that compares
with the presidency in great RESPONSE
biTty, in number and Importance Of the
decisions TO be made, in constant pres
sure of matters great and small, in any
one OF which serious or fatal mistake
may be made. and in demand upon the
time of the incumbent. Admiral Dewey
thought il would be easy TO be president,
/ but Dewey had never tried if, and two
hours IN the White House would be
enough 10 convince him Of his mistake
L know Of no other man in the world
the United States, who gives 10 his en-
nervous and physical. Ne railway pres
ident, no chief of great corporation.
no professional man. and go far as 1
know no other head of a government,
carries half the burden that rests upon
the shoulders OF cur chief magistrate
'In time alone the president is press
ed IS no man ought TO be pressed.
There are only twenty-four hours iraa
day and one must have time for sleep
and meals. If there were forty-eight
or seventy-two hours in a day there
would not be enough for the president.
Remember that our government IS per-
haps more than any other in the world
a personal government. There are great
departments and bureaus. and there Is
the congress of two houses, but every
thing centers at the executive mansion.
Our whole scheme of government in
practice, no matter what the theory Is,
focuses in one man. and he the presi-
dent Our president is supposed to be
hat orfS
in our public life-everything that has to
do with our foreign relations. our do
mestic affairs, our colonial matters. The
science of government, rot in theory
but in daily, hourly practice. must he
know He must discuss and decided
questions Of political and social econ
omy, administrative affairs, matters
closely involved in popular passions or
prejudices: questions of the moment,
questions which extend their perspective
far into the future; questions of prac-
tice, questions of morals; problems vital
TO the future of nations and races.
when you or l or any ordinary citi-
zen is confronted with some new prob
lem of governmental policy, complex for
eign relations, political economy or social
science, what do we do? We proceed 70
read up on that question. We procure
books, the reviews, the magazines. the
newspapers: we study ii from all aspects
and fill our minds with the views and
comments of the specialists and best
thinkers.
But the president of the United States
cannot do this, because he has not the
time There are too many such prob
lens of one sort or another TO be dis
posed of. There is too great a demand
uDOn his moments. 1t is a serious,
regrettable fact that the president can
not keep up his reading. He cannot
keep abreast of the best thought of the
time by studying the reviews and the
newspapers. Books are out of the qusS-
ton.
President Mckinley rarely reads any
thing more than the headlines in the
newspapers, and a few editorial articles
or special Washington correspondence
marked and laid before him by his sec
retaries. These he has time barely 10
glance at rather than to read The peri
odicals, foreign and domestic, the edi-
torials and letters, the interviews, special
and critical articles, the books which
keep you and me au courant with this
busy, driving world President Mckinley
knows next to nothing Of
THE head of our government is forced
by circumstances to get practically all
of his information through the ear. Very
little of it reaches him through the eye.
He must depend upon the voices of men,
not the printed page. If you want TO
realize how difficult this would be in
your own case, try 1t for a week or
two Stop your reading, spend ali your
time in conversation. Draw not only
your facts, but your ideas, your impress
sions, your lights and shades and half
tones, from others. / venture to say
you will find a blank in your life; 1t will
be a sort of intellectual desert, or, If
not that, a mental Journey, thing of
scramble, scatter, unrest, unsatisfacto-
riness Then remember that in the case
of the president this is not mercy
matter of pleasure or of satisfaction. but
that his success or failure depends upon
the manner in which he makes use Of
these sources OF information; you will
thus see that he must be remarkable
man. that he must have an extraordinary
facility for keeping in touch with the
world and its thoughts and affairs in
this vicarious sort of way, and thus,
perhaps, you will realize the difficulty of
one phase of the task of president.
you ask why the time of the presi-
dent should be consumed that ne is
practically barred from his library and
from current literature. OF course, he
ought not to be- but he Is because this
is the most personal government In the
world: because IN many respects we are
working along lines laid down a hun
bred years ago, when the country was
not a tenth as large as IL is now: be
cause we are adhering to the tradition
that It is the right OF every American
citizen TO see and shake hands with his
president whenever he wishes; because
in handling business with the govern
ment il IS the American instinct never
to be satisfied tin he has carried his
affair TO headquarters. to the highest
office and most powerful official. the
president himself. Every day. every
hour. the president is fairly compelled
10 discuss and decide some matter, 10
have been heard Of at the executive
mansion. but should have been cared for
finally at the proper department. Every
day every member Of the cabinet hears
the defiant IN carry this matter 20 the
presldent.' And to the president Il goes.
above all" concluded the cabinet
member. the president time and en-
ergies are more than consumed because
he is not only the head Of the grsste.t
and most personal government IN The
world, with all SIS social activities and
ceremonial traditions Of which re Il the
center. but because h Is the head snd
personal leader OF the greatest political
organization on earth. party ~ seven
or eight millions n men. This party
system fairly revolves about him as is
axis. and With an almost iHc0ucsivahje
amount Il friction and wear and tear
upon his nervous forces Close obser-
1a:5on Il TIRE working methods q "a D.
life u MT mckinley hss led M 20 TIE
conclusion that TIE presidency q he
United States Il the hardest ioa In tie
Yorld''
Celestial Emp re HILLARY Preeepts.
The following precsptz have been dis