Evening star., 1901-12-14

ment and embOdying his recommendations
Tor the ensuing year, including an estimate
of the amount of money which will be re-
Quired for the maintenance of the depart
ment under his direction. When a Presi-
dent has been in office for several years
he is usually so closely in touch with gov
ernmental affairs generally that he needs
this data principally memoranda, but
when, as In the case of President Roose-
Welt, man is Unexpectedly called upon to
assume the responsibilities of the highest
office in the land and is required to present
a congressional message almost Immediate
ly, the task of familiarizng himself with
all the interests involved is a herculean
one.
Different Presidents have had widely
varying methods OF preparing their mes
sageS- Prior TO the Mckinley administra-
ton II was the custom of each chief exeCu-
tive To write his message out in long hand
President Cleveland, who is rather a la
borious worker and some OF whose mes
sages to Congress Were somewhat lengthy,
found the preparation of such documents
sore tax upon his time. The late President
Mckinley and President Roosevelt have
both had recourse to more modern methods
and have dictated large portions of their
message to Secretary G. B. Cortelyou.
Mr.. McI>iniey's Way.
In later years. however. there has been
no rule for this. In some instances Presi-
dent Mckinley dictated practically an en-
tire message, and then, again. in the case
Of some OF the comparatively brief mes
sages submitted on special occasions, as
during the Spanish-American war entire
documents were written in his own hand
The business Of the government has now
attained TO such proportions that Ii is
doubtful If it Will ever again be practicable
for President 70 set out to pen personally
his entire letter of advice to Congress
Moreover, if the present occupant of the
White House has husbanded his time in
one direction, he has made more liberal
eXD9uGif.irI of ber yIhar
former Presidents were wont to Incorporate
bodily in their messages the reports pre-
pared by the cabinet officials, Mr.. Roose-
Welt insisted on rewriting everything sub
mitted for embodiment in his initial presi-
dental message and infusing into the
recommendations his own personal convic-
tiOEs.
Probably no man who has stood at the
head of the nation was enabled to pre-
pare a Congressional message with less
apparent effort than the late President Nc
kinley- He had habit of jotting down
suggestions and recording lines of thought
at odd moments, and thus the general trend
OF the discussion seemed TO literally shape
itself. Coming 70 his duties chief mag
tStrate only few mOntlS before he must
present an exhaustive declaration of policy
President Roosevelt had no opportunity for
such leiSuTely methods in the preparation
OF his first message. Almost from the out
Set he adopted the plan of seeing no visit
ors after l 30 o clock IN the afternoon, and
thus gave up the hours after lunch each
day almost exclusively to work on the mes
sage Not infrequenuy ne devoted a por-
ton Of the evening to the same task and
on the only occasion during the early weeks
Of his administration when he visited the
theater he departed after the first act in
order TO get in some work on his message.
After presidential message has been
dictated to the secretaries or penned by
hand it Is Transcribed in typewritten FORM
and after revision by the President, is sent
to the government printing office to be put
In type. When the proof comes from
Uncle Sans big printing establishment 1t
undergoes another revision, and perhaps
this may be repeated several times There
has been a great difference in the tendency
OF chief executives to make alterations In
their messages after the documents were
In type. Some Presidents have practically
rewritten their missives 20 the discontinue
OF cOmpOsitors, while others. notable Presi-
dent Mckinley, have, as a rule, made very
Few corrections.
When Secrecy Begins.
The manner OF handling a presidential
message at the government printing office
Is very interesting, for it is here that there
exists the greatest danger of disclosure of
the contents Considerable secrecy must be
maintained as TO the import of this great
letter Of advice, for were 1t possible for
stock manipulators and SPECTATORS of va
rious kinds to learn in advance the cbar,c
ter OF some of the measures advocated the
financial and business stability of the conn
try might be momentarily shaken as a re-
suit Of the INSCRIPTIONS efforts of such
echemers to enrich themselves. Once, dur
ing the Hayes administration, a presiden-
tial message was stolen, and the theft Is
reported to have netted the perpetrators
many thousand dollars, but there has neyer
been a repetition Of the loss. The message
from the time II Is delivered at the print
ing office until II emerges In pamphlet form
ready for delivery at the White House Is
solely In charge Of one Official, who Is held
Sssponsible for its safe keeping. Presidsn-