The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-12-06
Selrft MisrrIIanu.
Some Things the President
Doesn't Do.

\ President of the United ates is
the only law-ahiding and reason pos
sessiny cilizn thereof whom custom
holds as prisoner within limited
bounds. In how he spends his leisure
time he is more restricted than the
color,d janitol who daily emptics his
waste-basket. That the man at the
head of any great institution, public or
private, should consult his personal
taste as to his whereabouts in vacation
times, or as to any enjoymen outside
office hours, less than the humblest
menial employed under him, would at
once appear as a paradox. Through
precedent such a paradoNical condition
has come to exist in the executive
branch Of our government.
The President must not leave the
country, even for day. This is an
old, unwritten law which has been re-
spected hy all successors of George
Washington, with perhaps one or two
exceptions. Many people, otherwise
well informed, have the notion that
this restriction is imposed by statute.
Such is not the case.
TECHNICALLY, TWO HAVE LEFT THE
COUNTRY
President Mckinley emphasized his
respect for this rule last spring. Be-
fore his departure upon his tour to the
South and West it was unoflicially an
nounced that he would meet President
Diaz. of Mexico, somewhere near the
boundary of that sister Republic. A
controversy as to whether Mr.. Mckin-
ley might properly cross the Mexican
line, even for a few hours, arose.
Early in May, when he visited Ell Paso,
Texas, where he was greeted by Presi-
dent Diazs personal representative, he
expressed desire to look into Mexico.
From Ell Paso there extends into Mex
leo the International Bridge spanning
the Rio Grande. Whether the Presi-
dent would dare to cross this structure
or not was the question which members
of his party asked one another. He
did not. He went to the bridge and
caught a view of the Sierra Madre.
Half way across the bridge was line.
Stepping over this was putting foot
upon Mexican territory. President
Harrison had ventured as far as this
line ten years before. But President
Mckinley did not 50 much as place his
foot upon the bridge.
President Arthur was accus Il of
violating this unwritten law In Octo-
Der, 1888, he went upon pleasure trip
to Alexander Bay, Thousand Islands.
His political enemies accused him then
of venturing across the Canadian line
while on fishing excursion. The
boundary between Canada and New
York extends to the middle Of the St.
Lawrence River.
President Cleveland was similarly
| accused. On one of his hunting trips
| to North Carolina he sailed bv the
ocean route past Cape Hatteras. HIS
enemies contended that he vcntured
outside the three,miie limit. Accord
ing to international law, country S
possessions extend for three miles out
side its coast line. Plying the sea
farther than this is leaving home terri
tory.
WHEN TUE VICE PRESIDENT MAY RULE
This rule does not apply oany otLel
official of the United States. One
Eice-President went SO far as to be in
auguratcd on foreign soil. This was
William Rufus King On the January
before his inauguration he had gone te
Cuba for his health. He took his o ,tl
| Of office hof, ,ra tho TTnitod States Con