The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-02
The TOURS OF
The PRESIDENTS
Why the First Presidential Junket'
Was Made by President
Johnson.
Swinging Around the Circle and
the Opposition It Met From ,
the Country.
How the Touring Idea Was Taken
How the Touring Idea Was Taken
Up and Developed by Harri-
son and Mckinley.
.om The Journal Bureau, Room IS, Post Build

- w aSHlnSCOn, April Z.-Ine preS1ueaCldl
junket' was begun under President An
drew Johnson; it was partially developed
under President Harrison; and was
brought to its present state Of high devel-
opment under President Mckinley. Presi-
dent Roosevelt is following in the foot
steps of his immediate predecessor.
Prior to the days of Johnson, American
presidents seldom left the capital city,
unless it was for flying trip Of a purely
personal nature to Philadelphia, New York
or some other nearby point, and these trips
were not attended by any special cere-
mony, nor were they widely advertised.
So new was the idea of a presidential tour
that when Johnson, proposed it, and made
his plans for what was afterwards known
as his .'swing around the circle" the en-
tire country talked about it, and opinion
was pretty well divided as to the proprie-
ty of such a thing. 1t was Mr.. Johnson's
purpose to attempt to allay in some de-
gree the bitter feeling which had grown
out of his reconstruction policy which at
length eliminated in an attempt
at his impeachment. The idea that the
president was at liberty to use the i'm
mense prestige of his high office for par
tizan and personal purposes did not set
well on the average American mind.
The opposition which President Johnson
encountered in his violation Of the pro-
prieties MS they were understood in his
day prevented his immediate successors
from following his example. Grant made
no trips. Hayes went for a visit to his
old home, and while there accepted an in
vitation to visit Detroit, where he made
an address. Before returning to Wash
ington he stopped at half a dozen different
places, making speeches and meeting the
people, but all this was an afterthought
and was not in his mind when he left the
White House. Garfield during the few
| months he was in office was not out of
Washington. He was at the Pennsylvania,
depot one morning in early July, 1881, to
| take a train for Baltimore, when he fell
by the assassin's bullet Arthur, who sue
| ceeded him, left no record Of tours of any
sort, his occasional absences from Wash
| ington being due to calls of private busi-
mess character to New York city.
! Mr.. cIeveIand's Long Trip.
The first long trip ever made by a
president was made in the fall OF 1888,
during his first term, shortly after his
marriage. Johnson's "swing around the
circle" was confined to the country east
| Of the Alleghenies and north Of Maryland
and West Virginia. It lasted only a few
days and the total mileage was very
small compared with what later presidents
have done. Cleveland went as far west
as the Missouri river and as far north as
the cities of Minneapolis and st. Paul in
| Minnesota. He touched at Omaha, st.
Joseph pnd Kansas City on the Missouri,
and then crossed the state to St.. Louis,
from which point he returned to Washing
ton by the Ohio river route, making fire.
| quent stops. On the way west by the
northerly route he visited Chicago Mil.
waukee and the chief cities of Ohio and
Indiana. He was away from Washington
about three weeks and covered about 2,50(
miles. This one long trip was the only
one OF consequence made by him as presi-
dent, during either of his terms. He
| went occasionally on hunting and fishing
trips to the rivers and bays near the
coast and within easy reach Of Washing.
ton, but on these occasions he was in.
visible to the public and away from the
scrutinizing gaze of the correspondents.
President Harrison's Record.
President Harrison took up the presi
dent junket where it had been left b,
Cleveland during the latter's first term
and added to it, both in the number O
miles travelled and in the number and i'm
portance of the speeches made. TIL,
Harrison junket-there was but one o
then1-was memorable one in severa
ways. In the first place, it revealed ta
president to the country as one Of tn
most eloquent, forceful and tactful shor
lspeechmakers Of its entire hostory. Tn
lspeeches Of the Harrison junket are mod
els of style and their subject matter dis
Harrison's mind. In book form, the,
make the most popular volume of his col
lected writings. In the second place, thi
junket revealed to the country a new de
sire, namely, to see the president occa
sionally in person; and to hear from hi
own lips non-partizan discussion Of tn
questions of the day. A radical chang
in public sentiment as it had existed a
the time Of johnson came about, seem
ingly in a single day, and the country &C
cepted as a matter of course and as on
Of it's rights, that which had been so Sc
verely criticized in the days just after tn
great civil war.
Mr.. MckTnIey's Record.
It is to President Mckinley, as alread
suggested, that credit is due for the fu
development Of the presidential tour. De
parting from Johnson's model, he planne
f it along nOn-partizan lines, and in eac
of the long journeys which he made owe
q the country he was simply the chief ex
ecutive Of a great people, going from plac
y to place for the purpose of stimulating
! the public heart a, loftier patriotism, an
. Of drawing useful lessons from the ma
. tion's present and prospective greatness.
Mckinley travelled on his tours MOI
. miles than all of his predecessors com
. bined, and was seen by more people. n
;, partizanship was displayed In any
:, !. these tours, and with that fine tact fl
), WHICH ne WdS OlSIluSulSlleu dUOVc oil Ol IL
. :, predecessors, he adapted his addresses
!, = the environment in which they were mad
. and, while not compromising with his cor
:. science, said nothing that would give O.
- tense.
Three long tours were made by Pres
= dent Mckinley, in addition to scores
minor ones. The first of his long tou
e was from Washington to Chicago, then,
ls to Minnesota and the Dakotas. and then,
q back to Washington by way of Kans;
e City and st. Louis. The second was th
d memorable tour Of the south, duril
- which he said SO many things that serv,
6 to help men forget the bitterness grown
le out Of the great civil strife. The thi
L was only partially completed. 1t was
ts have included the entire Pacific coast t
1e journey out by southerly and the jou
i Iney back by northerly route. This to
at was abandoned at San Francisco, owl
es to sudden and serious illness of Mrs. M
Mt Kinley.
o. President Roosevelt's Tour.
G The present tour Of President Roosev
40 is a duplicate of this far western N
= Kinley tour as originally planned. It /
a. been estimated that during his seve