Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-30

no fear OF its vote; and to both of
them, and to the cheap and sensation
al newspaper, the army offers a faVo-
rite subject for attack. So 1T often
happens that some amiable people
really get little afraid OF the army
and nave some idea that it may be
used some time or other against our
liberties.
The army never has been and ! am
sure never will be or can be a menace
to anybody save Americas foes, OF
aueht but a source of pride to every
good and farsighted American. But ~
is only in time OF actual danger lnat
such facts are brought home VlYidiy
to the minds of our people, and SO the
army is apt to receive far less than
it's proper share of attention. BUT
when an emergency like that caused
by the Spanish war arises, then the
secretary of war becomes the most
important officer in the cablnet, ana
the army steps into the place OF lore
most interest in all the country.
1t is only once in a generatlon thal
such a crisis as the Spanish war OF
the Mexican war or the War OF 1917
has to be confronted, but in almost ev-
cry administration lesser crises 40
arise. They may be in connection WIN
foreign affairs as was the case Win
the Chilean trouble under Harrison $
administration. the Venezuelan matter
in President Cleveland's second term,
or the Boxer uprising in China. Mucn
more often they relate to domestic al
fairs, as in the case of disastrous
panic. which produces terrible social
and industrial commissions. Whatever
the problem may be the President has
got to meet it and to work out some
kind of a solution. In midwlnter Or
midsummer, with congress sitting or
congress absent, the President has al
ways to be ready to devote every wax
ing hour to some anxious. worrying,
harassing matter most difficult TO de-
eide. and yet which it is imperative
Immediately to decide.
An immense addition to the Presi-
dents burden is caused by the entire
| ly we'll meaning people who ask him TO
do what he cannot possibly do. For
the first few weeks after the inaugu-
ration new President may receive on
an average fifteen hundred letters a
{, day. His mail is so enormous, that he
cannot read one letter in hundred,
and rarely can he read one letter in
ten. Even his private secretary can
read only a small fraction of the mail
Often there are letters the President
would be really glad to see, but which
are swamped in the great mass of de-
mands for office, demands for pensions
notes of warning or advice. demands
! for charity, and requests of every con
| ceiyable character, not to speak OF
! the letters from "cranks," which are
always numerous in the Presidents
mail
One President who was very anxi
Gus TO help the people whenever he
could, made the statement that he re
quests for pecuniary aid received in 6
fortnight would, if complied with, have
eaten up considerably more than his
years salary. The requests them
selves are frequently such as the Pres
ident would like to comply with il
there was any way of making dis
elimination; but there is none.
One sad feature of the life of Pres
4 ident is the difficulty of making
I friends, because almost inevitably, aft
I er awhile the friend thinks there il
some Office he would like, applies fol
4 it, and when the President is obliget
! to refuse, feels that he is injured
Those who were closest to Abraham
Lincoln have said that this was on
of the things which concerned him thu
! most in connection with his admins
tration. 1t is hardly necessary to al
; lude to the well-known fact, that NJ
1 President can crafty hundredtl
!, part OF the requests and demands
! made upon him for office, often by mel
who have rendered him real services
and who are fit to fill the position the.
), seek but not SO fit as somebody else
j OF course the man does not realiz
J, that his successful rival was appointe
!; because he was really more fit. and h,
/, goes away sour and embittered be
J, cause of what he feels TO be the Pres
Il ident's ingratitude.
]. Perhaps the two most striking
things in the presidency are the i'm
mense power OF the President in tn,
Il first place; and in the second place
i the fact that as soon as he has ceas