The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-27
VACANT. BUT BUSY
BROWS SWEAT ELSEWHERE.
Editorial Correspondence

joying their holiday, or working at
remote places where they are free
| from Interruptions. In truth, few
men who hold high position enjoy
what we call vacation" They mere
/ ly change their place of labor ana
| the sort of work they are accuS-
toned to do Before / had enough of
official life in this capital, 1 had the
motion that the Senators and Cabinet
officers and other men high up IN
public station, had as much time Tor
recreation and social pleasures as Tor
| hard work. An opportunity TO see
| the inner workings of the Cleveland
administration dissipated that error.
The labors upon public otncer oe-
mand long hours and hard work. III
| all my life / have known no man
who worked so hard, or gave SO hlahS
| hours to conscientious discharge OF
duties calling for ability and lnvesu-
CATION as Hoke Smith when he was
Secretary of the Interior. Most 9TH
er men in public life are compelled
| to give themselves to their duties. IL
| is the exception when these chlet ON
Gals do not work harder IN govern
ment positions than in their private
business The clerks go home at
4.3O but the midnight lamp SHINES
upon many an industrious ofhclal VINO
is at the head of the department. ana
when these men go away, most Oh
them take with them a stenographeN
ond continue their work. They hold
With BENJAMIN Franklin that the only
recreation a man needs is a change
of labor and nobody has yet llved
who had as much horse sense as the
cid Philadelphia statesman and phil
csopher who had carved on his tomb
stone only that he was PRINIEH.
I never see the statue of Franklin,
standing here in front of the old
Washington Post building erected by
Stillson Hutchings-but l recall his
notion that a healthy man needed
only to change the character of his
work for recreation. He regarded
himself as a Printer-that was his
trade, that was the vocation by which
he earned his bread and butter. But
he recognized that he must have Ill
version, and so for recreation he be-
came a philosopher, an inventor,
statesman. He became so eminent
in each calling that the scientific world
thinks of him as the discoVerer amp
inventor: the student of civics thinks
of him as the wise and practical
statesman; and the student and
psychologist thinks of him as the
great American philosopher. But
Franklin himself always thought OF
himself as a Printer and permitted
no other occupation or achievement
to be chiseled on his tombstone. Per-
haps Franklin's frugal mind and his
teaching of industry in Poor Rich
ards Almanac made him think too lit
tie of the necessity of summer vaca-
tons and recreation where grown
men. who ought to know better, spend
weeks rushing over field playing
golf or some other imported game
good for school boys. If men must
quit their business and do something
else for awhile, why don't they go
wood to cook breakfast. or pillow the
field or work the garden? That would
give healthy exercise and be putting
the expenditure of muscle to some
practical end. That's the sort of re-
creation that would get the approval
hn
would have little patience with the
excess to which men carry the Vaca-
ton idea in this year of grace. why
n we'll man. unless he is rich, should
spend money he needs in gadding about
or in PLAYING golf would be one prob
ION, that would defy the brain of Ben
;amin Franklin.
The army of. clerks and some OF
the high up officials are here, but the
makers and executors of laws are all
gone. Most of the press correspond
ents have gone elsewhere, and Wash
ington is as dull in important news
as n BANQUET hall is lonesome looking
on "the morning after For tel
months in every year this is the chlef
seat of news. 1t surrenders now TO
other points until Congress convenes-
But whether the "big wigs who run
the country are here or not, there is
no change in Washington. 1t main
tains it's prinacy as the most beauti-
full as we'll as the cleanest city III
America. 1t is marvellous how it grows
and how as it grows in size it grows
in beauty After a visit to st. Louis,
or for that matter, any other city,
Washington looks swept and garnish-
ed as for the coming of bride. And
that's what it's beauty and its grace
and attractiveness is largely for, II
we may judge by the incessant
streams of newly married couples who
come here to spend the first days of
the honeymoon. Neither heat nor cold,
official splendor nor closed man
sions make any change in the
coming of the newly wed to this city,
And. reckon they enjoy it more when
they are not pestered with the trouble
of attending any sessions of Con-
yraSS or "dOing'' the sights about thI