The Cook County herald., 1905-07-01
III SEARC III EST 4
RECORD Or vACATlo loNss TAKEN
#.<ts53 J. 5.sa BY PRESIDENTS. h =# RI. y.
Chief Executives Have Frequently
4 Left the White House on More Or:
Less Extended Trips-criticism Of
,Johnson's Journeyings. I :>r... n !,

The presidents have been accus:
toned to spend more or less of their
time away from Washington, although
once in the history Of the country the
lower house of congress took it upon
itself to criticise the chief executive
for his absence from Washington, says
the New York Sun. The criticism con-
sisted in asking the president what ex-
ecutiye acts were performed by chief
executives while they were away from
the capital. The president of whom the
inquiry was made was Grant. AS
matter of record presidential vacations
began in the administration Of Wash
ington. Investigation shows that the
father of his country in the eight
years of his Office took 181 days to
himself.
The country. at that time did not
offer the same inducements in the way
of travel as now. It is not mentioned
anywhere, so far as investigation has
extended, that Washington suggested
any deduction from his pay for time
he was on jaunts.
The first Adams beat the travelling
record of his predecessor. While he
was in Office only one term, he was
away from the seat of government
altogether one year and twenty days,
or more than one-fourth Of the time
for which he was chosen.
Jefferson was a good deal of an alb.
sentee. Unless the figures in his case
are wrong, he was away from the
capital 1876 times in the eight years OF
his administration.
= Monroe, in whose term there was a
surplus of good feeling in the country,
was away in the eight years he served
nearly one-third of the time.
Jackson served two terms and took
more than a year and a half out of
his time.
While all the presidents have taken
vacations, those who served in the
good old times, when, according to
some, the government was nearer the
people than in more recent years, did
a good deal more knocking about than
the presidents since the civil war.
Lincoln, by reason of the war, was
forced to remain in and about the
capital more closely than any other
president. After Lincoln's death John
son made his famous swing around
the circle, for which he was censured
by the country generally, as his trav
els were Enthusiastically for political
purposes.
Grant made several trips while he
was president. Hayes made few. Ar
the far west. During part of his visit
ne, like Roosevelt, disappeared for 9
few days from the correspondents
when he went into the depths of Vel
lowstone park "'e~
In Cleveland's first administration
he went fishing to one of the inland
lakes of Wisconsin. In his second ad
administration he made several brie1
trips and hunted ducks frequently.
Harrison, who came between tn.
two administrations of Cleveland
made swing through the south and
later made a rapid journey through
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri
During the trip he addressed the
Grand Army of the Republic Of Illi
nois, laid the cornerstone of a college
building at Galesburg, dedicated 8
corn palace in Iowa, attended Crane
Army of the Republic review at Tope
ka, Kas., spoke in Kansas City the
same night and visited St. Louis tho
day after.
AS is we'll known, President McKin
ley was the first president to visit
California. His was the longest con
tinuous presidential journey in point
of miles.
President Roosevelt is the greatest
presidential sportsman in the history
of the country. His last was his sec
ond trip to the far west in search o1
game.