The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-06-04
JACK HARRIS LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Nav 31s-

stantly reminded of it's recent pre-
decessor, because it is so different,
The peaceful silence in and around
the White House these days and
nights is almost ominous. It is like
waking up in the night when it is so
deadly still that you can hear the
microbes gnawing inside you. It is
so peaceful that it almost causes
cold chills to scamper up and down
your back. It is hard to get used to.
1t don't seem right somehow. For
the same reason people who have
always lived in a crowded city are
oppressed and almost scared at the
dense stiffness of the country. They
can't sleep unless three or four
elevated road trains are continually
passing within ten feet of their
heads.
The mind your own business
methods of the present administra-
ton are also getting on the nerves
of congress. During the past seven
long years they became so used to
an average of two cutting, slamm-
ing and banging messages a day
while they were in session that it
now almost seem ms as if the govern
ment was without a head. As |
heard a senator say the other day,
eve have been so used to being
yelled and howled at that it seems
as if the band had lost its bass horns
drum and cymbals." In fact, the
present government sounds like a
string quartette out on the water in
the evening, instead of a band tour
nament on the front piazza. 1t
don't seem as if the difference be-
tween the two administrations
could be better illustrated, unless |
compare Coney Island with my old
town of Danvllle on a rainy Sunday
Instead of writing vitriolic and
turbulent messages and appointing
a commission to uplift the country
and teaching his boys how to shoot
and kill something or somebody and
comforting the Ananias degree and
riding fifty miles through the rain
over houses, hens and other things
and umpiring a wrestling match in
the front parlor and bailing some
Rough Rider our of jail and APP
pointing him governor somewhere
and sending his photograph to some
preoccupied woman who has just
given birth to her twenty-third
child, Mr.. Taft appears to be con-
ining himself strictly to the per-
Torrance of his duties as president.
This is somewhat surprising, but as
nearly as | can discover it is a fact.
He has not yet killed anything, nor
shot at anything. He has not thus
Jar taken any leading part in any
matches or prize fights.
He is not boarhing any Rough |
Riders. He does dot get up at mid
night to ride a horse half to death
in the rain. He utterly refuses to
bulldoze the congress Or | the
supreme court. He has not dispos-
ed of anybody as a liar or undesir-
able citizen. He has made no effort
to array the rabble against people |
of means He has offered no hero |
medal to the parents of a litter of |
children. He minds his own bust /
ness and does his duty. That is |
about all. And yet, We are compell- |
ed, in the light of results thus far,
to believe that he is giving the
country an eminently happy, pros /.
porous and successful administra-
ton.
He rises with the sun and gets .
right to work He skips nothing; /
neglects nothing and nobody. He /
works methodically and systemati- /
ally and makes no false motions. /
Every stroke, every movement
counts. He is nearly always smiling
He does not smile from policy, but
because he feels like it, because he
sees no reason on earth why
healthy man with a clear conscience
md sound digestion shouldn't al
ways smile. People nearly always
to as he wants them to,not because
ne Jumps up and cracks his heels
.ogether and shows his teeth and
flares at the Winchester in the cor
ler, but because they are convinced /
Dv him that it is the right thing to
10. He doesn't explode in the above
named fashion, and there is no gun
n the corner any more. 1t has gone
With the Rough Riders and the prize
lighters and the big stick. When
lis work for the day is over and /
he weather is suitable he takes a
ew friends and goes out in the sub
lrbs and plays a game of golf. He
loesn't take any firearms, or brass
lands. He sends no couriers with /
and messages and in
tructions to the world during the
,ame. but conducts himself like a
lain citizen out in the field in his
He plays the game"
nut it does not disturb Europe or
he stock market
Vice president Sherman frequent
V makes one of the Presidents golf
,arty, nearly always when there is
lot a league game of ball up on the
Of. When there is, be takes in that.
lie would rather see a good league
anne of ball than anything else in
he world, and he wells like a boot {
lack when a good play is made.