Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-03-10
WHY TAFT is
LONESOME, -"
Callers Of Certain Sorts ThGoag
to the White House,
CHUMS NOW WAIT 70 bEASAED


tennis" Cahnst-Experience OF
Friend Who Called UNLIMITED.
The presidents before Roosevelt had
Kitchen cabinets" Mr.. Roosevelt had
tennis cabinet" a kitchen cabinet
under another name. Mr. Taft has
neither kitchen cabinet. Il tennis cab
met nor even a golf cabinet. 1t was
attempted to form one for him in the
days Immediately succeeding his inau
Surntiou last March. when he first be-
gan to 90 out to Chevy Chase ana play
a round over the links every fair after
noon. Senator Jonathan Bourne of
Oregon qualified as vaddie and wrap
carrier. but the cabinet never formed
1t is rather curious that none has been
formed. Mr.. Taft has Il hi&AlN devel
opcd social instinct. He loves com
pany; he is never happier than with Il
group of coilgenial. pleasant. story tell
ing. laughing friends: h. makes friends
easily
And now Mr.. Taft confeSses publicly
to the newspaper correspondents ut
'
nobody drops in for Il friendly, neigh
borly call. This shows how alert is
the scrutiny and how rigid in the mat
ter of making Selections are his door
Keepers and secretaries. Many drop
in at the White House and promptly
drop out again without the president
ever learning anything about them.
ArI il. of
the knockers at the gate who are turn
ed away would add little to the presi
dents happiness. nor would they sup
ply the companionship he Graves.
Most Visitors Want Something.
Most of the people who 90 to the
White House go to ask for something
Those who go to give have only adj
vice to offer. Between the two classes
they have precious little diversion to
offer Il tired man. The drawback to
kitchen cabinet from Mr.. Tafts
viewpoint is that all the members
would want to talk shop. The presi-
dent has Il cabinet for that purpose,
and he does not solicit or desire ire
sponsibe advice from friends. not
members of his administration. about
how to run the government. What
MI Taft expressed the other day
when he said he was lonesome was
the human desire for somebody to
play with. His old friends who used
to seek him out in his leisure hours
and propose various diversions now
wait to be asked. They have proper
feeling that they do not want to thrust
themselves forward when the presi-
dent may have more important things
to do.
Since it has become too cold to ride
in the afternoons Mr.. Taft goes walk
ing. 1t has been remarked and wide
ly commented upon that he does not
seek the secusion of Rock Creek park
or of the country about Washington
for his promenades. but chooses rather
to walk about the city parks or along
the streets. where he will brush up
against and meet people. The other
afternoon he rode out to Senator New
lands home in Woodley lane and
walked back home. Before that he
walked into Pennsylvania avenue
hotel one Sunday afternoon and asked
at the clerks desk for Judge Horace
Ii. Lurton. whom he had just appoint
ed to the supreme court. Judge Lur-
ton was not in his room. and Mr.. Taft
fished out q card and left it for him.
His visit to the Press club the other
afternoon was made in the same cas-
ual way. He was out walking and
just dropped in"
An UNLIMITED Caller.
A man who has known the Tafts
for a long time in telling of an even
ing he spent at the White House last
spring. said:
| had just come to town and didn't
know that one wasn't supposed TO call at
the White House without being invited
/ had known the Tafts for a long time,
and after | had finished my dinner at the
hotel walked up to the White House and
sent in my card. Almost Immediately
was taken into one of the parlors, where
l found Mrs. Taft and one of her sisters
They were glad to see me apparently. and
we talked along about every sort of thing
for three-quarters fan hour or more
until the president came downstairs. lie
had been up in his study debating. lie
was unaffectedly glad to see me.
After we had talked for awhile ne
wheeled out into the room one of those
big cabinet graphophones or gramophones
and we had some music. They had rec
ords made by various opera singers. and
we sat around and listened. About II
O'Clock ! got up to go back to the hotel
and the president walked with me to the
front door, He said he thought he would
go to bed, too as he had had hard day,
and as | was leaving the whole house
hold was making preparations to go up
stairs and go to bed. 1t all seemed fine
and simple and democratic to me.
caught myself wondering how many thou
sand other American families had spent
the same sort of evening in chatting
with a neighbor who had just dropped in
and in listening to some music. either
canned or extracted from the piano by
the daughter of the house.
No New eliminates"
President Taft has made no new In
Inmates since he has occupied the
White House. He always takes Cap
tain Butt. his chief military aid. with
him when he goes abroad, and some
times General Clarence Edwards,
chief Of the insular bureau. Once ut
lenst It is of record that John Hays