The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-23
Presidency is Hard
Job to Hold Down

NEW YORK, Mar. 22.-President
Taft, facing a crowded. 500 newspaper
men and editors at the New York
Press club this afternoon, indirectly
apologized for his remarks concerning
the press made in a recent speech in
Chicago. He explained his attitude at
ter John A. Hennessy, president of the
club, had remarked in speech that
he did not agree with the presidents
views Then Mr.. Taft said:
Reference has been made by your
chairman, Mr. Hennessy, to a speech 1
made before the Chicago Newspaper
club. 1 did not know exactly what
kind of a speech I was going to make
there any more than / do now, but
the chairman of the Chicago club
whispered to me as 1 got up to speak:
They want to hear about the press,
so roast them And l am bound to
say the task was not so difficult
This being president of the United
States presents a good many new sem
sations to one WHO came into the Of,
flee under the conditions that sur
rounded my coming in. had been on
the bench for II years, and i think
the bench the only place in the country
free from severe criticism by the
press And having had that sort of
ira aiming, it is a little hard for me to
get used to any other kind of treat
ment I am being educated, but there
are times at the White House when
you are exercising what is supposed to
be the power of the presidency when
you get really very, very discouraged.
Gets His Picture i'm White House
Things don't go right. Your motives
are misconstrued and then you take
long walk and say to yourself there is
one thing anyhow-they cannot de-
prive your children and your descen-
dants of having your picture on the
walls of the White House paid for by
congress-
And then you go home and look at
the picture of Teddy and the picture of
Grover Cleveland and of Abraham
Lincoln and the others you have there,
and you come to the conclusion even
that isn't consolation.
But the truth is, the sensation a
man has, under the pressure of which
he expresses himself with heat, pass.
L don't go tot the point of saying
nothing much matters. That isn't
true. I believe good many things
matter a great deal, but I do think
that long experience of the criticism
of pubic men will make men feel the
injustice, if there be injustice, in such
criticism, vastly less important than
it seems when they are having their
hides cut so to speak.
Would Be On the Square.
after all, everybody wants to be
square. A great deal that is said in
the superlative of our life is under
stood to be in the positive-a. great
deal that is said of an irritating char
acter is forgotten by the man who
uses it much more quickly than by
the man whom it hurts-whch is a.
indication that the feeling ne has to-
ward his victim is only momentary an,
does not evidence that real cruelty
that would justify excitement on thu
subject"
Mr.. Taft paid a compliment to the
newspapermen who travel with him
wherever he goes. This brought hin
naturally to a defense of his custom
Of travelling.
This travelling business I believe
he said, has been made the subject o.
some criticism. Well, I am a traveller
got into the presidency by travelling
and I can't get over the habit Wher
you are being hammered, as sometimes
have been in Washington, not only
by the press, but by members of your
and fool fboro &c