Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-21

tons with visitors shall be taken
town. Then if there comes up some
notable question in that connection
later, it is possible to tell just what
the President said and what he did
not say.
Another shock to Congressional
Washington will be the new Presi-
dents decision not to do much hand
shaking with tourists and others. He
does not propose to be on view to
the curiosity seekers. This however.
will be a great disappointment to
many worthy people, who come down
| to Washington only once in a great
while and lsome of them) only once
| in their lives and like to improve the
opportunity to see their President, if
only to shake hands and hear from
him the words How do you do?"
1t has become automatic that Pres
idents make a great number Of friends
in this way and that il is politically
worth while. Every President has
weared physically of this handshak-
ing task 1t makes considerable in
roads upon his time and endurance
and saps his nervous vitality. But
tens Of thousands of people are pleas
ed annually by this opportunity to
meet the President. Senators and rep
rescntatives have been accustomed to
so to the White House to intercede
for these visitors.
Perhaps Mr. Wilson will have to
surrender after a while. Senators and
representatives, it should be remem~
bered, have the prerogative Of call
ing upon the Presidnt and taking a
friend along with them They will Ger
'tainly persist in doing that, whatever
the rules may be against general re-
ceptions. And when spring is at hand
and the High school students are com
ing 10 Washington in great droves, the
occupant of the White House will be
a determined man indeed if he can
withstand the appeals TO allow the
East room to be filed up with these
visitors and to come around and shake
their hands as they are presented to
him. Being a lifelong schooimaster
himself and always an accessible man
as we'll as an affabIe one, it Will be
surprising, indeed If lie does not cap
itulate.
But of all the refreshing innovations
the new President proposes, the one
that he intends to let the newspaper
correspondents quote him directly is
the most radical. 1t Will change the
status in Washington most positive
~. Cabinet officials and others must
follow suit. Dispatches starting off
1T is said" or "An eminent admins
tration authority declares" and all
that form of writing will disappear.
orb Al z:nn
Another topic for discussion among
men of all parties gathered here, is
the Maine situation with partieu-
lar reference to Il rumor of double
dealing on the part of a few men
calling themselves Progressives AS it
is generally understood here. the prob
lem to be met by Maine Progressives
is much different from that arising
in any other state. In Illinois, for in
stance, the Progressives had a state
ticket and actively opposed Repubi-
cans as We'll as Democrats and other
parties. In Maine, all ProsressiVes
We're nominated and accepted election
as Republicans. to carry out the
pledges of the State convention con-
trolled by the Progressive element,
and the primary nominations in which
the people know no distinction be-
tween the men who stood for Roose-
Welt and those woh voted for Taft.
At the national Capital the verdict
among senators and representatives
seems to be all one way. ProgressiveS
and Republicans agree that Progress
siVes elected 10 the Maine IeGisla-
ture must act as Republicans in or
ganization OF the Legislature and in
the election Of the Republican nomi-
nee of the primaries for United States
senator: that any other attempt
would rip the new party wide open
in the State and convict il of treach-
cry and dirty politics as rank as any
thing they charge against the Chicago
convention.
Men of all parties who are familiar
with conditions in Maine. are frank
To say that Burleigh is sure to win
and that any plot or combination to
defeat him would be regarded as the
''rotteneSt" kind of politics. In count
ing noses by statesmen here. Bur
leigh is now always figured as Names
next United States senator.