The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-16
ne BREAKS custom
WILSON LAD HIS MESSAGE TO
CONGRESS
urges TARIFF REFORM

Explains Why He Breaks Time
Honored Custom-HaIl Of the Ma
tional House of Representatives
and ALI the Galleries Packed for
Extraordinary Event.
President Wilson stood on the
Speakers rostrum in the hall of the
House Tuesday and personally read
his first message to Congress, the
first President since John Adams, to
exercise that privilege. The renewal
of a custom abandoned century ago
and now surrounded by such wide
differences of opinion among mem
bers of Congress, attracted to the
Capitol a large assemblage. Gal
leries were packed with national fig
| ures, Mrs. Wilson and her three
daughters and the women of the
cabinet circle prominent among
them. The diplomatic gallery prob
ably contained a representative of
every nation with an envoy in the
foreign corps there.
President Wilson slipped away
from the White House quietly after
! Tuesdays cabinet meeting, accom-
panied only by his secretary and one
secret service man, and, upon arriv-
ing at the Capitol, was escorted to
the rostrum in the House, where
Speaker Clark sat at one side and
Vice-President Marshall at the 9TH
or. The President, speaking with
mis- usual clarity of tone and notable
diction, read his message while the
company, actually packed into the
chamber, gave the closest attention.
Secretaries Lane, McAdoo, Daniels
and Garrison took seats in the eXecu-
tive gallaries of the House for them
selves and their families to hear the
President read his message. Secre-
tary Bryan said he had another en-
gagement for the same hour and
could not CO. Mrs. Wilson and her
three daughters also took seats
ir the executive gallery. The House
galleries were packed with the wives
families and friends of Senators and
Representatives two hours before the
President was scheduled to appear.
/ Admiral Dewey was escorted to
seat on the floor of the House, taking
advantage for the first time Of the
privilege extended him by Congress
when he returned triumphant from
Manila Bay in 1898. He called on
Speaker Clark and was cheered as he
entered the chamber.
Members Of the diplomatic corps
filed the private gallery allotted to
them. Three-fourth of the privileg-
ed thousands in the galleries were
women.
Senator Clark had among his
guests in the Speakers gallery Mrs.
VIM. F. McCombs, Mrs. Victor Muir
DOCK. wife of the new Progressive
leader in the House; Mrs. A. NJ. Pal
mer and Mrs. Pitser, sister of Mrs.
Clark, and her daughter.
So unusual was the event that Su-
perintendent Woods of the Capitol in
stalled moving picture camera to
take moving pictures Of the extraor-
dinary scene. The films will be pre-
served as a historic record of the
days proceedings.
Two motives influenced Mr.. Will
son to decide to read in person his
first communication to Congress
the perfunctory way in which Presi-
Dental message usually were receiv-
ed, accompanied as they have been
by the drone of clerks voice and
empty seats, and Mr.. Wilson's de-
sire that every member should hear
his appeal for thorough revision of
the tariff, the sole purpose for which
Congress was called into eXtraordi-
nary session.
Official Washington prepared for
the unusual event with feeling
more of curiosity than criticism.
Sentiment as to the political wisdom
of the move had scarcely crystalized
as the procedure Of the early days
was only a historical record so far
as the modern legislator was con-
cerned. Senators and Representa-
tives acknowledged the constitutional
right of the President to read his
own message in the halls of Con-
gress, and by concurrent resolution |
arranged to gather in the House |
chamber at one o'clock.
The Presidents message itself was
about 1900 words long when he first
prepared it, but in view of the chang
ed circumstances he added a preface.
However, the entire speech was of
less than fifteen minutes reading.
The President had several engage
ments and cabinet meeting to oc-
cupy him before his departure for
the Capitol. He planned to be away
from the White House for only half
an hour.
President Wilson began his mes
sage as follows: II am very glad,
indeed, to have this opportunity to
address the two houses directly and
to verify for myself the impression
that the President of the United
States is a person, not a mere de-
partment Of the government, hail
ing Congress from some isolated is
land of jealous power, sending mes
sages, not speaking naturally and
with his own voice, that he is hu-
man being trying to cooperate with
other human beings in common SER
vice. After this pleasant experience,
shall feel quite normal in all our
DEALINGS with one anOther.''