Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-13

And it has been that selfsame tradition
more than anything else which has kept
most of our later Presidents away from
the Capitol except on rare occasions
But for every public man who has criti-
cised the suggestion that President Will
son spend some time on the Hill each
day there have been at least two or
three who have enthusiastically Endorsed
it. Senator O'Gorman of New York. in
discussing the project, said: 1.-The Presi-
dent will be welcome IL he will come to
the Capitol and advise with Congress :"
Senator Pomerene of Ohio said: The
closer the President and Congress can get
in the transaction of public business the
better 1t will be- Senator Tillman has
said that IL the new chief magistrate
would come in the capacity Of an adviser
Congress would be glad to see him at
the Capitol
X
If President Wilson carries out this re-
puted plan of placing his finger daily on
the congressional pulse during the spe-
cial session of Congress, We may expect
to see suddenly shifted into the limelight
of publicity one of the least known but
ornate rooms In the United States Cap
itol. This is the apartment known as the
Presidents ROOM and it has been up
to this time probably the least used of all
the rooms In the huge structure. Indeed.
in a sense, the room may be said to have
been known only to guides and the tour
lists that they daily pilot through the
mazes OF the marble pile. The mere fact
that the Presidents name is borne by
this room has long made it a magnet for
the average sightseer, and the guides
have learned by long experience to in
clude ii in the itinerary of every person
ally conducted tour OF the building.
But the men who work in the Capitol
day in, day out. have seldom gone near
this show place. and some of them
might actually be puzzled for the mo-
ment to direct you to 1t, If your inquiry
caught them unawares. This room for
the President hasn't even needed atten-
tion from the painters and decorators as
have most of the other rooms. Perhaps
it is because 1t has been SO little used
but aside from an occasional touching
up here and there very little has been
done for the maintenance of this room
since the civil war. AS for actual use by
the President, that has been so rare as
TO almost rob the room of the right to
the use of the name. If a chief executive
were to come to the Capitol on the oc-
casion of any great ceremonial he might
be expected to tarry in the President S
room until time for him to enter the leg
fslative hall. but such visit Is of rare
occurrence.
Similarly, on the last day or the f1nal
night or session or congress the PfeSl-
dent may go to the Capitol in order to
sign land thereby make laws) the bills
they come from the legislative hopper
but this involves occupancy of the room
for only a few hours each year. In ex-
PLANTATION of the Presidents action in
transferring his activities from the
White House to the Capitol during the
closing hours of session 1t may be
pointed out that a bill passed by Con
gress within ten days OF the time of ad-
journment fails to become a law unless
the President signs 1t before the session
closes. 1t Is said at the Capitol that
with the exception Of Grover Cleveland
every President since the time of Andrew
Johnson has repaired to the Capitol tC
thus facilitate the disposition Of the leg.
islative business in the final hours.
Just who was the originator of the idea
of a room for the President In the Ma
tional Capitol seems to he shrouded in
mystery. History. in so far as can be as
certained. is silent on this subject But
for all that. the room is one of the most
ornate in the historic edifce. Indeed, the
Presidents room, which is located in the
Senate wing of the Capitol, at the west
end of the private lobby which is directly
north of the Senate chamber proper, is
generally considered the most beautifully