Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-20
Houses and Furnishings.
w ilso1d

was well advanced in years. and his &C.
tivity had departed with his lost youth.
not well settled about what the course OF
conduct the President Of the new nation
should be. he yielded to the iethargy OF
advancing years. drank HIS glass Of Ma
deira at dinner and retired to rest at
O'Clock at night. Washington continued
to ride horseback when at Mount Vernon.
and It was upon one Of his long rides into
cold which ended his life.
The Presidents all have been accus-
toned to spend considerable time away
from the capital. While this practice
has from time to time aroused feeble
protest from the public. never but once
in the history Of the nation has Ii re-
ceived official criticism in Congress. The
democratic House in the administration.
of inquiry calling upon the President to
inform Congress what executive acts
were performed by him while away from
Washington. The resolution was intro
duced for partisan purposes and drew no
response from the President. In fact, the
question served as more or less Of a
boomerang to those who made II.
The presidential vacation began with
Washington, who in the eight years OF
his occupation OF the Office, spent ISL
days on private business or rest away
from the seat of government in Phila-
delphia. The country did not at that
time offer the same Inducements to travel
that now exist and journey back to
Mount Vernon required considerable time.
and President Washington was in point
of fact more remote from the center OF
political affairs than his successors have
been. with the exception OF President
Adams. who spent one year and twenty
days in his New England home, when
Congress was not in session
Jefferson took 796 days to himself while
President. Monroe was out of Washing
ton nearly one-third Of the time of his
administration. Jackson served two
terms and took more than a year and a
half out of his time. From Jackson TO
Lincoln 1t was customary for the Presi-
dents to visit their homes in summer or
to pass the interval between Congresses
at some point other than the capital.
BY reason of the war, IL was more
necessary for Lincoln to keep In touch
with the seat OF government than any
other President. His excursions were not
further from the capital than Richmond
or Fortress Monroe and the battlefield
of Gettysburg. Lincoln did not return
to his native or adopted state while
President
Grant made frequent trips to the sea-
shore or mountains. Hayes made almost
none. President Arthur was the first
President to go beyond the Mississippi
river for an outing. 1t was johnson. in
his famous Swing around the circle" for
which he was severely criticised, who in
troduced the practice of absenting himself
from Washington for political purposes.
The practice reached its extreme In the
case OF President Taft, who openly took
the stump on q nationwide campaign
for his own reelection.
Cleveland followed Arthur in taking
long trip to one Of the Wisconsin lakes on
a fishing expedition. BENJAMIN Harrison
started the practice Of taking long rail-
road trips through the country to mingle
with the people. make addresses en- route
and participate in large public gatherings
He made swing through the south and
one through the middle west. During that
journey he addressed the Grand Army en-
of Illinois, laid the corner
stone OF a college building at Galesburg.
ILL.,, dedicated q corn palace in Iowa, at
tended a Grand Army review 1t Topeka,
spoke in Kansas City and was the guest
of the city of st. Louis
President Mckinley was the first OF the
chief executives to visit California and
the Pacific coast. and his trip to the 0old-~
en- Gate was the longest trip ever taken
by President up to that time.
President Roosevelt was continuously
ION the co." on hunting excursions and
speaking taunts. He made several long
journeys through the south and west, ind
gained distinction a. the travelling Pres
dent" He went to Panama to overlook
the construction OF the Panama canal.
and travelled many more miles than had
any Of his predecessors. President Taft
performed similar feats and was much Of.
The time away from Washington during
the four years OF his administration.