New Ulm review., 1913-03-19
Washington Letter
Washington: D. G.. Mar. II, 1918.

cants for government Jobs, Of whom
there are still thousands in, the city
must do business with the heads OF
the executive departments and not
take up the valuable time of the
chief executive, in which ] think
he was entirely right.
Here was Mr.. Office Seeker, who
came all the way from Squash Hol.
low, Alabama. He wanted to put
his case straight UP to the presi.
dent without any intervening caD,.
net officer or other obstruction Then
came that fatal statement from the
White House which knocked the
hope of the office seeker from Squash
Hollow to smithereens. 1t was real.
ly too bad.
OF course, there were thousands
and thousands who came to Wash
ington with the crowds Of sight
seeing and pleasure-seeking people
who really expected to land a govern
ment job of some sort. Many of
them will. But the majority will
be sadly disappointed. They are
beginning to find out that job seek
ing and job getting are not one and
the same thing.
Most of the job hunters came from
the South. They arrived before the
big show March 4, and some of them
marched in the big parade. doubt
whether they would all march now,
if given the chance. A great many
swarmed like so many bees around
the offices of members of congress,
expecting their aid in snatching, per
chance, a few of the golden plums.
They are telling now about the
man who came to Washington in
the high hope that he would soon
be numbered among the elect. On
his arrival he went to a first-class
hotel and straightway engaged a
modest but altogether expensive room
looking out upon Pennsylvania av-
enue's fine expanse of urban land
scape. presume he wished to make
a good impression. After two or
three days of luxurious living be
discovered, much to his dismay, that
he had made quite noticeable dent
in his pocket book. Funds were
getting low and accordingly he
sought cheaper quarters. When last
heard of, he was eating intermitting-
lv in the lunch rooms scattered
along the main thoroughfare from
the capitol to the white house, re-
plenishing as best he could his fast
stock of small change
by an occasional "sort loan" from
the kind-hearted member in whose
district he lives. You will find lots
of Gases inst like This one
Mr.. Wilson is surely making a
renutation smashing several of the
official precedents of the mast. Witt
one fell swoop he knocked into a
cock hat the time-honored custom OF
permitting office seekers to confls-
cate valuable time belonging to the
people and the public business.
When he thinks necessary, he does
not hesitate to overturn few OF
the social conventions either. Take
that matter of the proper garb for
the president. Now the Oldest en-
ploye of the White House does not
remember a president ever appearing
at his office in a gray sack suit.
But that is just what Mr.. Wilson
did the other day, and report has it
that he intends to continue the prac-
tice. They say tradition and all that
sort of thing calls for frock coat
and trousers to match. They tell
you that Cleveland, Harrison .and Nc
Kinley wore frock coats at all times,
while Roosevelt and Taft only oc-
casionally departed from the custom.
But not so with the present occupant
of the White House. Why just the
other day the members of the SUI
preme court called at the White
House to pay President Wilson a
little visit of respect. Mr.. Wilson
wore. gray sack suit and received
his dignified callers as a plain, Amer
ican citizen.
Yes, The president is springing
every day. Here is an.
other example of the manner in
which he is exhibiting his inde-
pendence. 1t has always been the
custom for theater managers in this
city to accord to the president and
his family the free use of the best
located box in the playhouse. Will
son wished to go to one of the To-
cal theaters the other night, but
lASIOou VI oSSOPIiAS SAAS uou1i Soui
tesy he promptly planked down 81 90
in the coin of the realm, the price
any other person would have to
pay. To say that the manager was
surprised, is to put it mildly.
Apparently the simple life that the
president proposes to lead is catch
ing. A friend of mine (not an office
seeker) happened in one of the down
town lunch rooms last Sunday to
get a bite" Who should come in
but William J. Bryan, secretary of
state and chief advisor of the Will
son administration. In true demo-
cratic simplicity he partook of ham
sandwich, a piece of apple pie and
a cup of coffee. The commoner had
dropped in from his hotel across
the street just for a light lunch
before going to Y. M. c. A. meet
ing.
Several southern senators made
quite hubbub. when President Will
son sent to the senate his nomina.
tion of Charles P. Neill. for reap.
az commissioner Of labor