The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-05-26
SUMNER
Home For Presidents Again
The Question
Congress May Take Action
At This Session
PFCSt. Wilson Has A Tent On
White House Lawn

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President Woodrow Wilson has in
stalled a tent in the White House
grounds, for use by him as a summer
workshop, has started talk about the
propriety of having Congress provide
for the use of the chief executive and
his family permanent summer home,
to be maintained by the government,
Just as the White House is now main
tanned AS a matter of fact, all the
Presidents for years have gone away
from Washington in the summer, pay
ing out of their own pockets for the
rent and upkeep of their temporary
| residences, at the seashore or in the
mountains. If it is proper for the gov
ernment to provide the White House
as an official residence in Washington,
it is now said why would it not also be
proper for 1t to provide an official resi-
dence outside of Washington, for use
from June to October of each year?
The idea has many supporters, and it
is possible that something may be
done, either at this session, or in the
not distant future.
The bill recently introduced by
Representative Carlin Of Virginia, pro-
posing that Mt. Weather, in that state,
1000 feet above sea level, for many
years one of the important stations
of the weather bureau, be set aside
for summer executive residence,
probably is only one of the many bills
that will make their appearance the
moment it seems likely that Congress
is prepared to take some definite ac-
ton on this question.
AS Mr.. Carlin points out. one of the
buildings at Mt. Weather is admirably
suited for executive offices, while
another large building can, without
great cost, be converted into a suit
able and commodious residence. There
are IS acres of land in the Mt. Wealth
er tract, which is so miles from Wash
ington, and can be reached in two
hours by automobile over good roads
Already the grounds are supplied with
telegraph and telephone facilities.
Public interest became aroused on
this question of a summer home for
the Presidents during the early part of
the Taft administration, when hunt
was being made for suitable vacation
| place for Mr.. Taft and his family, and
many offers we're made by various
parts of the country. In the end, dis.
cussion stopped suddenly by the an
nouncement that a house had been
leased at Beverly Mass. This house
Mr.. Taft used dur'Hg the four sum
mers he was President.
At that time ar otter was made by
people in Minneapolis, MINI, of site
for presidential summer home on
the shores OF Lake Minnetonka, a
fresh water lake near that city An
other offer of free site for a summer
home came from Denver. Colo. New
Jersey offered a site on it seashore
Several offers came from New Eng
land. Michigan was represented in
the list by its offer of a site at .Macki
nae island, at the foot of Lake Michi
gan. Several bills we're introduced tc
accept these sites, but there was nc
legislation.
Now the problem comes up again
because President Wilson has set III
a small tent in the White House
grounds and purposes doing his work
there during the summer months, OF
that part of them marking his stay al
the national capital
1t is recalled in that connection thai
just SO years ago President Lincoln
was spending the summer in the An
derson building at the soldiers home
in this city, roomy, pebble-dash cot
tage with wide verandas, Immediately
west of Scott hall, or the main build
ing of the home. He spent all the
summers of his presidential career In
lhat Sauio COitaB0t anu IL Uuo Shoi
that he was residing in July, 1864
when the news came of the rapid ap
proach of the Confederate Genera
Early to Washington.
There was swift massing o
Union forces north or che town in thu
fortifications that had been erected II
anticipation of such a move, ant
Early's forces came near enough I,
permit an exchange of shots between
his outposts and the Union men be
hind the embankments of Ft Stevens
Mr.. Lincoln, at the soldiers home
was not more than mile distan
from the Union lines, and 1t will b
remembered that he went out ther
one day and stood under the fire o.
the ramparts at Ft. Stevens for nun
ber of minutes.
Andrew Johnson did not do much i