Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-03-27

say that my constant embarrassment is to
restrain the emotions that are inside Of me-
You may not believe it. but | sometimes
feel like fire from a far from extinct
volcano, and il the lava does not seem to
spill over, it is because you are not high
enough to see into the basin and see the
caldron boil Because, truly. gentlemen. in
the position which now occupy there is
a sort of do not know how else TO ex-
press 1t than to say-passionate sense Of
being connected with my fellow-men in a
peculiar relationship Of responsibility. Not
merely the responsibility Of the Office. but
God knows there are enough things in this
world that need to be corrected.
Il have mixed. first and last. with all
sorts and conditions Of men-there are
mighty few kinds of men that have to be
described to me. and there are mighty few
kinds of experiences that have to be de-
scribed to me. and there are mighty few
kinds OF experiences that have to be de-
scribed to me-and when / think Of the
number Of men who are looking to me as
the representative Of a party. with the
hope for all varieties Of salvation from the
things they are struggling in the midst of.
It makes me tremble It makes me trem-
bic not only with a sense of my own in
adequacy and weakness. but as if were
shaken by the very things that are shak-
ing them; and if seem circumspect, it is
because ! am so diligently trying not to
make any colossal blunders If you Just
calculated the number of blunders a fell
low can make in "a hours If he is not care
full and If he does not listen more than he
talks. you would see something of the feel
ing that have.
Il was amused the other day at a re-
mark that Senator Newlands made. had
read him the Trust message that was to
deliver to Congress 10 days before de-
livered it. and l never stop 'doctorine'
things Of that kind until the day have to
deliver them. When he heard it read to
Congress he said think it was better than
it was when you read it to me- said 'Sena-
tor. there is one thing which do not think
you understand. not only use all the
brains have. but all can borrow, and
have borrowed lot since read it to you
first That, dare say. is what gives the
impression Of circumspectness am lis
tening; am diligently trying to collect
all the brains that are borrowable, that
may not make more blunders than it is
inevitable that man should make who
has great limitations of knowledge and
capacity. And the emotion Of the thing is
50 great that ] suppose must be some kind
oil a mask to conceal it. really feel some
times as il were masquerading when |
catch picture of myself in some printed
description. In between things that have
to do as public officer never think of
myself as the President of the United
States, because ! never have had any
sense Of being identified with that Office.
! feel like person appointed for certain
length Of time to administer that Office,
and feel just as much outside of it at
this moment as did before was elected
to it.
Il feel just as much outside of it as |
still feel outside of the Government of the
United States No man could imagine
himself the Government of the United
States; but he could understand that some
part Of his fellow-citizens had told him to
60 and run certain part of it the best he
knew how. That would not make him the
Government itself or the thing itself. Il
just makes him responsible for running il
the best he knew how. The machine is
so much greater than himself, the Office
Is 50 much greater than himself; the Office
is so much greater than he can ever be.
and the most he can do is to look grave
enough and self-possessed enough to seem
to fill il.
Il can hardly refrain every now and
again from tipping the public the wink, as
much as to say. 1t is only me" that is
inside Of this thing know perfectly well
that will have to get out presently. |
know that then will look just my own
proper size. and that for the time being
the proportions are somewhat refracted
and misrepresented to the eye by the large
thing am inside Of. from which am tip
ping you this wink
For example, take matters of this sort
] will not say whether il is wise or unwise,
simple or grave. but certain precedents
have been established that in certain COM
panies the President must leave the room
first. and the people must give way to him.
They must not sit down IL he is standing
up II is a very uncomfortable thing &c
have to think Of all the other people every
time get up and sit down, and all thai
sort OF thing. So that where get guest,
IN my own house and the public is shu
out. adjourn being President and tax,
leave to be gentleman. II they draw
back and insist upon my doing something
first, | firmly decline. There are blesseC
intervals when ! forget by one means O
another that ! am President Of the Unite,
States. One means by which forget is I,
Get rafting good detective story. ee
after some imaginary offender, and chas,
him all over-preferably any continent bu
this, because the various parts of this cont
nent are becoming painfully suggestive I,
me. The post Offices. and many othe
things which stir "reminiscences. have sick
lied them DER with pale cast of thought
There are post Offices to which would no
think of mailing letter. which can
think Of without trembling with the knowl