The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-03-25
IHOWaIT FEELS
TO BE PRESIDENT
woodrow Wilson Unbosoms Himself
to Members Of the Washington
Press Club I'm Remarkable Address.


Washington, March 2O.-Woodrow
wilson unbosomed himself to mem
Ders or the National Press club of
washington today, telling them in q
lrahk, conversational way how he, felt
as @ president of the United States, how
aifficuIt IL was for him 10 IMAGINE
himself rs the chief executive with
the formal amenities of the position,
end how he had struggled to be as
iree as the ordinary individual with
out the restraints Of his office.
It was an intimate picture OF Wood
row wilson, the man. drawn by him
SELF, on the occa sion Of the ''house
warming" at the Press clubs new
quarters. The president did not intend
to have his remarks reported, but
later, Mt the request OF the club the
unusual speech was made public. 1t
follows:
81 was just thinking of my sense
OF confusion Of identity, sometimes,
when | read articles about myself. /
never have read an article about my
self In which | recognized myself, and
! have come to have the impression
that must be some kind of q fraud,
because think great many of
these articles are written in absolute
ly good faith. | tremble to think Of
the variety and falseness In the i'm
preston | make-and 1t is being
horne In on me so that 1t may change
my very isposition--that I am a cold
and removed person who has a think
Ing machine inside which he adjusts
to the circumstances, which he does
not allow to be moved by any winds
of affection or emotion of any kind,
but turns like a cold searchlight on
anything that is presented to his at
tention and makes 1t wrong.
No Such Machine.
II am not aware of having any de-
tachable apparatus inside of me. On
the contrary, If | were to interpret
myself | would say that my constant
embarrassment Is to restrain the emo
tions that are inside OF me. You may
not believe 1t, but | sometimes feel
like far from extinct volcano, and
II the lava does not seem to spill over
1t Is because you are not high enough
to see into the basin and see the
caldron boil. Because, truly, gentle
men, In the position which now oc-
cupy there is sort of don't know
now else to express it than to say
passionate sense OF being connected
with my fellowmen In a peculiar re-
lattonship Of responsibility. Not mere
~ the responsibility Of office, but God
knows there are enough things in this
world that need to be corrected.
II 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 described to me
and when | think Of the number of
men who are looking to me as the
representative Of party, with the
nope CT ali varieties OF salvation from
the things they are struggling in the
midst Of, it makes me tremble. 1t
makes me trcmble not only with a
sense Of my own inadcquacy end
weakness, but as If were shaken by
the very things that are shaking them,
and If seem circumspcct, 1t Is be-
cause am so diligently trying not
TO make any colossal blundcrs. If
you Just calculated the number of
hours If he Is not careful and If he
does not listen more than he talks,
you would see something OF the feel
ing that have.
BOrrOws From Others.
Il was amused the other day at a
remark that Senator Newlands made.
l had read him the trust message |
was to deliver to congress some 10
days before | delivered 1t, and | never
stop doctoring" things OF that kind
until the day have to deliver them.
When he heard 1t read to congress
he said, II think 1t was better than
when you read it to me- said, Sen
ator, there is one thing which don't
think you understand. l not only use
all the brains | have but all l can
borrow, and | have borrowed a lot
since l read 1t to you first
That, I dare say, is what gives the
/ impression OF circumspectness am
listening; l am trying diligently to
collect all the brains that are bor-
rowable that | may not make more
blunders than it is inevitable that a
man should make who has great lin
itations Of knowledge and capacity.
and the emotion of the thing Is so
great that | suppose I must be some
KIND or mask to conceal 1t. really
feel sometimes as If were mas
querading when / catch picture of
myself In some printed description.
In between things that I have to do
AS public officer, | never think of my
self as the president Of the United
states, because ! never have had any
sense OF being identified with that Of
lice. feel like a person appointed for
certain length OF time to administer
that office, and ! feel just as much out
side Of 1t at this moment as did
before ! was elected to It, | feel just
as much outside Of 1t as still feel
outside of the government Of the