Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-26

printed description.
is NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
I'm between things that have to do
as q public officer, | never think OF my
self as the President of the United
States, because I never have had any
sense of being identified with that office
feel like a person appointed for GER
tain length OF time to administer that
office. and ] feel Just as much outside
OF it at this moment as ! did before |
was elected to 1t. feel just as much
outside of 1t as | still feel outside Of
! the government of the United states
mo 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 go
and run a certain part of it the best
he knew how. That would not make
him the government itself for the thing
itself. 1t would just make him respon-
slble for running it the best he knew
how.
! THE machine Is so much greater
than himself, the office is so 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
seem to fill it. I can hardly refrain
every now and again from tipping the
public the wink, as much as to say 1T
is only EN- that is inside this thing
ADJOURNS BEING PRESIDENT.
II know perfectly well that ] will have
to get out presently. 7 know that then
will look just my own proper size ana
that for the time being the proportions
are somewhat refracted and misrepre-
scented to the eye by the large thing | am
inside Of from which | am tipping you
this wink.
For example. take matters of this sort;
will not say whether 1t is wise or unwise'
simple or grave. but certain presidents
have been established that in certain COM
panios the President must leave the room
first and people must give way to HIM
They must not sit down If he is standing
up
1t is very uncomfortable thing to
have to think OF all the other people every
time I get up and sit down, and all that
sort of thing SO that when | get guests
in my own house and the public Is shut
out. / adjourn being President and take
leave to hc a gentleman.
of they draw back and insist upon
my doing something first | firmly decline.
There are blessed intervals when | for
get by one means or another that | am
President of the United States. One
means by which / forget is to get a
rafting good detective story, get after
some imaginary offender, and chase him
! all over-prcfcraby any continent but
this.
POSTOFFTCES STIR MEMORY.
| Because the various parts of this con
| tinent are becoming painfully suggestive
to me. The postofiices, and many other
| things which stir rCminiscenCe, have
| sickied them DER with pale cast of
! thought there are postofFces to which
wouldn't think Of mailing a letter, which
can't think of without trembling with
the knowledge of all the heartburniny s
of the struggle there was in connection
with getting somebody installed as post
master.
Now if I were free, | would come
not infrequently up to these rooms
You know 7 never was in Washington
but a very few times, and for very
few hours until l came last year. anc
never expect to see the inside of the
public buildings in Washington unit
my term is over.
The minute l turn up anywhere
am personally conducted to beat the
band The curator, and the assistant
curators. and every other blooming of.
fetal turns up and they show me sc
much attention that / don't see tn,
building. ! would have to say 'stant
aside and let me see what you ar,
showing me-
Some day after | am through will
this office I am going to come bacl
, to Washington and see it. In the mean
, time, l am in the same category as tn
National Museum. the Monument, tn
, Smithsonian Institution, or the Con
, gressional library, and everyone tina
. comes down here has to be shown tn
President.
AS y NATIONAL EXHIBIT.
9 IF l only knew an exhibition ap
. pearance to assume-apparently l car
assume other appearances that do no
show what is going on inside woul'
like to have it pointed out, so that
could practice it before the lookin.
. glass and see if | could not look Xix
~. the monument Being regarded as
national exhibit, it will be much sim
:, pier than being shaken hands with b.
the whole United States
And yet even that is interesting L
:, me, simply because ] like human be
!, ings. 1t is a pretty poor crowd tina
does not interest YOU
- Il think they would have to be all mem
hers of that class that devotes itself I
expense regardless of pleasure" in orde
to be entirely uninteresting. They look S
u much alike-spend their time trying I
y look SO much alike-and so relieve them
l. selves of all responsibility indeed to loo
't at; whereas, crowd picked up off tn
1t street Is just a Jolly lot-a job lot of rea
in human beings. pulsating with life, with a
kinds Of passions and desires.
II WOULD DISGUISE HIMSELF.
al 1T would be great pleasure If, unot
served and unattended, / could be knock
y ed around as | have been accustomed I
- being knocked around all my life; if
'' could resort to any delightful quarter, I
10 any place in Washington that | choose
'e have sometimes thought of going to som
III costumcr's-some theatrical costumer an
ne buying an assortment of boards, rouE
eS and coloring and all the known means
~ Disgusting myself, If it were not again!
If the law but If ] could disguise myse
at and not get caught, | would go out, be
n free American citizen once more, and hay
ly a jolly time. | might then meet some
IS you gentlemen and actually tell you VIII;
n ! really thought"
ne The President talked most informall
en- He wore a sack suit and stood with h