Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-12-16
IN THE WHITE HOUSE
How Presidents of Past Enloyed
Christmas Holidays.
No Celebration by John Quincy Adams
Because He Regarded Religious
Festival as a Foolish
Extravaganza.
CCoRDING to history the only


~ president Of the United States
who did not celebrate Christmas
because he regarded it as a foolish Q
extravaganza was John Quincy Ad-
ans, the most economical man
known in public life
Mrs. John Adams, the wife of the
second president of the United States,
had a most discouraging time trying
to make merry in the White House
during the Christmas holidays. (She
was the first wife of a president to
celebrate Christmas in the executive
mansion in Washington, for the presi-
dent and Mrs. Washington were al
ways at Mount Vernon for the holt
days. She had no dominating sense
of economy, but it was the White
House itself that was shabby, and
Christmas reception given to the mem
bers of congress by the president
proved. from her point of view, to be |
a CHASTITY failure.
President Jefferson was widower
with four daughters, and during his
second administration Martha, the cid
est, was the head of her fathers
household, and made Christmas the
happy and festive occasion it was de-
signed to be from that time when the
, star stood still above the manger In
Bethlehem.
There were trees, and decorations,
t and all sorts of entertainments for the
/ children of the official families, as well
as gifts for the poor of the capital.
= Although the Madisons did not
! &c CT ma CO
e White House, on account of the little
: historical interruption by the British,
d when they occupied other quarters for
C a time, the brilliant Dolly managed
e record for holiday hospitality and
merrvmaking that has never been sur
IT passed.
It When Andrew jackson came to the
White House he was bowed and bro
e ken by the death of his wife and de
pressed by political animosities. Ht
1t had neither heart nor the slightest in
clination for holiday celebrations, ye
er he pulled himself together at Christ
w mas time. and saw to it that the da.
It. meant something happy to those il
w the White House.
or In the meantime the Monroe admir-
istration was marked by nothing l
er the way of holiday celebrations d.
ne yond what was conventionally pr
re scribed. and after President Jackson
ne efforts at keeping the spirit of Chris
as mas in spite of his own personal so
We rows. President Harrison did not nN
lat to see a Christmas in the VIII
House.
Ter Mrs. TYLER lived to celebrate on
I'M :. .ho White Hons
'nD After his second marriage the Tyl
-. administration was noted Tor It's OF
VI liant entertainments. Whether it W
Christmas or any other time OF I
"" wear. Inequalities were dispensed
'ne the old Virginia style. and there W
" no stint of merrymaking at the VIII
inc House.
vow The Polk administration reverted
for the grim and practical idea OF 10
nor Quincy Adams. Perhaps it was
economy that changed the Christn
rho celebration at the White House; II
, difficult to define the reason why II
h.d ident Polk did not make the hohd
a festive event in the executive IN
oa sion: it may have been the tempe
,a,.1. ment of the chief executive; perm
o;ca it was because Mrs. Polk Gid not
700 lieve in the gay and festive way
,;r,, celebrating the holidays, as, accord
.;,ht to intimate history, she did not.
trv President Zachary Taylor. brill
at a figure in military history, who had
/, go. chance whatever in the social hist
of the White House, because he
his in little more than a year after
trv had taken his seat as president
olie the United States, and spent only
the Christmas in the White House.
were oueathed his administration to
nner Fillmores. people pitiably oil
real guished by sorrow and in no
adapted to the social obligation
bave the great national responsibilit,
lake sustaining the political and socla
hond legations of the White House.
Shortly after becoming presid
chair someone writes of President t1llr
his wife died. and year lat
there daughter. an only child. passed t.
think great eternity.