McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-02-25
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EDITOR INDEpENDENr:

Washington, to see six men who haC
| been. or were, presidents of the
! United States. The first was Ruther'
ford B. Haye. In 1892 he marched
along Pennsylvania at the Grand Ar
my reunion, and | saw his tall, lean
| figure and his pale face and long beard
in the procession. Soon after that
he died. Then | saw President Har-
risson at the White House; a short,
compactly built, broad-shouldered
nan, with bright eyes and fresh,
rosy complexion. Isaw Grover Cleve-
land and heard his gruff voice several
times. He was "gritter-faced," as
we used to say; had rugged features,
and there was an iron frmness about
him. History will accord him high
place as a bbroad-minded, patriotic
American. heard William Mckinley
deliver his last inaugural address
while | was squeezed in such a crowd
in front Of the capitol that my feet
scarcely touched the ground. The
martyred president was short and in
clined to be stout, had a dark COM
plexion, and thin, but clear and
pleasant voice. | last beheld him as
his mortal remains lay in state in the
rotunda of the capitol. while a steady
stream of his loving countrymen paid
him the silent tribute of respect.
That marble brow and noble face re-
minded one of the picture of Daniel
Webster, and was of the true Ameri-
can statesman type. But one cheek
and the side Of his neck were already
blackened with approaching decompo-
sition, and the sad services were hur-
ried through.
The man who followed him as pres
ident is perhaps the most remarkable
man ever born on this continent,
There will not be room here to say
much about Theodore Roosevelt, al
though | could say much that is
interesting. At close view, he looked
sort of sandy-haired, grinning and
snappy; has a thin, harsh voice and
quick movements, and his teeth are
certainly in evidence when he talks.
Til These SC him him iIr the ilite
House have told me much about his
kindness to them, and his wonderful
memory of their individual family mat
ters and their needs. Some day | may
find time to tell some intimate stories
about this great man, as told me by
people who know him best.
In June, 1911, there was held at
Baltimore a celebration of the fiftieth
anniversary Of the elevation of Cardi-
nal Gibbons to the priesthood. Near
ly twenty thousand people gathered
in the Armors to see and hear one Of
the most distinguished groups of men
that ever gathered on this continent.
! never expect to see anything like it
again. The Catholic cardinal, thin
and bent, but proudly smiling, was in
the center; President Taft and former
President Roosevelt sat together on
the platform in front; Vice-President
Sherman, Speaker Champ Clark, for
mer Speaker Joe Cannon, Chief JUS
tice White Of the Supreme Court of
the United States and several of his
associates, members of the Senate and
House, the Governor of Maryland,
Mayor Of Baltimore. and Charles J,
Bonaparte, great grand nephew of
Napoleon, were among the brilliant
throng. Also, there was the British
Ambassador, James Bryce, and other
diplomats.
| Although Taft and Roosevelt sat
side by side (perhaps for the last
time), they did not face each other
while talking. 1t was comical to see
the whites of their eyes while they
turned their heads on the chair-back
and looked at each other across their
noses. Occasionly one of them would
laugh, but mostly they were serious
| heard their speeches. Taft had a
voice like silver bell, that could be
heard all over that immense gather
ing, and his words came out so slowly
and distinctly that they could almost
be written down in long-hand. Then
came Roosevelt. He had a thin,
cracked sort Of a voice, quick ges-
lures and, to me, rather tiresome
style, and his talk was long. Perhaps
the best address was that of Sunny
jim" Sherman, Vice-President of the
United States. Although the speech