Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-12-19
IN THE WHITE HOUSE
How Presidents Of Past Enjoyed
Christmas Holidays.
No Celebration by John Quincy Adams
Because He Regarded Religious
Festival as a Foolish
Extravaganza.

IA
who did not celebrate Christmas .
because he regarded it as a foolish !
,XtrayarauceI was John Quincy Ad- .
.ws. the most economical man
auown IN public life"
'~s john adams, the wife of tho
-....I '.es.t5nt OF the United States.
... q most dtscouraging time trying
t. make merry in the White House
rau the christmas holidays. tShc
".. tl" Irst wife OF president to
celebrate christmas in the executive
......Uu i'm Washington. for the prcsl.
...t AID Mrs Washington were al
Nuss at Mount Vernon for the holi-
Iatsr Sh" had no dominating sense
a. economy. but it was the White
House rsyN that was shabby. and a
Christmas reception given to the mem.
| be-, OF congress by the president
I n.r "i. ,.nw her point Of view. to be
| a CHASTITY failure.
/ prcsidrut Jefferson was a widower
/ with four daughters, and during his
.,.Yui administration Martha. the cid'
.t. was tine head Of her fathers
/ household. and made christmas the
I happy and festive occasion it was de-
! signed To be from that time when the
! TAR stood still above the mauger in
! bethlehem.
| Thor" we're trees and decorations.
| and al. sorts OF entertainments for the
! children OF the official families, as well
| As gifts for the poor OF the capital.
f.t. Nod
| spend all of their Chrlstmases in the
! White House. on account of the little
| historical interruption by the British,
| when they occupied other quarters for
4 time. the brilliant Dolly managed
| record for holiday hospitality and
| merrymaking that has never been sur
| passed
When Andrew Jackson came to the
White House he was bowed and bro.
| ken by the death of his wife and de.
| pressed by political animosities. He
had neither heart nor the slightest in
clinat!ou for holiday celebrations. yet
he pulled himself together at Christ
| mas time. and saw to it that the day
meant something happy to those in
the White House.
In the meantime the Monroe admin.
| istration was marked by nothing in
the way OF holiday celebrations BE-.
| yond what was Conventionally pre-.
scribed. and after President Jackson
efforts at Keeping the spirit Of Christ.
mas in spite OF his own personal sor.
rows, President Harrison did not live
to see Christmas in the White
House
Mrs Tyler lived to celebrate only
one Christmas in the White House.
After his second marriage the Tyler
administration was noted for its bril-.
liant entertainments. Whether it was
Christmas or any other time Of the
year. LospltalitIvs were dispensed IN
the old Virginia style. and there was
no stint OF mrrrymaking at the White
House.
The Polk administration reverted to
the grim and practical idea OF John
Quincy Adams Perhaps it was not
economy that changed the Christmas
celebration at tho White House; 1t is
difficult to detin" the reason why Pres
ident Polk did not make the holidays
} a festive event in the executive man.
sion. II may hav" bron the tempera.
mont Of the chief executive: perhaps
ii was because Mrs Polk did not be
li"vc in II" gay and festive way OF
celebrating the holidays, as, according
to intimate history. she did not.
President Zachary Taylor, brilliant
| I