Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-09-23


Washington has been in a tense
situation in the country. 1t is not toe
much to say that men have been fear
full. and yet the always abiding belief
in that stable Americanism. as the
word applies itself to all things good
In this country. will continue to keep
the people acting stably and thinking
stably until the righteous end of adj
justment is reached. There are vary
ing views as to whether or not what
may be called the "bolshevik unrest
in parts of Europe is really having
any real effect in the United States.
Some congressman say that everything
that happens in this country, that is in
the least bit unusual, instantly is at
tributed to bolshevik tendencies. In
France, where for some months | was
soldier, the French people met every
happening with the proverbial Gallo
shrug of the shoulders and the state
ment "C'est la guerre."
So, according TO the viewpoint of
some of the officials in Washington,
the "Cest la guerre" of France can be-
transplanted to the United States and
translated into ut is bolshevism." 1t
must be remembered that if a French
man studded his toe on loose brick
in the sidewalk he muttered "Cest la
guerre." So today. while it may be
there is peril. the American who stubs
his toe says 1T is bOlshevism."
Wilson's Coast to Coast Trip.
President Wilson's ''swing round the
circle" which has just started will
take the better part of a month
for its completion. Counting the
Potomac river as part of the At
lantic coast, the speaking tour can be
called coast to coast mission.
While it is generally understood that
the president means to speak primarily
in behalf of the covenant of the
League of Nations and the peace pact
it is pretty generally believed that he
will take the opportunity to discuss
other subjects, particularly the high
cost of living and the general economic
unrest. Time and again presidents
have started out to speak on one sub
ject and have ended by speaking on a
dozen.
johnson First To Swing"
There have been some notable presi-
Dental tours of the country. Swing
ing round the circle" was an express
sion first used by President Andrew
Johnson, who undertook tour through
loF1 ~
people his reconstruction policies
which were widely at variance with
the reconstruction idea of the congress
then in power. With him on that tour,
among others, were Gen. Ulysses s.
Grant, who succeeded Johnson as
president, and Gideon Welles, secre-
tary of the navy. 1t was not alto
gether a pleasant journey, for Grant
and Welles hardly were on speaking
terms, and it was said that Grant felt
he was being taken along to help boil
ster up the presidents cause with the
people. Since that day Swinging
round the circle" has been used in
connection with presidential trips.
When Grant was president he made
several comparatively short trips for
what may be called public purposes.
He was not speaker, or at any rate
he thought he was not, and he was
timid about attempting a public adj
dress of any great length. 1t was
Grants habit to travel when reunions
of various federal armies of the Civil
war were to be held at this place or
that place. AT these gatherings he
would get a chance TO see many OF
his old comrades in arms.
Arthur First To Be Guarded.
1t was not until Arthurs day that
it was thought necessary closely to
guard a president while he was on
his journey. Arthur's first trip of any
great length after he had succeeded to
the office of president upon Garfields
death, was a journey along the At
lantic coast on either a revenue cutter
many places. With Garfeld's recent
assassination so wildly in mind Ar
thur was guarded on this trip more
closely than any president was guard
ed before or has been since.
Grover Cleveland was something of
traveller, however, whenever he felt
the public duty demanded.
Benjamin Harrison was good deal
of a traveller One thing is to be
noted in connection with his presiden-
tial trips, and it is a curious thing at
that. He made many little rear-plat-
form addresses to the people assem-
bled at the railroad stations along his
route. 1t is said today that these little
speeches are the best ones in point of
force and good English, taking them
altogether of any presidential litera-
ture."
In recent years the habit of travel
has grown on presidents of the United
States Roosevelt was something of an
itinerant. He wanted to take his va
cations in the West, and on two or
three occasions he made his vacation
trips fit in with the demands of the
people in certain localities that he
speak to them. Two of ROoSevelt's
trips were cut short: one of them
when in Massachusetts when trolley
car ran into his carriage, killing one
of his travelling companions and throw
ing the president out, badly injuring
his knee. The second interruption was
attributable to the accident which he
met with in Massachusetts. While In
Indiana, the knee which had been hurt
showed indications of violent inf1am-
nation. The doctors decided that the
colonel must return to Washington for
slight operation. and this was done.
Mr.. Taft, up to President Wilson's
time, was known as the "Great Amer
lean traveller name shifted from
George Francis Train. President VIII
son has crossed the seas twice since
he was president.