Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-09-18
WILSON'S TRIP IS
COAST TO COAST
He UNDOUBTEDLY WILL SPEAK
ON OTHER MATTERS THAN
THE PEACE TREATY.
WILL. TAKE ALMOST A MONTH
President johnson Was the First To
"swins Round the cireIe"-Interest-
ing Facts About the Travels o. Our
Chief Executives.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.


Washington. President wilson's
"swing round the circle" which is soon
to start will take the better part of a
month for its completion. Counting
the Potomac river as part of the ~
lantic coast, the speaking tour can be
called coast to coast mission.
While 1t is generally understood that
the president means to speak primarily
In behalf of the covenant of the
League of Nations and the peace pact,
1t 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 SUBJ
ject and have ended by speaking on a
dozen.
Presidential tours always pass into
the history of administrations. In the
earlier days of the republic presi-
dents did comparatively little travel
ing. In those days it was hard work.
and, moreover 1t consumed so much
time that no president could 60 far
without running the risk of criticism
for absenting himself so long from
public duties at the capital. "A United
States senator said the other day that
before long the president probably
could take the air route, speak In San
Francisco on Monday night and be
back at his desk ON Wednesday morn
ing. Perhaps.
johnson First To "Swlng."
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
the country to champion before the
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 1t 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 pre- sident he made
several comparatively short trips for
what may be called public purposes.
He was not q speaker, or at any rate
he thought he was not, and he was
timid about attempting 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 ne
would get a chance to see many OF
his old comrades in arms.
Arthur First To BE Guarded.
It was not until Arthurs day that
it was thought necessary closely to
guard 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 Garfield's
death, was a journey along the At
lantic coast on either revenue cutter
or small navy vessel with landings al
many places. With Gartields 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
a traveller, however, whenever he feel,
the public duty deman led;
BENJAMIN Harrison was good dea
Of q traveller. One thing is to b'
noted in connection with his presiden
tial trips and it is curious thing al
that. He made many little rear-plat
form addresses to the people assem-
bled at the railroad stations along hi!
route. It is said today that these little
speeches are the best ones In point o.
force and good English, taking then
/ altogether. Of any presidential litera
ture."
: In recent years the habit of trave
has grown on presidents of the unitet
States. Roosevelt was something OF al
} Itinerant. He wanted to take his va
. cations In the West, and on two o
three occasions he made his vacation
trips fit in with the demands of tn
people in certain localities that n
speak to them. Two of Roosevelt
trips were cut short one Of then
when in Massachusetts when a trolle.
car ran into his carriage, killing on
Of his travelling companions and throw
ing the president out, badly injurin
his knee. The second interruption wa
attributable to the accident which n
met with in Massachusetts,. While i
Indiana, the knee which had been hur
showed indications Of violent milan
nation. The doctors decided that tn
. colonel must return to Washington 70
!; q slight operation, and this was done
Mr.. Taft, up to President Wilson
time, was known as the Great AInel
lean traveller" name shifted fror
Z fsooroa Francis Train President WI