Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-29
By Fredcric ]. Haskln


Washington. u. G.. April 26.-Fresi-
dent Harding is now getting his first
taste OF those duties which contribute
most 10 make a presidents life prob
lem and burden.
During the past few weeks he
agreed to become member Of a va
ricty OF national associations. religious.
sporting and reforming. Ho accepted
bull pup. bought tickets for the Daf-
fodil ball for tho benefit OF i boys
swimming pool. posed for statue and
portrait sketch and gave $50 toward
Madame Curie's rsdium fund.
Ecfusals are, OF course. moro numor-
Gus than tho ncccptancc-. Limitations
Of time. money and strength mako Il
the things the people want him to do.
He must choose in each instance. and
Whichever way he chooses. he cannot
hope TO please Everybody.
This is the joker In the job of being
chief executive OF the United States.
No doubt n good many OF our presi-
dents who cheerfully assumed tho tri-
ais or signing bills and getting along
with congress would have refused the
position with dignity had they real
lied how many statucs they would
have to unveil with appropriate re-
marks. how many loyal voters would
insist on wrinrinE the presidents
hand, how many times they would
have to stop and turn around in order
to ho photographed in Characteristic
poses
These are tho duties-lcft out OF the
constitution - which make being a
president ont Of the most annoying
jobs in the world.
Though the Incumbent in office ac-
quircs great skill IA meeting his OBJ
LEGATIONS for some reason he never
writes "A guide book for his success
sors. Tho value Of a volume on
Things Every President 5 n ou ! q
Know" by one who has been there.
would he incalculahlc. Aside from
scattered letters and articles. no work
OF the sort has ever been issued.
As Il Is now. each executive and his
family have to pioneer for themselves.
And II is rocky ground Everything
they do becomes n precedent To take
an instance from Mrs. HardinE's cN-
pcricnce, a request camo before inau-
Eurauon for n small donation To be
sold at fair.
A Flood Of Requests
Don't do It," said friend
"Oh. | am glad tn help said Mrs.
Harding
Tho week after, Ehc saw what tho
friend meant. Hor mail brought over
5000 requests for small donations
which could be sold or auctioned off
at big prices. as coming from the
prcsidcnt-olects wife one handkcr-
chief. such as she had sent the first
time. meant ono dollar. Three thou
sand haudkcrchiofs, all for worthy
enough causes would mean s., 600. not
counting the wages OF come ono to
buy tho Gifts, some one to wrap and
address them and the cost Of post
age. You can figure for yourself that
this Is more than tho presidents week
" salary. and Mrs. HardinE's min
money certainly could not cover such
incidcntals.
The trouble is that all tho activities
or a White House family arc given
publicity. To send "A donation TO a
charity affair and request that no men
ton be made OF the source would bo
to rob the gift of its attrnCtivcncss.
Tho association With tho White House
is what the people want in such CAGES
So the president and his wifc haVo
TO pick and choose. II is hardest at
first because tho novelty of a.ncw
executive attracts an unusually large
number of people with the "gimmics.
If the president is cautious In tho first
weeks. he is not worried so much
later, tho there is scarcely n day when
he dccS not receive an imposing coll
lection of requests for Eifts-auto-
graphs, invitations, photographs, and
50 on. The tido rises and falls to a
large extent according to- the presi
dent himself If he becomes known
as a Joiner but not much of a sivor.
the mail brings more invitations to
join and fewer requests for money.
President Harding We believe is not
yet classified. He wants to be genial
and reasonable and democratic. but nc
is already, no doubt. beginning to
realize that his supply of these quali-
tics IL limited No president has ever
boon able to meet more than n small
fraction of tho requests, and they arc
growing each term, as there are moro
people to serve,
Thus, when the president agrees 80
oiably to bo honorable PRECEDENT of