Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-11-16
MODESTY IS GREATNESS.

accepted luTIHeE IlSh W his PlySiSai
we'll being by attending the funeral
over a soldier of America whose
identity will never be known. Him
self wounded near unto death by the
tremendous burdens he bore during
the World War, and with a heart
bruised and bleeding, Woodrow Will
son was borne to a carriage and rode
in the cortege which wendell its way
to Arlington cemetery to pay hom
age to American valor. Bent, broker
and gray, he was the commanding
figure in that column of world dig
nataries, and it is significant that hi
was the only one applauded. 1t i:
more significant that he expressed
embarrassment thate such applau'
should come at such a solemn hour
Soon after Mr. Wilson was induct
ed into office the last time he made
a personal talk to the members o.
the Washington Press Club one even
ing that explains better than any
thing we might say the character Of
this man whose greatness has never
been more certainly demonstrated
than by his modesty. In speaking tt
the newspaper men Mr.. Wilson said
"The machine is much greater
than himself" he said, speaking
of the job of being President.
"The office is so much greater
than himself, the office is so
much greater than he can ever
be and the most he can ever do
is to look grave enough and self
possessed enough to seem to fill
it. l can hardly refrain every
now and again from tipping the
public the wink, as much as to
say, it is only me that is inside
this thing. l know perfectly well
what will have to get presently.
/ know that then l will look just
my own proper size and that for
the time being the proportions
are somewhat refracted and mis-
represented to the eye by the
large thing l am inside of, from
which l am tipping you the wink
"For example, take matters of
this sort: l will not say whether
it is wise or unwise, simple or
grave, but certain precedents
have been established that in GER
tain companies the President
must leave the room first, and
people must give way to him.
They must not sit down if he is
standing up. 1t is a very I'M
comfortable thing to have to
think of all the other people
every time get up and sit down,
and all that sort of thing, so that
when l get guests in my house
and the public is shut out, l adj
jOurn being President and take
leave to be a gentleman. If they
draw back and insist upon my
doing something first l firmly
decline. They are blessed in
tervals when l forget by one
means or another that l am
President of the United States.
"One means by which l forget
is to ge ia rafting good detective
story, get after some imaginary
offender, and chase him all over
preferably any continent but
this. Because the various parts
of this continent are becoming
painfully suggestive to me. The
post offices, and many other
things which stir "reminiscences
have 'sickled them DER with a
pale cast of thought There are
post offices to which | wouldn't
think of mailing a letter, which
can't think of without trembling
with the knowledge of all the
heart burnings of the struggle
there was in connection with get
ting somebody installed as post
master. Now if were free
would come not infrequently up
to these rooms. You know l was
in Washington but a few times
and for very few hours until l
came last year, and l never ex-
pect to see inside the public
buildings in Washington until
my term is over. The minute |
turn up anywhere l am person
ally conducted to beat the band.
The curator, and the assistant
curators, and every other bloom
ing official turns up and they
show me so much attention that
/ don't see the building. l would
have to say stand aside and let