The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-11-24

cite in 1777. They were at
Similarly, the Presidents fam
lily this year are spread out all
over the far-flung war fronts, and
he himself Is reported to be con-
ferring far from the United States
with Churchill and Stain.
Usually the Roosevelts have gone
in for real family Thanksgiving
turkey, church, a big reunion Of
all the children and grandchildren.
But not this year.
Moreover, the merchants of
Washington this year will cele-
brate Thanksgiving very much as
they did in the early days.
Thanksgiving was purely New
England holiday during the early
days of the Republic and when
George Washington asked Con-
gresS in 1889 to set aside a holi-
day to be observed by the entire
country, there was vigorous objec-
ton.
The objection came chiefly
from the Democrats, who ac-
cused Washington las Roosevelt
is accused today Of exercising
undue Federal power and tramp
ling on states rights. So, thanks
to Democratic opposition,
Thanksgiving did not become =
national holiday until three
quarters of a century later. Then
it was the merchants along the
sleepy Potomac who really saw
the advantage of Thanksgiving.
1t was in 1845 that the Wash
ington grocers and wine merchants
woke up to the possibilities of a
national holiday and began to
advertise "Sixty barrels of white
wine, forty barrels of champagne.
and New York cider all by re-
cent packet from New York via
Alexandria"
THANKSGIVING OF
PAST PRESIDENTS
just as this Thanksgiving is a
day of work for President Roose-
welt, so most Thanksgivings in the
past have been days of arduous Ia
Dor in the White &ouse. This was
largely because of the lame-duck
session of Congress which met
shortly after the holiday. In fact,
future Presidents can give silent
thanks to Senator George Norris
of Nebraska for having abolished
the lame duck session.
The history of previous Thanks
givings in the White House as far
as they are recorded in the news
papers of other days, reads some
what like this:
President Monroe, 1928, spent
the day writing message to Con-
gress. Unable to attend church.
49,. President Buchanan, 1857,
long conference with Governor
Walker of Kansas over influx of
slave-traders as result of Kan
sas-Nebraska Act President
Grant. 1876, unable to receive
visitors; spent day writing mes
sage to Congress =. President
Mckinley, 1900, spent the day
working on message to Congress
and considering whether to recon-
mend pensions for ex-slaves. The
next day, Mrs. Mckinley, bored,
left for a shopping expedition in
New York. :.
President Harding, 1921, signed
bills at the Capitol all morning,
dinner at noon with the family
and informally away from the
White House at night Presi-
dent Coolidge, 1927, rose at his
hour, took Setting-up exercises,
shaved himself, breakfasted with
Mrs. Coolidge, then retired to his
study to work on his message to
Congress President Hoover,
1880, rose at a. m, played hand
ball, breakfasted at 8, attended
Friends meeting, spent remainder
of day writing his annual mes
sage.
So, until the Norris lame-duck
amendment. Thanksgiving Day
for the President of the United
States was nothing to be thank
full for.
LOST WAR HOLIDAY?
This years Thanksgiving din
ner In the White House will COM
pare with that of Woodrow Will
son In 1917. Mrs. Wilson at that
time served only thre courses: 1.
Cream Of oyster soup with slices
Of hot buttered toast; 2. turkey
with trimmings and vegetables
burning brandy was omitted as
well as cranberrieS); 3, pumpkin
pie but no plum pudding. Black
coffee was served as a digestive
stimuIant."
Since that war holiday and the
present, have interviewed some ex-
tremely gay Thanksgivings, es-
pecially during the early years of
the New Deal, when most of the
Roosevelt children came home and
the White House was one of the
gayest spots In the nation.