Evening star., 1947-12-23
Letters to The Star
Handshakins an Ordeal
70 the Editor Of The Star:

Handshaking an Ordeal
70 the Editor Of The Star:
Noting in the news that White House ply
sician says we ought to discard the "uncivil-
lied" traditional custom Of shaking hands with
the President, I thought perhaps your readers
would be interested in few historical facts
about glad-handing the President.
Handshaking is an ordeal through which
Presidents have had to pass ever since Thomas
Jefferson, who was the first President to let
down the bars to I'VE, the people"
President Washington never shook hands In
the wholesale manner We know today. WASH
ington simply bowed a bit stifny to the stream
of visitors at his levees, keeping one hand on
the hilt Of his sword, the other behind his back.
President John Adams was roundly abused and
called q royalist because he refused to put out
his hand but stood on a pedestal bowing to
the populace as they passed by at his receptions.
President Jefferson apparently started the
custom Of putting out the "mitt" to all comers
at White House gatherings. At the same time,
Jefferson abolished the strict rules of etiquette
that had prevailed at the Presidents Mansion
during the administrations of our first two
Presidents and substituted his celebrated "pell-
mell' system.
President Madison reversed the Jeffersonian
process a bit. He merely bowed to his lines
of guests-and he bowed so much at one recep-
ton that he got a "crick" in his neck. But
Dolly, his wonderful wife, more than made up
for little "Jemmy's" reluctance to shake the
hands of the mob" She was affability ITSELF
The Magnificent Monroes were only mild
handshakers. A wonderful patriot President
Monroe was never too much on the hail-fellow.
well-met side.
President John Quincy Adams had little taste
for handshaking. Old Eloquent served the
Nation long and ably but was trihe too aloof
to indulge In uniting"
Then came Old Hickory, President Andrew
jackson, who was the first big Presidential
hand -pumper. He had once to duck out Of the
White House by a back door to escape from
hundreds of his admirers who all sought to grab
his hand at the same time.
But it was President Lincoln who really put
handshaking into American history. On New
Year Day. 1868, about o'clock in the afternoon,
Secretary Of State Seward brought the great
Emancipation Proclamation to the Presidents
study for his signature. AS Lincoln took up the
pen he said, Il never in my life felt more
certain that was doing right than do in sign
ing this paper. But have been shaking hands
since o'clock this morning till my arm is stiff
and numb Now this signature is one that will
be closely examined, and If they find my hand
trembled they will say he had compunctions.'
But anyway it Is going to be DONE"
Theodore Roosevelt was one of our best hand
shakers and best smilers, too. President
Lincoln at 4 White House reception shook
hands with 30 many people that the next day
both hands were covered with blisters. But tho
Presidential hand-shaking record probably
belongs to William Mckinley, who, at public
reception during the Washington Centennial Of
1900, shook hands with 4,S16 people in an hour
and three quarters. That was lot of hand
shakes, about 48 shakes minute. And just to
top of this record: at his last New Year recep-
tion President Mckinley, without official count,
shook hands with $500 visitors an hour
AS sidelight, it is interesting that some of
our Presidents were ambidextrous in this hand
shaking business. Some have even worn gloves
to keep down the wear and tear; some have
worn black gloves some white, some gray and
some even yellow.
All this naturally leads up to the question:
What should the President do? The President
might simply touch his palm to the palm of
his greeter. Or, they might, put up sign that
says, Don't squeeze the Presidents hand" But
the ladies might not like that, in which
case the sign could read, only ladies permitted
to shake the Presidents hand" This would at
least save the President from those bone
crushing. meat-manglng grips of enthusiastic
masculine glad-handers.
But anyway, whether we can shake his hand
or not, the President Is the President and what
ever is good for his personal wel.-being should
be good for the American people. So I say,
more power to those who would watch out for
the health Of the President, whether Democrat
or Republican, even If it means dropping that
much-cherished custom of shaking the hand
of our Chief Executive.
EDWARD BOYKIN.