Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1896 — THE PRESIDENTS “SCHOOL.” [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE PRESIDENTS “SCHOOL.”

Small Things He Must Learn with ■Hia Oath of Office. The die baa been cast and the choice made for the next President. The incomer. though a man long prominent in polities, begins immediately after his election to “go to school.” He has much to learn before he can really become President of the United States. His school books will be the example of his predecessors, a lesson from the Judge of the Supreme Court who administers the oath of office, and the Constitution of the United States. Certain thiDgs are prescribed for the President to do. Others lie does from long-established precedent. The first thing a President has to learn is self-denial. His oath of office is administered in the open exposure upon the east Capitol front, and from there he delivers his Inaugural address. A time-honored custom with the Weather Bureau is to provide a drizzly,

■leeiy rain at this time, and the mew President, with bared head, promises to forget himself, his own welfare, liis opinions and his ambitions in the interests of the people. The rain baptizes, his head with this decision. The people look on from their comfortable platforms, sbeletered by umbrellas, and'applaud. The President is practicing self-sacrifice, but lie will have a cold in his head without doubt. Cleveland had a mild attack of grip after bis last inaugural. Whew, how It snowed' at the hour for the Inaugural address! The proceedings before the inauguration require study on the part of the incoming President. Ills duty is to be in Washington on March 4, ready togo to work. His term of servitude Isfour years, dating from that hour. Custom makes him do more. The day before the inauguration the Presidentelect arrives in Washington. There is always a crowd to meet him at the eta* tiou, and from the minute he registers at the hotel with his "suite”—in other words, his wife and relatives—he must' hold an informal reception. He must take his primary lesson iu affability. , No matter if they do press in while he Is taking Ms noonday bite to urge a postoffice appointment. No matter if Mrs. Brown, from Cobunkus, does arrive with the eoffee aud after-luncheon smoke to beg a button off the Presidential coat. Luncheon, coffee, cigars, all must be given up, and the President must smile' and smile again. In the afternoon the President-elect goes to call at the White House upon the President. His object is to notify him that he is in Washington, and is , ready to assume the duties of office. i He makes a call of ten minutes and goes back to his hotel. W T ithin an hour the President calls at the hotel and notifies the incoming President that he Is ready to deliver up the keys of state. In thf evening all dine together at the "White House. The next morning, the 4th of March, the new President goes to the W T hite House at 11 o’clock. In a little while the Senate Reception Committee calls there and all get into cartriages to go to the Capitol for the Inauguration. There are the two Presidents, the two Cabinets, the head of the army, the commander of the navy and' a large citizens’ escort. A few preliminaries in the Senate and the President finds himself upon the porch of the .Capitol addressing tie crowd*-in the storm.

A duty which the President has to learn early In his career is the writing of harmonious messages. Not only must he write correctly, but he must be able to word his messages and proclamations so that they go to the hearts of the people. This often requires study od his part. The most trying proclamation ever issued was the Thanksgiving message sent out by President Arthur a few weeks after Garfield’s death. There was some curiosity to see how he would word such a message at such a time. But his supreme tact rose to the occasion. The incoming President should always learn tact To be without It has made enemies for many a good Executive. The President must learn to bear physical disturbance. Grant was wakened from his sleep at 2:30 the morning the Butler “salary-grab” bill was passed. The President’s approval was necessary. By 10 o’clock the President had read the bill, approved it. and word was curried to the Capitol to that effect. That meant work In the wee sma’ hours. When the bill was repealed the President worked none the less faithfully. The President must learn to introduce. Not merely to pronounce names, hut to conduct the art of presentation In a manner that shall be acceptable to all peoples and all nations. And at dinners he must be gracious host, presenting, greeting, leading the way

to dinner, denominating places and being ready for the return trip to the drawing-room at a mystic look from his wife. All told, the I’resldent has & severe task before him.

DELIVERING THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS IN A STORM.