Sunday, November 25, 2012

Lincoln’s “Public Opinion Baths”

Those around Lincoln strove from beginning to end to erect barriers to defend him against constant interruption. He disliked anything that kept people from him who wanted to see him. 'You will wear yourself out,' his advisors pleaded with him. Lincoln of course agreed, but they wanted so little - how could he refuse to see them?

He gave a considerable amount of time to these meetings [Lincoln himself called them Public Opinion baths]’ they took place from 10 - 2 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 10 - 12 on Tuesday and Thursday.

All a person had to do was merely show up in the White House at the stated time and wait their turn.

Usually he would greet people with 'what can I do for you?' Then he would listen and would promise to do what he could if the request were reasonable. If it wasn’t, or if he was in a hurry to get rid of someone, he would crack a joke and with both of them laughing he would ease the caller out the door.

People availed of this opportunity for any number of reasons.  Of course, one of those reasons might be, and often was, because the person concerned wanted a job [“Mr. President, you never would have won Cobbs County except for my influence; make me a US Marshall!”].

On the other hand the person’s concern just might be something Lincoln needed to know about, something about which he could learn in no other way. [Washington DC had, and some say still has, a way of warping beyond anything recognizable the sincere concerns of a normal person.]

These public opinion baths were Lincoln’s answer to another age’s opinion poll. More time-consuming than opinion polls to be sure, but far more full-proof.

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