From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst
December 9
What Lincoln called
Public Opinion baths took place from 10 - 2 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
and 10 - 12 on Tuesday and Thursday. For the public it was a fairly simple
arrangement: first come, first served. Usually Lincoln would greet each
individual 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 he was in a hurry to get
rid of someone, he would crack a joke and with both of them laughing would ease
the caller out the door. Among other things, since these meetings happened so
regularly Lincoln had a consistently firm grasp on the concerns of ordinary
people. In addition, the meetings served as a tonic in a city like Washington
where overweening ambition and hypocrisy had – and, according to some people,
still has - a way of warping facts beyond recognition.
'Everyone can be
great because everyone can serve.'
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
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