Presidential Stories - President Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson, the 7th President, was one of the few Presidents who did not have a First Lady at his side. His wife Rachel died three weeks before he was sworn into office. One might expect that he would become more dependent on his Vice President to take up the slack with appointments, clerical duties, and planning events.  But President Jackson had ongoing issues with his Vice President, John C. Calhoun which caused Calhoun to resign on December 28, 1832.  It would be nearly three months before Martin van Buren was sworn in as his Vice President on March 4, 1833. He served until the end of Jackson's term on March 4, 1837.

Not having a First Lady was easily remedied by designating someone on staff to perform the necessary duties, especially the appointments with women who were seeking the attendance of the President's representative at events and the required paperwork.  But not having a Vice President for a few months meant that Jackson had to handle every problem that came up.  

Since his years as a General in the Army, Jackson was accustomed to demands on his time.  When he became President, that did not change. In fact, it got worse because he was hounded by women who wanted some kind of assistance for their husbands or sons, and by men who wanted favors, appointments, or invitations for themselves or others.  

To cut down on unnessary intrusions, Andrew Jackson followed the example of some of his predecessors. To cut down on what he called the "self-seekers," he maintained a strict schedule for set appointments, holding no tolerance for those who were late or no-shows. He had even less tolerance for those who sought to take advantage of the gaps in his schedule that were caused by those who were late or absent for their appointments. 

To this end, each morning he gave strict orders to the duty attendants who guarded his door, telling them to admit only certain people on that day, no exceptions.  This arrangement worked well until early 1833 when the attendant informed the President that a person whom he could not control was demanding to see the President.

Jackson was annoyed at the intrusion and told the attendant that he would not submit to this and to get rid of the person.  As an afterthought, he asked "Who is it?"  When the attendant said he didn't know, the President demanded to know his name.

"Beg your pardon sir, but it is a woman,"

"A woman!  Then show her in," Jackson replied.  He didn't often get female visitors and decided to make the time.

A neatly dressed middle-aged woman was ushered in and took the offered chair. 

"Thank you sir for seeing me. My mission here is a novel one, and I am hoping you can aid me."

He assured her that he would hear her dilemma and see what he could do to help.

"I am a widow, and I let rooms to working men, mostly men who work for the government. There is a clerk, Mr. Jacob Smith, who is employed here in this building. For months, he has been indebted to me for room and board which comes to a considerable amount.  I need the money badly and I have come to you to ask if a portion of Mr. Smith's pay can be docked until he has paid his debt."

"What is the amount, madam?"

"Seventy dollars, sir. Here is the bill."

He looked it over and said "I see, and his salary amount?"

"When I let the rooms to him, he said that he was paid twelve hundred dollars per year," she replied.

"And he has never paid his board bill!??" The President was astonished.  As a clerk in the White House, this whole affair could reflect badly on the government.  He had no doubt that Mr. Smith could afford to pay this bill.

"As you can see, sir, this has been standing unpaid for five months now.  In three days, he will again draw his monthly pay from the government and I thought if you would be kind enough to ----" 

He cut her off. "Yes, I have it now.  Go to him and get his note today, make it due in thirty days."

"His note, sir?"  She was surprised because she had already presented Mr. Jacob Smith with his bill each month. "It would not be worth the paper on which it is written. He has yet to honor my written bill and a note will be no different."

The President looked at her and calmly said, "But will he give you his note?" The widow didn't realize till then that she had been giving the clerk her bill. She was not getting anything from the clerk in his own writing to acknowledge that he owed the money.

She told him she had no doubt he would be glad to give her a note knowing he would have a grace period of another thirty days.   

"Go to him, obtain his note for payment stating it will be due in thirty days, give him a detailed receipt, then come to me this evening with the note."  

The lady left his office and later that day, she confronted Jacob Smith to say she wanted to collect the debt. He smiled and made some excuses about his finances.  Finally she asked him for his note stating he promised to pay the full amount in thirty days.  He agreed knowing for thirty days, he would not have to face her again and would have another thirty days of free room and board. He glady wrote his note and signed it.

She accept it and asked "And you'll pay it when it falls due in thirty days?"

"Certainly, of course I will. I always pay my notes."  He dismissed the widow knowing he had pulled off a very neat trick.  

That evening, the widow presented the note to the President. He examined it, turned it over to the back, and he wrote his name with his title, Andrew Jackson, President of the United States.  

"Take this to the bank, madam, and you will get the money for it."  She thanked him and went to the bank the next morning.  She had no difficulty getting the cash.  

One week before the thirty days, Mr. Smith received a notice from the bank that his note for $70 was due on the 27th. He was requested to come to the bank and pay it there.  He put the matter out of his mind and continued going about his business.  At the end of the month, he received his salary of $100. 

He left work that afternoon and as he walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, he wondered about the note so he went to the bank before going back to his rooms.

"The note was discounted, sir" the teller told him.

"Discounted, who on earth would discount my note?" Mr. Smith asked.

The teller told him, "Sir, anyone would, if they had the name of your backer on the note."

Mr. Smith knew of no backer and began to get suspicious.  The teller showed him the note, turned it over to point out the signature.  Mr. Smith instantly recognized the bold signature of the President of the United States, the same man who signed his paycheck each month.

Mr. Smith then counted out $70 and handed it to the teller. The next morning when Mr. Smith reported to his department for work, he was handed another note. It told him that the government no longer required his services and he was escorted out of the building.  He returned to his rooms to find his belongings were packed and waiting on the front step.

 Source: The Washington Post