Letter to Dr. William O. Thompson, President Emeritus of Ohio State University.

Note: The White House released two versions of the letter printed above. The second version and Dr. Thompson's letter, dated December 28, 1929, follow:

My dear Dr. Thompson:

The solicitude and philosophic ripeness of your letter of December 28th requires more than reciprocation of kindly holiday greetings.

The human flood which flows through the White House shows all the dark colorings and the flotsam that you mention. But it is brightened more than you think by the majority who, regardless of party, genuinely wish to help the President to succeed in his task. Of course, it is true that malice is sometimes the road to newspaper headlines, and there will always be partisans desirous that the President should fail, even if their stratagems injure the country or whose daily toil is to mix mud pies. But if these blots were other than exceptions, this nation would not have swept to a mightier and mightier destiny every year since the Independence.

You well know of the wearing of hair shirts in the Middle Ages by way of reminder of sin and trouble. Somewhere lately I said that every man has a few mental hair shirts and that Presidents differ only by their larger wardrobe--for certain individuals, newspapers, associations and institutions officiate as haberdashers in this regard, with a high generosity which guarantees both humility and urbanity. There is even humor to be extracted from the fact that they have no compulsory powers. But above all this, the President has for a few short years the opportunity to speed the orderly march of a glorious people. And the inspiration of that moving host is compensation that comes in larger measure to him than to any other man.

You aptly penetrate the vital question of public action--the discovery and promulgation of truth. No real believer in democracy questions the sureness of public judgment--if the public is given the truth, but there is a time element in the triumph of truth. When we look back over history we see the periods of either moral, social, economic, or political stagnation while the truth was en route and some variety of untruth occupied the scene. We can and must, however, greatly increase the production of truth and we must know the truth before the grave interest of 120,000,000 people is involved in government policies. We can sometimes speed up production before the ill-informed awakes to his opportunities. Facts are bad for his digestion and the truth makes misrepresentation uncomfortable. And the truth, as you say, is hard to discover; it must be distilled through the common judgment of skilled men and women from accurately and patiently collected facts and knowledge of forces before the extraction of the essence of wisdom. The materials themselves are also hard to come by; it takes time and patience, especially as our many inventions have forever banished the simple life. In the meantime, a vast clamor of half-truths and untruths and injured facts will always fill the air and intoxicate people's emotions. The President himself cannot pretend to know or to have the time for detailed investigation into every one of the hundreds of subjects in a great people. But the fine minds of our citizens are available and can be utilized for the search.

So you will know why when you hear of more and more temporary committees, commissions, conferences, researches--that they are not for executive action (for which they are anathema) but are one of the sound processes for the search, production, and distribution of truth. And they are more. They spread cooperation with government among our best citizens, not only in finding truth but also they aid to spread it and to get action upon it. Our great American experiment has demonstrated that the people will of their own initiative take care of progress if the government can remove abuse and help put the signs on the road, stimulation to all of which is part of the job of Presidents. Of Lincoln's great formula the most important one-third is "government by the people", and they will govern themselves outside of the government when they see the light. It is from too much emphasis on "government of the people" that we get the fundamental confusion that government, since it can correct much abuse, can also create righteousness.

And now all this was not intended to bore your holidays, but just to indicate to you that my resolutions for the new year include a continued effort to keep pure the wells of wisdom, and to reassure you that I have faith that the people want the truth determined even if it takes time and patience.
Yours faithfully,

HERBERT HOOVER

My dear Mr. President:

Mrs. Thompson joins me in a most cordial season's greeting to Mrs. Hoover and yourself and in our sincere wishes for a Happy New Year that shall continue to yield the fruits of peace and goodwill throughout the year. The repeated courtesies and kindness since the World War have been warmly appreciated.

Now that I am retired and some years past the three score and ten may I be indulged in extending my good wishes into a bit of counsel growing out of a half century of observation. The exalted office you occupy coupled with the most definite responsibility assigned to any ruler in the world renders the White House and its principal occupant the focus point of all American activities. For some time we have had a highly agitated people. The quiet-hour seems to have gone. Men do their thinking while walking the street newspaper in hand. Publicity stirring superficial emotions has developed a mob mindedness eager to hear some new thing. The Press, the hustings and even the pulpit resound with empty echoes of falsehood for which there is no excuse. Do not permit these things to dishearten you even though they discourage.

The open door of the White House in which we all rejoice makes it possible for all classes to approach you. The wonder is, that any President can retain his sanity. Many come to gain favor, place or position at any cost of self respect; many, honest and sincere, hesitating to disconcert the plans of the President occupied with the greater issues of his office neither add information nor bring comfort. The manifest self interest of some who seek your favor or service must annoy you as it displeases all good citizens. Such people violate the sanctities of genuine friendship, are blind to the teachings of a refined moral perception and all too often furnish the support for public officials who betray their trusts and lead citizens situated as I am to wonder whether the men formerly trusted and esteemed have suddenly been transformed from normal citizens into untrustworthy parasites who prey upon the public and annoy you. Do not be disturbed by such characters. Politics as a profession is a noble concept but politics as a business has made possible all sorts of unholy and corrupt combinations with which you must be all too familiar. I should expect a heavy heart many a day and night. Do not permit these things to lie in your heart. They may distract your mind for the moment. You do not need to trust the individual always, but the great silent majority believe in the government, in our institutions and in you as our chief executive. Patience was the outstanding virtue of Mr. Lincoln when sorely vexed and tried. We love him now for that virtue despite the abuses at the time from some able and influential citizens.

I trust you will forgive my impertinence in writing in this fashion. I recognize that every President passes through a storm and stress of public sentiment. No doubt you have felt it and may feel it even more keenly for a time but reflect, if you will, upon the experiences of your predecessors and remember how fickle popular sentiment often is. Many of our best citizens have expressed in my hearing their faith in you and in the future. They refuse to believe that the chaotic state of mind in limited circles should alarm us. On the other hand they admire your steadfastness of purpose. They respect your intelligence. They believe in your integrity. Continue to stand four square to all winds that blow. Be true to the ideals of the masses. Five per cent of our population will include all criminals of every sort and the malignant discontented. They should not control. We, the majority, should deal with them. This is still a government for the people. Propaganda legitimate in itself is often the message of prejudice and falsehood making the truth difficult of discovery. Be not deceived. He that is true to himself will not be false to any man. Let me assure you of my most cordial support. May I also add that millions who have no means of publicity--millions that lack my temerity in writing you--are not enthusiastic over the antics of the agitators but quietly believe that Mr. Garfield was correct when he said that the great issues of our country were finally settled at the fireside and in the home.
Believe me, Mr. President,
Your loyal fellow citizen,
W. O. THOMPSON

[The Honorable Herbert C. Hoover, The White House, Washington, D.C.]