George S. Johns to Woodrow Wilson

Title

George S. Johns to Woodrow Wilson

Creator

Johns, George Sibley, 1857-1941

Identifier

WWP18133

Date

1913 October 8

Description

George S. Johns writes to Woodrow Wilson about a woman who had requested a collection of limericks supposedly written by Woodrow Wilson and George S. Johns.

Source

Wilson Papers, Library of Congress, Library of Congress, Washington, District of Columbia

Subject

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence

Text

Dear Mr. President

One Annabel Lee — I know not whether she is the lady embalmed by Poe in Poetic honey or not, but that she has a fondness for haunting verse is proved by her request for a collection of limericks, which she says, on your authority, were written in partnership by you and me in Princeton days.
I am ignorant of any such collection. I know of only one masterpiece of that age, written by me and preserved in memory by you. If you perpetrated limericks at Princeton they were carefully concealed, doubtless for a good reason. If they have been discovered and traced to their origin it is a great misfortune to the country. The Democratic regime is doomed. The Wilson mask of dignity and sense is off — all is lost.
I know the dictum that the king can do no wrong is applied to Presidents who have the privilege of shifting their mistakes, inanities, follies and unveracities upon others, but spare me in my obscure content the infamy of reputed fatherhood to your youthful villanies in verse. Otherwise, I shall be compelled in self defense to publish this —A Prex who with nerve was quite flush

Wrote verse that would make a dog blush

When charged with the stuff

He got in a huff

And swore that his friend penned the slush.


Geo S. Johns

Original Format

Letter

To

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Temp00610.pdf

Tags

Citation

Johns, George Sibley, 1857-1941, “George S. Johns to Woodrow Wilson,” 1913 October 8, WWP18133, First Year Wilson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.