Some Things Don't Change

[Mark]

President William H. Taft visits Columbus, Mississippi in November 1909,
and wants the voters to see him. So he travels by horsecade through town.
Probably with no protective covering on his buggy.

Fifty-four Novembers later, replace the horse-and-buggies with limos and
police cars and the dirt streets with pavement, and things look very
similar.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10223528512111978&set=gm.3543412355713619

[John Corbett]

Post by Mark
President William H. Taft visits Columbus, Mississippi in November 1909,
and wants the voters to see him. So he travels by horsecade through town.
Probably with no protective covering on his buggy.
Fifty-four Novembers later, replace the horse-and-buggies with limos and
police cars and the dirt streets with pavement, and things look very
similar.
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10223528512111978&set=gm.3543412355713619

It's remarkable how little security was afforded our presidents right up
to the start of the 20th century. I believe it was only after the
assassination of McKinley that the Secret Service added presidential
protection to its duties. David Brinkley said that when he first came to
Washington as a newspaper correspondent in the 1930s, the White House rear
lawn was considered a public park and people would bring their brown bag
lunches there. It was only with the start of WWII that the White House
grounds were fenced off.

Each presidential assassination or assassination attempt has brought with
it a new level of security. We now transport or presidents in armored cars
made to look like limousines.