Did Charlie Poole make up the title "White House Blues"? Do we have any evidence that anyone ever used that title before he did? I notice that (1) the song "The Deal," a rag that Tyler Meeks taught to Poole, ended up with the word "Blues" in its title instead on Poole's record for no apparent reason, (2) Poole apparently knew the song "Hobo Jones" (another non-blues) under that title before he decided he'd switch its title to "Milwaukee Blues," again for no apparent reason, (3) when Poole recorded his version of the blues "Hesitation Blues," he did not include "Blues" in the title he used, and (4) other artists were still recording the song about McKinley under the title "McKinley" or "Mr. McKinley," or as such-and-such "To Washington," during 1929-1944.

(Obviously the folk song about McKinley itself goes back way before 1926. E.g. Edward Thomas performed it on stage in 1916. I'm specifically wondering when someone first gave it the title "White House Blues," and whether that someone was Charlie.)