The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1882-05-27
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
The Routine of n President's
Life..The White House Mail.
Washington Cor. Chicago Time.


and it is very rare that he reads on,
of the thousands of letters addressed
to him. All of his letters are frs
opened by his Private Secretary
The majority OF them are simply refer
red elsewhere, and never in any from
come to the attention of the Presi
dent. 1t makes no difference how
personal, private, or confidential
an envelope may be marked, it does
not go by the desk Of the Private
Secretary unopened. Letters from
relatives or intimate friends are sem
to the President just as received, but
all other letters of character worth,
of being called to his attention arr
simply "briefed,' so that the Presi
dent can see at glance what il
wanted. Applicants for office who
write to the White House are always
referred to the Departments. 1t has
been the custom of late years to send
out to every such applicant polite
formula saying that the application
had been referred to such and such a
department. Some of the simple
minded correspondents of the Exec
utive construe the receipt of this for
mula as one of the most important
steps in the way of securing the de-
sired office. One happy man who re-
Gently received one of these formulas
wrote in reply that his gratitude over
the receipt of the same was sas Big
as an Elefent." He then added that
when he should get his place his
gratitude would be las Big as 2 Ele-
fents." This formula of answer is
in reality as full of encouragement
as the editors polite rejected with
thanks" sent under seal with a pile
of returned manuscript. But no
amount of ill-success has any dis
couraging effect upon the people
who write to the President for infor-
nation, advice money, or office.
Out of the fifty millions Of people in
this country there is always a
daily number who fatter themselves
that they are not wasting good pa
per, pens and ink by writing to the
President.
In Washington the great center of
attraction is the White House. 1t is
the Mecca of the office seeker, the
sight-seer, and the thousand and one
queer people who crowd Washington
during the season. After 9 o'clock
in the morning certain portions of
the White House are thrown open
to the general public. This class
of callers are free to enter the main
ante room below, the great east par
Tor, and the ante-rooms ON the sec
ond floor, where are the Executive
offices.
Life at the White House runs on
about the same, no matter who is
President. There is monotony in
the demands and suggestions of Wis
itors that varies but little from year
to year. 1t goes without saying that
The business Of nine men out of ten
who call at the White House relates
in some way to an office. Under
President Arthur more rigid set of
rules has been established for the
of visitors. Mr.. Arthur
does not propose to be overrun, as
his predecessors have been, with men
who have no real business with
him, and for whom he could do
nothing if he should see them. Cab
net officers, Senators, and members
nave no trouble in obtaining access
20 a President. Most of them enter
Unofficial people, who
lave no claim upon men Of infu-
,nce to Introduce them, generally
spend hours writing from day to day
or admission. Their cards are
'ent in to the Private Secretary,
ind after anxious waiting, callers of
his class are sometimes rewarded |
With an audience. But it is not a
private one. Fifteen or twenty are
generally admitted at once. They
,ass into the Cabinet room, where
hey are hardly more than able to
hake hands with the President when
hey are crowded aside by the next
Omers.
There is reason for a President
lot being able TO give his attention
O private cases. People with griev-
noes or requests to make should
resent them through their Congress
ional Representatives. If denied
nstice there, there is very little hope
Or them. A Presidents time is too
ouch occupied to allow him to go
cry much outside of the routine of
is duties. Probably there is no
ureau chief in Washington who is
lore hampered by routine than the
resident. Before the war the life
f President was very simple and
asy. President Polk used to spend
alf his time walking about-town or
isiting. No record Of the letters
eceiyed at the White House was
ept. Unimportant letters were torn
p. The important ones even were
ept only to be answered. Even
uring the war and the eventful days
I Lincoln's Administration no Off
al record was kept. Now, however,
is changed. The Execr-
We Mansion has become small de-
artment with an elaborate system of
'eords valuable to future historians.