Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-26
NEED NOT APPLY.
President Cleyeland's Private Secretary
Enters Into Details Regarding That

Famous Pronunciamento.
President Cleveland has slammed the
door of the White House with bang
full in the face of the office-seekers,
great and small. His formal notifica-
ton is meant to be peremptory and
permanent. 1t was not issued in pet,
but upon thoughtful consideration, and
the President INTENDS to live up to it.
But while the edict may seem harsh and
belligerent such is not it's nature. 1t
was not framed in passion, nor is 1T de-
signed to antagonize politicians. Its
and intent are thus explained by
Private Secretary Lamont:
''Ever since the 4th of March, said
Colonel Lamont, ''the Presidents time
has been occupied by office-seekers
from ten a. m. until lunch time, and
of them are men who
have been in the city since the 4th of
March and many have come daily.
These 'are the chronic cases. 1t has
come to such pass that the President
has been unable to do any other work
than to listen to their opportunities,
and this, too, when verbal applications
are useless The President made rule
on taking Office to base appointments
on the papers, not on verbal state
ments and applications, and such ap-
plications have consequently little OF
no effect When the office-seeker has
made his request the President com
monty asks if what he has said is con-
tanned in his papers. If it is, personal
solicitation is supertiuous; if it is not, he
4ha o,,r,lSoanf 70 include tho
statements with what else bears on the
case and put it on file. That is the
usual course, and probably not one in
hundred personal applications is con-
sidered favorably."
Colonel Lamont explains that the
order affects members of Congress as
follows: During November the rule is
to be infieXible. The President during
that month does not intend to make
appointments or listen to pleas for
place from any one or for any one. He
must devote himself to his message and
other business already in arrears. and
which must be attended to before Con-
gress meets. When the session opens
the President will consult with Sena-
tors and Representatives on appoint
ments and on other matters, but it is
not intended to let Congressman have
the free run of the White House as
heretofore. Outside of the three pub
lie receptions each week, all visitors,
including Congressman, are to be adj
mitted by card and on a statement OF
the business on which they seek an in
terv;ew.
There is one custom, which the Presi-
dent intends to stop. Many Congress
men and other distinguished persons,
whose regulations naturally open all
doors, are disposed to abuse theil
privileges. The President is de-
termined that the White House shall
net be a lounging place where poll
ticians may gather to exchange gossip
and anecdote to the interruption of the
public business. 1t is the practice of q
certain class of public men to saunter
in with group of friends, whom they
expect the President to entertain.
Some politicians do this by design.
They show by this means their init
macy and influence at the White
House, and the friends 60 home much
impressed by their members great
ness. Hereafter, members of Congress
desiring to introduce friends to the
President are expected to do so, like
other citizens, at the three public re-
ceptions each week.
In short, the President finds ON eight
months trial that he can not afford the
time to be everybody's friend As it IS,
his experiences in this role would often
be amusing if they were not so weari-
some. The persistence and ingenuity
of some office-seekers are amazing.
The life often assumes the character of
species of madness, and the one who
leads it acquires the cunning of the in
sane. After getting a rebuff that Is
meant to be final, the claimant turns
up smiling the next morning with new
credentials of fresh friends, Or with an
explanation of damaging criticisms.
Other applicants take the President
into their confidence and call day after
day to report progress, or to complain
of the lukCwarmness or secret hostility
of those who should be their friends.
Many politicians call on the President
during his office hours and make a
special appointment with him later in
the day. on the ground that they wish
to see him on particular business, and
when their errand is developed it is
found to relate to some petty local Of
flee.
Against all these arts to catch his
private ear and enlist his special SYM
patty the President rebels. Not on ac-
count of indifference or dislike. but be-
cause it is physical impossibility to
attend to the details of the whole bust
ness of Office seeking. The country
has grown too populous, and railroad
communication has become too cheap
and easy. The crowd is too much for
one man to handle, even if he had no
other business than to attend to their
needs. This morning, for instance.
there were by actual count fifty persons
waiting to see the President when his
Office hours began. Each asked for
only five minutes, and five minutes for
each would have consumed over four
hours
The new rule is made, therefore, be-
cause in the opinion of President Cleve-
land it is necessary, not at all from
snobbishness or from any unfriendly
feeling for anybody or class. All APP
pointments belong to some one of the
executive departments, and under the
new order the Cabinet officer at the
head of each department will general
" have the determination of patronage
within his jurisdiction. This is sub
stantially the case now, but people do
not and will not understand it, and in-
sist on personal appeal to the Presi-
dent Washington Cor. Chicago Trib-
une.
Eight hundred feet of the Look
out Mountain Railroad have been
graded and made ready for the rails.
The total length of the road will be
four thousand and two hundred feet.