Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-06-26
DANIEL s. LAMONT.
The New Presidents Confidential
Secretary.
A Description of the Man Who Has the Ear
of President CIevelAnd-some of the
Men Who Have Served Other Ex-
ecutIves In Like Capacity.

ecutIves In Like Capacity.
Washington Cor. Cincinnati Times. star.1
One OF the most noticeable men about
Cleveland Is his private secretary. The
reason why he Is specially noticeable is
because he Is credited with havin- somuch
influence with the President. Ordinarily,
the private SECRETARIES to the Presid snts
do not rank high, so far as infiuensa. is
concern'd- It is generally supposed by
the public that ths private secretary Is an
Official whose principal duties cons st in
protecting the President from importunate
and unimporta1t. callers. But IN reality
the average private secrstary i'm the White
House has very little 70 do, on sid, Of the
routine found in mauai,ing the corresnond-
eDce Of the Executive Mansion. Public
men who goto see tbs President are not
inclined to spend much time with middle
men, however talented they may BE-. Sen
ator., leaders of the House aud diplomatic
oeople, when they go to see the President,
always insist on a PERSONAL audience.
Prominent politicians. when they come
here from their States, are not fond of be-
ing kept waiting in the private sscre. .ary's
ROOM There has been, however, no pri-
vate secretary who has come 70 the White
House for many years who has had the
wide political experience of Colonel La.
mont.
He possesses Cleveland s confidence to a
remarkable dagree. He has been his close
adviser ard has for long time been taken
into his confidence. At Albany. however,
the 81 uation is much different rom that ~
Washington There Lamont was practi
cally Cleveland's only adviser Herr
Cleveland has seven counsel Jrs, who will
see him every day of his life, five of whom
are very prominent, influential men. Ia
addition to these counselors the Democratic
leaders In both houses will have access 10
him. and will insist upon giving him ad.
vice No President can escape this unless
ne should cut loose from his party. NJ
Prcsi mt would dream of doing that uD.
{ es i'm )elled by very extraordinary cir.
cumstances- Tyler, who cut loose from hi
narty. thought he could form a new party,
not realizing that parties are not made by
poficians. but by the people. Johnson
got out with the party that elected him.
The only result that followed was an alb.
solute want Of influence. An adninstra.
ton that hopes to accomplish res II $ must
'tand well W tn the peopls TINT coatr .buteI
10 its elec' ion.
IL Is unders' ood here that some of the
Democrats who represent the revenu , re-
form element are very much opposed ID
the Tilden influence IN tho new admins.
ration. These gentlemen have a prejudice
1gains Colonel Lamont on account of his
former connection with Tilden. and be.
cause il Is STILL believed that he has conf
lential relations. II Is a pref Idics thst
may he very easily disposed of, as 1 uu
defstand that the new private sscretary
is diplomatic and adroit politician. VIII ,
has much more skin Ia crsatilg- friend
than the average men of his age. He does
not believe In making needless enemies.
" pr,sent position Is one that will try
his ability. L he'can maintain his inflr
nee and close relations with the Presl-
dent in the face Of the counter influence
that win surround Cleveland here, It will
show that he has very marked ability as
politician and diploma'ist- The o1tgc-
ing private secretary, Phillips. was NJ.
Arthur's priv ate secretary when he was 4
The Cus.om-house in New York lie ives
appointed his private secretary when Ar
thur b. came Vice p .es.dsnt. He followed
the latter TO the White House. lie Is a
very m.able, carefully-dressel young
man, who is fond o. clu5 lie and o. going
out in society.
He knows moth m, however about pol =
tics and had no more to do with the poll-
ticians, and no more infilencs upon th o
White House policy, than II he had been
clerk in a department h has been sim
ply private secretary and nothing morn
His predecessor, J. st ,nley Brown, wss
originally n clerk In the geoloyi al snryev.
He was a very young fellow. and rece. vel
in the department a salary II about SID
per mon-h. He was valued there because
he was industrious and a skill.ul short
hand writer.
During the Garfield campaign, Gar
field sent to Washington for a sec.
retary to help him out th his let
ters at Mentor. He said that he coull
not pay ov T so a mon h. Major Powell,
who had charge of the survey, was ask, ri
about II. He took an interest in youn<
Brown and advised him to accept th
place, although the salary was much less
than he was getting. He said e. Brown
that he could afford to take the chance. for
IL Garfield was elected he wouli certainly
short term o; service Brown gave great
satisfaction, bu. he was 90 Young to have
any influence in politics.
Hayes private Sc secretary was bankru7t
comm ission merchant ont I'm Minnesota. l
once heard him say that he did not know
where to turn for - when Hayes picked
him up on account o. GER ain business re-
lations that they had some years previous
in Ohio. Rogers was very thrifty indi-
vidual, however, aud fea hered his nest
very we'll while In the White House. He
picked up so much Information relating 20
the French and American claims that he
was able to go into a very good practice
b fore the commission here when he left
the White House
He was also made the trus es OF a large
estate In Ohio. His wife was also left
some money out OF the same est te lie
was one Of the few pr vats secretaries who
did not ask for an appointment to s1stal Ia
m ter his chief had been retired. A
number Of pul lie men hold that the posi-
ton OF private secretary TO the President
sh uld be raised in Importance. The prcs-
ont salary Of the position is $. go year.
Judge Dav d Davis used to say that the
salary OF this pos ton ought to be 5000 or
5000 year, so that the Fr sident could
secure the serves OF a man capable Of
taking nearly all OF the de, oil work Of the
administration OF his hands IL Is pos
sihle that Colonel Lamont's administra-
tion OF the Office will result in the salary
OF the pos tion be ns raised, for It Is gen.
srally conceded that his services would be
cheap at double the salary that is now
paid.
woman throw. her .i,o. in.o . mar.