The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-12-04

Entor1 Int0 U41o11o koX0ru1ox Iuo9
Famous Pronuncinmsnto.
President Cleveland has slammed tho
door of tho White House with bang
full IN the face Of the ofIlce-scekers.
great and small. His formal notifica-
ton Il meant to BE- peremptory and
permanent. II was not issued Ia a pet.
but upon thoughtful consideration. and
the President intenos 20 live up TO IL.
But while the edict may seem harsh and
belligcrcnt such Il not its nature. IL
was not framed In passion, nor u Il de-
signed 10 antagonize politicians. It,
reason and intent are thus explained by
Private Secretary Lamont:
Ever since the 4th Of March, said
Colonel Lamont. ''thc Presidents time
has been occupied by oilice-seekers
from ten q. m. until lunch time. and
three-quartcrs Of them are men who
have been in the city since the 4th Of
March and smany have come daily.
These are the chronic cases. II has
come 10 such pass that the President
has been unable 10 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 10 base appointments
on the papers. not on verbal state
ments and applications. and such APP
plications have consequently little or
no effect. When the oilice-sceker has
made his request the President COM
monty asks II what he has said Is con-
tanned in his papers. II IL Is, personal
solicitation Is supcrfluous; II 1t Is not. he
advises the applicant TO include the
statements with what else bears on the
case and put II on file. That is the
usual course. and probably not one IN i.
hundred personal applications is con-
sidcrcd favorably.'
Colonel Lamont explains that the
order affects members Of Congress as
follows: During November the rule is
10 be innexible. 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 10 before Con-
gsess meets. When the session opens
the President will consult with Scna-
tors and Representatives on appoint
mcnts and on other matters, but ii IL
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
mittcd BY card and on statement OF
the business on which they seek an in
terview.
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 10 abuse their
privileges. The President Il de-
fcrmmcd that the White House shall
not be lounging place where poll
ticians may gather 70 exchange gossip
and anecdotc to the interruption Of the
public business. Ii Is the practice Of q
certain class Of public men to sauntcr
in with group Of friends, whom they
expect the President to entertain.
Some politicians do this BY design
They show by this means their inti-
macy and influence nc the White
House, and the friends go 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 oan not afford the
time to be everybody friend As tits,
his experiences in this role would often
be amusing II they were not so weari-
some. The persistence and ingenuity
Of some oflicc-seekcrs are amazing.
The life often assumes the character Of
species of madness, and the one who
leads IL acquires the cunning Of the in
sane. After getting a rebuff that r.
meant to be final, the claimant turns
mp 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 lukewarmncss or secret hostility
OF those who should be their friends.
Many politicians call on the President
during his Office hours and make =
special appointment with him later in
the day, Oh the ground that they wish
to see him on particular business. and
when their errand Is developed II is
found to relate to some petty local Office.
Against all these nxts to catch his
private ear and enlist his special sym
pathy the President rebels. Not on aC-
count Of indifference or dislike, but be-
cause II Il a 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 il too much for
one man to handle, even II he had no
other business than 10 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 Ii made. therefore, be-
cause in the opinion Of President Cleve-
land 10 il necessary, not at all from
snobbishncss or from any unfTicndly
| feeling for anybody or GLASS. All ap-
| pointmcnts belong TO some one Of the
L