The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-09-10
KRIrE H0UsE NEKsPAPRRs.

Exchange: About 200 newspaper are
received ct the White House daily.
These include the large metz 5politaH
daIlies, as we'll as the Iess pretentlous
sheets. Only small proportion Of these
papers are paid for. SUnder former
regimes almost every newspaper of
prominence had among Its list Of sub
scribers the president Of the United
States. The amount thus expended was
charged 70 the contingent fund, end fire.
quently exceeded 5000 per r7nrm. An
exchr1ge clerk, IS he vas called, Yves
employed At salsEy Of $3.50 per month
to read these papers snd make such
clippings Is were SUPP oeed to BIS OF ini
terest 10 tie ex' ,utivs. Almost the first
Of Col. Lamontis official acts was to dis
miss the exchange clerk and reduce the
expense Of newspaper subscFip-
tiors at leaat rs per rent. Tue effect OF
this new departure has been noticeable
only In reducing the revenues OF the
newspaper publishers. The number of
papers recsiv. al the executive mansion
ls fully as great as ever Newspaper
editors are Determined the president
shall know their opinion OF him, and If
he will not pay for the Information they
will send him the paper free. New York
state heads the list with the largest num-
Der of dailies. This Is not surprising
when it Is remembered that the presi-
dent, Col. Lamont aud two members oil
the cabinet live n that state. In the
list OF cities Chicago comes next to New
York, with Boston third, Philadelphia
fourth, and Cincipnati fifth. The repre-
sent&tIOn from New EngIsud is very
small. The Peciflc slope including Cali
fornis, Oregon and Nevada, sends but
one paper. The south has also feeble
representation, probably not a dozen
papers in all being sent from that sec
ton. These exchanges are carefully
read each day by Col. Lamont, whose
journalistic training enables him to go
over them rapidly and Gull out such ar
ticies as it may be advisable to preserve
tor reference. These, carefully arranged
in chronological order, are pasted in
rap-books, under the heads of tariff,
finances. civil service, foreign policy
ppoIntments. current comment, Indians,
personal, and the like. Col. Lamont has
aquick, retentive memory, and such is
his control OF this faculty that he can
tell the president, with whom he is
closeted every day, the sentiment in re-
gard to any particular policy in any Sec
ton Of the country he may mention.
The system of preserving newspaper
opinion by the occupants of the White
House dates back to the foundation of
the government. Under President Hayes
the present plan of arranging these clip
pings In scrap books was first inaugur-
ated. He was very particular that every
thing relating TO his administration
should be saved, and scarcely a
week passed that the books were not
carefully read. Garfield, during his
brief incumbency as chief maglsIrats },
paid close attention TO the "scraps," as
they are called. Garfield vas very sensi-
tive TO newspaper criticism. but his
eagerness to obtain knowledge of pub
TIC sentiment as expressed through the
press, was such that nothing, however
hostile or vicious, was overlooked. Ar
thur was more indifferent. The clerks
at the White House say he seldom read
the scraps, except during the few weeks
preceding the meeting Of congress, when
engaged in the preparation of his annual
message, and when he had in contem-
plation particular nomination whose
effect he desired to SEE upon the coun-
try before absolutely committing him.
self. In such cases be would allow the
information to leak out "semi-oficIalIy, /"
and then follow the Dress comments
carefully 10 see how it was received. If
public sentiment conuemneG II, the
nomination was never made.