Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-09
THE FIRST ASSISTANTS.
A Glass of GOvernn Officials Who Do Good
Service but Receive Poor Pay-The Boss
Ugly Man.

| Ugly MAN.
A Washington correspondent, writing
to The New Orleans States, says: The
| government is being run mostly by proxy
now. Nearly all the heards of depart
ments are getting a much-heeded rest,
and first assistants are at the helm in
nearly every department. They are a
class OF men of whom little is known by
the general public, but who are entitled
to good deal more reputation and gen
eral credit than they get. Your average
assistant secretary of the department. is
generally a hard-worked and little-honor-
ed official. He is expected to be ready
at all times for just such an occasion as
this and he must be ready to assume the
duties of chief of his department at
the shortest notice.
He must therefore not only know all
that the secretary himself knows about
the general management of the depart
ment, but he must know all the details of
his particular division all the time. And
vet he gets little credit for these arduous
duties. Very few people outside of Wash
ingtOn can name three assistant secretar-
les, or have any idea how the government
is managed during the absence of the
heads of departments.
The assistant secretary though he must
do all that the secretary does and good
deal more. gets nothing in the way of
extra compensation for his service. He
does not even get the salary that his
chief is allowed during the time that he
is filling the position.
Let US run over the list of gentleman
who are managing the great government
of the United States and see what they
look like.
Gov. Porter, the first assistant secretary
of state, is perhaps the most distinguish
ed of them all. He is a tall, handsome
gentleman, with great hair and mustache,
and little bunch of gray whiskers on his
chin. He came into office shortly after
the inauguration of President Cleveland,
and although he had little experience in
national affairs, save that which his posi-
tion as governor of Tennessee gave him,
he has proven ore of the most efficient
officials that has filled that position for
many years.
His duty is to take charge of all the
consular appointments and all the bust
ness relating to the consular service, and
be ready to assume the duty of the secre
tary of state on moments notice. This
latter requirement means a good deal for
be familiar with the duties of his own
branch of the service, but pretty much
everything else in the department. He
is not only an efficient officers, but an
extremely popular one. He transacts
the business of his position, whether Sc
cretary or assistat secretary, with dispatch
and such unvarying courtesy that he rem
ders himself extremely popular with all
/ hoe, ,lxDc Sx,+D ID
him.
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Fairchild is another very popular and
efficient assistant secretary. He proved
himself both able and obliging during
the time he was assistant secretary, and
when Secretary Manning was stricken
down and Mr.. Fairchild assumed the du-
ties of the department those who knew
him felt sure that he would fill the posi-
ton with credit to himself and safety to
the interests which he guarded. He is a
very young man, some where in the thir-
ties, with black mustache, keen black eyes
| and black hair, very pleasant manner
and faculty of acquainting himself rapid
ly and thoroughly with the details of
matters brought to his attention.
The assistant secretary of the interior
scented Mississippi district in congress
for many years, in fact until he chose to
decline further service in this line and he
naturally came to his position in the in
terror department with good knowledge
of the details of his duties. In fact. he
is good deal more practical than Secre-
tary Lamar, who is secretary, and who
called Muldrow to his present position in
nrSa hot ha 10Th who
would take much of the burdens of the
department off his hands. So when he
goes away and leaves Muldrow things 60
on just the same; in fact, little more
smoothly. Muldrow is a small, rather
young looking man, with blonde mustache
and frank, obliging manner.
Just across the street is the pOstoffice
department.. Mr.. Stevenson, the first as
sistant, who was also a member of con-
gress for several years, has,made so prom
inent a record for himself since he
came to that position that there is little
necessity to say much of him. He is tail
proportional, with brown mustache
and very bald head. The fact that he
was successful in putting about twenty
five thousand democrats into postOffices
that were filled with republicans when he
came If to his position little over a year
ago is about all that is necessary to say
of him. He is hustler, and anybody
that wants to do business with him must
come to the point promptly.
Mr.. jerks, solicitor general of the de-
partment of justice, is well known here
having been assistant secretary of the in
terror for a considerable time. He pro-
badly takes the premium for the "boss
ugly man" of the administration. He is
thin, hatchet-faced, with a cavernous
mouth, irregular teeth, red side-whiskers
and awkward manner. But he is one Of
the most able and efficient men that has
ever held the position which he now holds
and the department of justice will move
on smoothly under his administration
while Mr.. Garland is hunting deer in
Arkansas. The war department is gen
orally left in charge of the chief clerk,
Mr.. Tweedale, in the absence of the secre-
tary. Tweedale is quiet man, with a
brown mustache and pretty good avoir-
dupois. He was chief clerk during
pretty good share of ArthUr's administra-
ton, and is naturally familiar with the
duties of his Office.
In the navy department the honors are
passed around. Sometimes one officer is
given the position of acting secretary in
the absence of the secretary, SOmetimeS