Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-08

long mahogany table covered with
books and documents they discuss the
| affairs OF state.
To pass in review the successive occu-
pants OF the White House from Adams 10
/ the present time, and include all the char
acteristic incidents that might be record
| ed. would make a go0d-siZed book, and il
would not be uninteresting either. The
most punctliOus in cOurtly dignity and
official etiquette OF all the Presidents
were Monroe, Buchanan and Arthur, and
the least particular on these points we're
Jefferson and Jackson; while the most
frugal of all our Chief Magistrates was
President Lucy Hayes. Jefferson was
noted for bis exalted ideas of equality,
and entirely discarded the "aristocratlc
fOppery." as he called II, Of official life,
and set himself the pleasant task OF maxi
ing all callers at the mansion perfectly
at BONE" Jackson opened the doors Of the
White House to everybody, and visi-
tors of all sorts poured in and
roamed about the rooms at will.
The hearty old soldier dIsliked ceremony
quite as much as jefferson, and saw no
reason why the Presidential abode should
be hedged about with formal etiquette.
He went about the house and grounds
smoking an old corn-cob pipe, and, as may
be supposed, his example led others to
avail themselves of the privilege of sm0k-
ing, even in the state parlors. He called
his friends by their Christian names,
slapped people on the back familiarity,
and would say "by the eternaP whenever
he wished to emphasize sentence. His
hospitality was so b0untiiul that the pro-
ceeds of his Hermitage" farm in Ten
nessee had TO be used to pay the expenses
of his entertainments; in which he was
not so prudent as the late President
Hayes. who is said to have "laid up" the
wherewithal TO pay of mortgage on his
Ohio farm while occupying the White
House.
Many people unacquainted with public
affairs regard the Executive Mansion as
simply the place where the President
sleeps, dimes aud receives his visitors;
but, as q matter of fact, IL is about as
much of a business institution as any OF
OF the government departments. A force
Of nine clerks dnd employment here in
ans wering, fling and referring the enOr-
nous pile OF correspondence received, re-
cOrling appointments, ETC., and they are
a buster lot or clerks than will be found
in any other public office. Every morn
ing the private secretary sorts over the
bag of mail received, selects the letters
which it is necessary for the President to
see, and turns the Others over TO the clerks
whose duty 1t is to answer and file or des-
troy them. A large portion OF these let
tiers relate to affairs Of the various depart
ments, and they have to be Endorsed over
to the proper official. President Arthur
kept a clerk who took charge of
all the hundreds OF newspapers
received at the mansion. and cut out and
placed in a scrapbook kept for that pur-
pose all the good, bad and In different
thin 20 said Of his administration. This
book was laid before the President every
morning for his information. But Presi-
dent Cleveland dispensed with the SER
vices of the sorapbook clerk when he
cana to the White House. Still it would
hardly be safe to assert that he don't
know what some of the papers say. is
the duty Of one set Of clerks TO keep a
complete record of all appointments, the
combinations and reflections by the Sen