The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-20
COLONEL 1AMoNrls SUCCESS.

OF friends. But from worldly view
point he has failed where Colonel La-
mont has succeeded.
COLONEL IAMoNT's SUCCESS.
There is no doubt that Colonel La
mont's success is due in some measure
to his work in the white house. He was
trained and accomplished newspaper
man when he came to Washington, but
he was notrecognized as business man
or man of great executive capacity.
The men he met while he was in the
public service made it possible for him
10 take the place whichhe has taken in
New York. 10 an ambitious and capa.
Bile man the Office OF the Presidents pri-
vate secretary offers exceptional adj
vantages for promotion and progress.
He cannot forward his own interests at
the expense of his chief. He must be
thoroughly loyal man, and ready at
all times TO sacrifice himself for the
President But he can make friends
among public men who call on the
President, and these men will have OPP
portunity in after years to do him many
agood turn.
The responsibilities OF n private secre-
tary are very great, and he is never at
rest. The least OF his duties is to answer
for the President greater part OF the
mail which comes to the white house
addressed to the executive; yet 1t is in
this relation that he becomes most IA
miliar to the people OF the United
States. In his confidential capacity as
the Presidents adviser and agent and
friend he is little known except to that
immediate circle which sees and knows
what is going on in the Presidents Off
cial household. Answering the mail is
no trivial labor though. The private
secretary has to weed out from the cor
respondence everything which does not
Immediately concern the President, and
to take to him only such things as de-
mand his personal attention. So when
the private secretary appears in the
Presidents office with bundle of pa
pers it is q premonition OF hard work.
President Harrison said not long ago in
pleasant mood: ~ am getting almost
10 hate the sight OF Mr.. Halford. For
whenever he comes in it means work
for me-" If the President eau feel go
about Mr.. Halford, who is discretion
itself, how thoroughly could an indis-
Greet man make himself nuisance to
his chief in this position!
Very few OF the callers who come to
the White House see the President
without first passing the. ordeal Of IN
interview with the private secretary.
"What ia your business with the Presi-
dent2" is the invariable formula which
greets any one who is a stranger 10 the
executive offices. Sometimes the
stranger replies that that is his bust
ness; sometimes he makes plain his
mission without needless delay. But
whether he answers Immediately or an.
swers after some delay he must give
good reason for claiming an interview
before he can get the Presidents ear.
Mr.. Halford keeps tablet on his table
on which he enters the memoranda
concerning tho Presidents callers,
which he lays before the President
late in tho day. Most OF the visitors
he himself can dispose of without
trouble. Some of them are persistent
and some have claims on the Presidents
attention; but a majority OF the people
who call at the White House have bus
mess which the private secretary can
handle as quickly as the President
himself, or even more quickly. Some
times an intruder penetrates to the
Presidents office. Mr.. Halford found a
we'll dressed woman in earnest CONVEX
sation with the President one morning.
She was demented woman who had
come all the way from Iowa to claim q
fortune which she believed was coming
to her from the estate OF King Alfonso,
Of Spain. Mr.. Haiford had talked to
the woman before and he recognized
her. az know this lady's business, Mr..
President" he said gently, land | can
attend to 1t, perhaps, quite as we'll as
you," and he led her away.
MORE CONFIDENTIAL THAN CABINET
OFFICER
The private secretary occupies a rela.
ton TO the President more confidential
than that Of any OF the members Of his
cabinet. He is with the President at
all times, knows his most confidential
affairs and is called into consultation on
almost every conceivable subject. The
President will say to him not infre-
ouently: "Find out what is thought Of
this or that" and the private secretary
must feel the public pulse and report
the result OF his Investigations. And
in making the necessary inquiries he
must be eminently tacttul. He must
not give to any one the impression that
he Is acting for the President in what
he is doing. To do this would be to an
ticipate the Presidents action, perhaps
in matter of appointment. When the
President has some great Office to fill
he cannot depend entirely upon the
papers which are fled by the applicants
for the position; perhaps the man
whom he wishes to appoint Is not seek.
ing the place aud has no papers on file.
in order to determine his eligibility the
President makes inquiry through his
private secretary, and upon the result
OF that inquiry very often depends his
action in most important matters.
Mr.. Halford, who has been the pri.
T-..tlas.k