The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-03-11
DANIEL SCOTT LAMONT,
Secretary Of War.

Daniel Scott Lamont, who is slated for the
post Of secretary of war after March 4, is
known to the country chiefly as the former pri-
vate secretary Of President Cleveland. But it
must not be forgotten that he is a big and
broad man. and well equipped to fill the place
to which Mr. Cleveland has called him. Dan
Lamont has been a politician from boyhood.
He is AZ years old and a native of New York.
Mr.. Lannon'S first work was as a clerk in his
fathers store in his native town Of Cortland.
He performed this work on the same days that
he attended the village school, where he was
fitted for the Central academy. which succeeded
the abolitionists' college at the breaking out Of
the war. He finished his academic
course and entered Union college
in the class OF ~. It is of
him that he was a diligent student and was
usually at the head of his class, so that his
| after experience makes nonsense Of the old rule
that a bright boy in school becomes a Ounce
afterward.
A 20 Lamont was sent as a delegate to the
state convention at Rochester in 1871. That was
a famous convention-the one that followed
close upon the exposure of the corruption under
Tweed.
Every step in the convention was contested,
and Lamont is proud OF saying that on every
| roll call he voted with Tilden. The fact at
| tracted the attention of Mr.. Tilden to the boy
! delegate from. Cortland-by far the youngest
| member OF the convention-and thus the two
became acquainted. Tilden won. Tweeds
delegates were thrown out. and the reform
delegates, under Oswald Ottendorfer, were
seated.
The acquaintance that was thus begun be-
tween Mr.. Tilden and Mr.. Lamont quickly rip
ened into a friendship that was never otter
wards broken. Though Lamont was only %
years of age, and was not a leader even In his
own county. he ripened that friendship, which
resulted In his being closer to Tilden in the
| coupaolS ~ tho marty than apv other man in
his following. He was present at every confer
ence that afterwards took place between Mr..
Tilden and his leading leutenants-during all
the time of the canal investigation and all
through the presidential campaign and subse1
Quent contest of 1875 and 1877.
When Mr.. Lamont was 81 he was nominated
by the democrats for county clerk OF Cortland
county, and came within a few votes of revers-
ing a majority that had stood at 800 on the
other side. The next year found him running
for the assembly on the democratic ticket, and
again he had the prize at the ends OF his I'm
gers, but lost it by a very few votes. That was
in 1874, and Mr.. Tilden, who was then elected
governor. sent for Lamont to go to
Albany, where he again became dep
uty clerk OF the assembly. Subsequently
he was appointed chief clerk Of the
state department under Mr.. John Bigelow. His
intimacy with Mr.. Tilden still distinguished
him, and he found himself one Of the young
1 ultu WUOulL IN oAiOo hlAA "
assistance in making up his organization of the
party in the state. Others Of that body guard
were senator David B. Hill. the late Edgar X.
Apgar, Charles s. Fairchild. William A. Beach,
Horatio Seymour, Jr., and William E. Smith.
Taking to politics as a duck does to water, he
busted himself in all the campaigns that fol
lowed up to the year when he went to Washing
ton as the secretary of President Cleveland.
When the Cleveland movement first made its
appearance in New York state politics Lamont
was one of the men who helped to pull the
strings. and Cleveland's success In the nomi-
mating convention, in which he took the prize
from Gen. Slocum, was largely due to the fine
work of the Cortland politician, VIII had grad.
uated under the sage Of Grammercy Park.
Lamont worked2for Cleveland's election pre-.
ciseIy as he had for the previous candidates OF
his party, and after the election Mr.. Cleveland
sent for him to go to Buffalo. The two
spent some days together talking of state
affairs and politics generally and arrang
ing for the gathering OF data at Albany
by Mr.. Lamont for the new governors first
message. That was the first time Cleveland
and Lamont had ever met. Again, before Mr.
: Cleveland's Inauguration as governor, Mr.. La
!. mont visited him in Buffalo and the post Of
military secretary on his staff was offered t
| Lamont.
t But when Cleveland reached Albany and was
inaugurated as governor he asked Mr.. Lamon'
to dine with him. He. then said that he hat
not made up his mind whom to choose for hi
private secretary. and asked If Mr.. Lamon'
D would not serve in that capacity until a perma
nent secretary was chosen. Lamont assentet
j. and a day or two later 1t was agreed that h,
Q ! should keep the place.