Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-03-09
DANIEL SCOTT LAMONT,
Secretary of War.

post of secretary of after March 1. Is
known TO the country chiefly as the former pri-
vate secretary of President Cleveland. But Il
must not be forgotten that he is big aad
broad man. and well equipped to fill the place
to which Mr. Cleveland has called him. Dan"
Lamont has teen politician from toyhood.
He is IL years old and & native Of New YORK.
Mr. La1nont's first work was as u clerk il his
fathers storc in his native town Of Cortland.
He performed this WORK the days that
| he offended the village school, whore ne was
tttea for the Central academy. which succeeded
the aeolitonists college at the breaking out of
the wax. He finished his academic
course and entered Union college
in the class OF -. 1t is remembered OF
him chat he was a diligens staden: and was
usually at the head of his class. that his
after experience makes nonsense Of the oidrule
that q bright 10y in school bee ONES Ounce
afterward.
A - Lamont was sent Il delegate to the
state convention 1T Rochester in 1871 hat was
famous .convention-the one that followed
close upon the exposure of the corruption undez
Tweed
Every step in the convention contested.
and Lamont is proud of saying that on every
roll call he voted with Tilden. The TACT at
tracted the attention of Mr.. Tildcn to the boy
delegate from Cortland-by far the youngest
member of the conyention-and thus the two
became acquainted Tilden Won Tweeds
delegates wer, thrown out, and the reform
delegates. under Oswald Ottendorfcr, were
seated.
The acquaintance that was thus begun be-
tween MIR. Tiliea and Mr.. Lamont quickly rip
ened into friendship that was never after
wards broken. Though Lamont was only %
years OF age and was not q leader even in his
own county. he ripened that friendship. which
resulted III his being closer to EilGea i'll the
! counseis Of the party than any. other man in
his following. He was present at every confer
ence that afterwards took place between Mr.
Tildea and his leading Eeutenants during all
the time of the canal Investigation and all
through the presidential campaign and subse-
ouent contest of 1876 aud 1877.
When Mr.. Lamont II he nominated
by the democrats for county clerk of Cortland
county. and came within = few votes OF reyers-
ing majority that had stood at 1000 on the
other side. The next year found him running
for the assembly on the democratic ticket, and
again he had the prize a. the ends of his fin
gers. but lost it by 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
men whom the governor called about him for
assistance in making up his organization OF the
party i'll the state. Others of that body guard
were senator Eavid B. Hill. the late Edgar *.
Apgar Charles S. Fairc4lild William A. Beach,
| Horatio Seymour, Jr.. and William E. Smith.
taxing pO1ltlcS as u DUCK UOeS 10 water Nc
busted himself in all the campaigns that fol-
lowed up to the year when he went TO Washing
ton the secretary of President Cleveland
When.the Cleveland movement FIST made its
appearance in New York state poll tics Lamont
was one of the men who helped to pull the
strings, and Cleyeland's success in the nomi-
mating convention, in which he took the prize
| from Gen. Slocun, was largely due to the fine
work of the Cortland politician. who had grad
| uated under the sage of Grammercy Park.
Lamont workedtfor Cleveiand's election pre-
| cisely 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 governors first
message. That the first time Cleveland
and Lamont had ever met. Again, before Mr..
Cleyelands Inauguration governor. Mr.. La
mont visited him in Buffalo and the post of
military secretary on his staff was offered to
Lamont.
But when Cleveland reached Albany and was
! inaugurated as governor he asked Mr. Lamont
| to dine with him. He then said that he had
| not made up his mind whom to choose for his
private secretary. and asked if Mr. Lamont
would not serve in that capacity until u perma-
| nent secretary was chosen. Lamont assented
| and day or two later it was agreed that he
| should keep the place.
| In 1889 MIR. Cleveland retired to private life.
and went to New York to practice law. Mr..
Lamont had many offers from business men
who thought him forceful and many-Sided
man. but the offer that suited him best was one
| that came from William c. Whitney and Oliver
| II. Payne. with whose surface railway projects
| in New York he joined his fortunes