The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-14
At THEIR NEW DESKS.
Walter WeIlman Calls On the Cabinet
Officers.

Gresham In Fosters Chair-Carlisle In a
Historic Room-Business Characteris-
tics of Secretaries Smith, Herbert, Bis
sell, Morton and OIney.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, March Ell have just
made call upon each of the members of
the new cabinet. found them at their
desks hard at work They are eight
strong and interesting men, and after
they have been some time in Office and
we have had an opportunity to study
them more closely shall then tell you
more in detail what I think of them.
Now am giving you simply my i'm
pressions. Several of them we already
know very well in Washington. Judge
Gresham, the premier, has been in two
cabinet posts before, that Of postmaster
general and secretary of the treasury.
He has his characteristics, just as he had
when he was member of the Arthur
cabinet.
With all his affability and lovableness
Gresham can be quite imperious when
he likes, and he often chooses to decide
things In q rather summary manner.
Woe to the man who attempts to pre-
sumo upon his good nature. II Gresham
has fault, it is that Of being little
too suspicious. That was ono of Cen
eral Harrison's faults too. Both Gresh-
am and Harrison are too much inclined
to suspect that there is job OF an i'm
proper motive lurking behind every mat
ter that is pressed upon their attention.
Neither of them has this characteristic
in private life, but both have it very
strikingly in performance of their pub
lie duties.
Secretary Gresham occupies the same
room and the same desk which his i'm
mediate predecessor. John w. Foster,
used during the short time he was at the
head of the state department. Mr.. Blaine
used the same room nominally, but pre-
ferred to sit at the end of the great table
in the magnificent diplomatic room ad-
joining. It was queer choice to make,
for few men like to work in such large
apartment.
The room which Secretary Gresham
now occupies is one of the handsomest
apartments in the war, state and navy
building, which is by long odds the finest
of our public buildings in the capital. It
is an apartment about 40 by 80 feet in size,
with plenty Of light streaming in through
three large windows, and with charm
ing view over the valley of the Potomac
and to the Virginia hills beyond. In
one corner of the room is a screen, be-
hind which sits the private secretary.
This assistant can hear everything that
is said at the desk of his chief. =
An odd way to do business, you think.
But wait till you learn the real uses Of
the secretary. In the first place, his
presence deters some men from saying
things to the secretary Of state which it
would be just as we'll to leave unsaid.
They are more on their guard than they
would be if closeted absolutely alone
with the secretary. Again, at a touch
Of button on his desk Secretary Gresh-
am orders the stenographer behind the
screen to take down names and dates and
such other facts from the conversation
of his visitor as it may be important to
remember. See what great load of
detail this takes from the mind of the
man who as secretary of state has about
as many things to think Of as an ordi-
nary mortal should attempt. But if the
caller be one with whom the secretary
really desires to converse in private he
simply touches another button, and the
assistant gets quickly up and walks out
Of the room.
There is no nonsense about Gresham.
It is as easy to get to see him as it is any
lawyer in your town. You simply send
in your card and await your turn. When
you get up to the desk of the hand
some premier Gresham is by long odds
the handsomest man in the cabinet and
Dan Lamont the plainest-you are in
vited to sit down. The secretary looks
you full in the eye, asks you a few plain
questions, drives straight at the heart Of
your business, makes note with his lead
pencil, indicates that the interview is
practically at an end. and as you rise to
go he speaks friendly word or two that
makes you like him IN spite of his abrupt
ness and his quick way of getting rid of
you.
Secretary Carlisle uses the same room
which secretaries Of the treasury have
used for a number of years-John Sher-
man, Window, Gresham, Fairchild, Man
ming, McCulloch, Foster. Mr.. Carlisle
has been in Office but four working days,
and already he is weary. His is not the
temperament that enables man to sit
all day at desk receiving callers, shift
ing rapidly from one topic to another,
denying requests and standing off even
his friends without mental worriment.
Just as soon ~ the conditions settle down
q little it is Mr.. Carlisls's purpose to shut
himself up as much as possible and be
the theoretical manager and brain engi-
neer of the great department, leaving to
his assistants the bulk Of the work of dis
posing Of applications for office. The
sooner he is enabled to do this the better.
But Secretary Carlisle is courteous to