The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-07-16
WHITE House SECRETS
Confidential Employees Who
Can Be Trusted.
HOW INFORMATION Is PRESERVED.
And Never q Word Leaks Out-Character.
istics of Secretary Porter-A Safe, Modest
and Sagacious Confidant The Presi-
dents Doorkeeper and Other Employees.

dents Doorkeeper and Other Employees.
WASHINGTON, July 9.-[Special. THE
secrets of the White House are we'll guard
ed. 1t improves ones faith in human ma
ture to know that at the executive man
sion there are a number of employees
who from the nature of their work must
be familiar with what is going on behind
the scenes, but who are never known to
breathe even the slightest hint of the in
formation which comes to them. 1 can
testify that not one of the newspaper cor
respondents of Washington ever thinks OF
approaching a White House employee, 9th.
er than the secretary to the president, for
news concerning White House policies or
actions. These men are looked upon as
confidential employees. Their trust is a
sacred one 1t would be disgraceful for
them to betray it, and even the newspaper
correspondents, who are, as a rule, very
eager for news, and sometimes in the fierce
ness of their professional rivalry are driv-
en- to odd eXpedients, respect the sacred
ness of the trust which the president re-
poses in the men about him.
While Secretary Porter is the only White
House employee who has access to the
presidents room at all hours, other en-
ployees find it necessary to see the presi-
dent at various times during the day, and
in the nature of things it is impossible to
keep from them information as to what is
going on. Then there is the correspond
ence Its volume is too great to be disposed
of by the secretary alone. He must have
assistance in reading letters and in prepar-
ing replies to them. This means that AS
sistant Secretary Pruden, Executive Clerk
Cortelyou, Telegraph Operator and Ste
nographer Montgomery and various other
clerks and employees must every day be
more or less familiar with what is going on.
A Private Telegraph Office.
1t may not be generally known that the
president of the United States has tele-
graph office of his own. In a small room
at the northeast corner of the building,
second story, sits Operator Montgomery.
By means of an arrangement with the tele-
graph company he is enabled to send and
receive messages direct from his table to
all parts of the United States. Scarcely an
hour passes in the day that important tele-
grams do not pass one way or the other
over this wire. Messages are sent concern
ing foreign appointments of the highest
Importance, as, for instance, the mission
to Spain. Last month Operator Montgom-
cry handled at least score of messages
about this one office, any one of which
would have made interesting reading could
it have been given to the public. Tele-
grams are sent to influential men concern
ing leading appointments, and more than
one administration tangle is Strengthened
out by means of the presidents wire.
kilograms are frequently sent to the cap
itol or to the departments. Senators are
always calling up the White House, either
by wire or telephone, to know when GER
tain nominations in which they are inter
ested are to be sent to the senate. Opera
tor Montgomery has charge of the tele-
phone as well as the telegraph, and it is
safe to say that the amount of confidential
information which comes to his busy ears
and industrious brain amounts almost to
an inside history of the administration day
by day. Yet never word of all this leaks
out from him. One might as well attempt
conversation with the sphinx of Egypt as
with this punctilious operator.
Men Who Keep "Mum."
Charles Loeffler, the presidents door
keeper, is another White House employee
who is in possession of vast number of
sit at the door of the cabinet room, through
which important visitors are admitted by
appointment. In hot weather this door is
either left open or is covered only by a
screen, that there may be free circulation
of air. The result is that as Mr.. Loef1e1
sits at his post he is compelled to overheal
more or less of the conversation within.
1t frequently happens that the president
x,icitnrc fol in 1nrl6 Snioa and tho maj
at the door is so near that practically all
they say is perfectly audible to him. But
| that makes no difference. Mr.. Loeffier has
been hearing this sort Of talk for 20 or %
! years. 1t is an old story to him. 1t all
| goes in one ear and out the other.
| These White House employees have been
there, most of them, for many years They
serve through administration after admin
istration. Pruden, Crook, Montgomery
and others have been there since the days
of Lincoln and Grant. They are among
the most trusty men to be found in the
whole government service. But what g
book any one of them could write if he
were to sit down and rummage among his
recollections of famous men and scenes!
Porter's Tact.
! I have often been asked the question
who has the most influence with President
Mckinley. That is a hard conundrum tt
answer, but if were going to make ar
effort in that direction 1 should certainly
place Secretary Porter before all others
Porter has influence with the president
chiefly because he does not try to have any
He is thorough believer in keeping hi
place. He does not intrude his opinions
If he did, perhaps they would not be 81
we'll received. But Mr.. Porter is mar
of ability and Judgment. He knows hu
man nature. Having been newspape
writer he knows how to size things VI
quickly. The president long ago recog
nized Mr.. Porter's good qualities, and b.
leans on his secretary more than any pres
ident in recent years has leaned on tn
man occupying similar position, unles
we except Mr.. Cleveland's relations to Dal
Lamont during the first Cleveland term.
Mr.. Porter has a tremendous advantag
in that he is always by the president. Mr.
Mckinley is not man Of moods. He i
nearly always the same-yesterday toda.
and tomorrow-but there is some triflin.
variation, and no one knows so we'll wha
to say and when to say it and when t.
keep still as Mr.. Porter. If he has any
thing he wishes to offer, he waits till tn
moment is propitious. Others, even cabi
net officers, are generally compelled t.
speak when they get the chance, be tn
moment a fay orable one or unfayorable