The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-28
mail the President pays for the postage

| and all matter relating to the admnistra-
| ton is cut out for the Presidents scrap
| book. The most important matters are laid
| aside and every editorial of note is sent
| in to the President He is not afraid to
| read the criticisms of his administration.
| He watches the newspapers closely to learn
what the people wish and he keeps his fin
| gers on the pulse of the country. He inter-
| views the men who call upon him in order
| that he may keep abreast with public sen-
| timent, and he is, in fact, closer to all the
| people than any President we have had for
| years. Many persons can't see how Presi-
| dent Mckinley can be so well posted and
| remain the most of the time in the White
| House. One secret of his knowledge is
| stored away in little room in the north
| eastern corner Of the executive mansion.
| WHITE HOUSE TELEGRAPH ROOM.
| This is the telegraph room. We can go
| out of the counting room into it. AS we
| enter we hear the click Of the telegraph in
| strument and we see one of the Presidents
| most confidential clerks with his hand on
| the key. The operator is Mr.. b. r. Mont
| gomery, who has for years been in charge
| of this department of the White House.
| He has instruments here which connect him
with the chief telegraph lines of the coun-
| try, and that Geographic switch board
upon the wall controls the avenue Of the
| news information of the world.
| 1t is here that the President has the
whole United States under his thumb. The
great telegraph companies will give him
private wire at a moments notice. He has
| his own telegraph line connecting him with
| Congress and all of the government de-
| partments. Suppose he wants to see a
senator. The electric wire calls the man
| up to the Capitol and within q few mo-
ments the President has his answer. Now
| eral, and now the Treasury Department
| for the papers in a certain case. Now
| pardon is telegraphed to the attorney gen.
| eraI and now the Treasury Department
| gets it's directions as to what to do in
| special matter. This office is a strictly
| private one. Much of the matter which
| goes over the wires from here is conf
| Dental. Orders are sent out which will af-
| feet the state of the stock market. and a
| dishonest clerk could easily make a fortune
| by use of the news. Many of the for
eign governments would be glad to have
| advance information of the matter sent
over these wires, and the Spanish minister
just now would give pretty penny for the
Geographic conferences which are held here
on Cuba. 1t is here also that the President
gets almost all of his news. He has i'm
portant items in advance of the news
papers. The Press Association sends him
| important news as soon as it comes, and if
there is trouble anywhere in the country
the telegraph companies offer him private
wires. At the time of the Chicago riot
President Cleveland gave all of his direc-
| tons at this Office. 1t was from here that
| he ordered General Miles to take charge,
| and from here President Mckinley can
| easily move the army. 1t was here that
| President Harrison sat all day at the time
of the Johnstown flood waiting for the
news as to whether Secretary Halford and
his wife had escaped that disaster, and here
when Garfield lay dying the muffied keys
| carried and received the news from day to
| day.
THE PRESIDENTS SECRETARY.
But let us cross the hall into the room of
the secretary of the President. Secretary
| Porter is one of the busiest men in the
| United States He is the buffer between
| the people and President Mckinley, and it
| keeps him moving to attend to his duties
| All the callers upon the President are fill
| tered through him. He has to- get the right
men in at the right time and keep all in
| good humor. He has the Presidents mail
affairs and his official meetings, and he is,
in fact, the business manager of the White
House. like Mr.. Porter better than sew
eral Of his predecessors. Thurber managed
this Office with the dignity of a college pro-
feSsor. He looked like a saint, but he was
as slippery as the soaked bark of an elm
tree. He promised much, bat did little.
Porter promises little and does great deal.
Thurber was a great know-nothing. He
could never tell you whether Cleveland
could do anything for you or not. Porter
can often tell you that Mckinley will not
oblige you, and he is not afraid to say what
he thinks. Thurber looked upon Cleveland
as a god. He bowed before him as to a
craven image, and one instinctively looked
at the secretarys knees to see if his panta-
looms were not worn away by his perpetual
attitude before his master. 1t was different
with Elijah Halford. Halford kept Harri-
sons dignity, but he never worshiped him.
Halford was born diplomatist, and at the
same time man of high character. Every
one liked Dan Lamont. He knew all the
politicians of the country, and he never for
got name or a face. Lamont had bust
ness view of things. He knew Cleveland
thoroughly and was not afraid of him. He
had been a newspaper man, and so was
HOFler. cleveland trusted Lamont, ana
understand that Mckinley trusts Porter,
and in some respects the two secretaries
are much alike.
1 don't covet Secretary Porter's job how
ever. He gets $1,000 year, but he is on
the go from o'clock in the morning until
IL o'clock at night. The President always
seems to be in good trim, but he is at his
strongest in the evening, and he pushes
things from s until H. He pushes Secre-
tary Porter at the same time, and it is often
after midnight when the secretarys work
| is done. During our stay in the secretary $
| room there are more than dozen senators
| and representatives present. Each one of
| them has an ak to grind, and wants Mr..
| Porter to turn the stone. There are several
women with letters of Introduction of the
| strongest character. They are told that the
President will see them later.
A MAIDEN WITH A MISSION.
There comes a young woman who wants
| a private audience with Mckinley. She is
dashing girl, dressed in black of fash
! ionable cut. She has a sailor hat upon her
| head, and she makes eyes at Mr.. Porter as
| she ta&ks. Her eyes are pretty, too, and
| her teeth are as white as pearls. Mr.. Por-
| ter smiles and asks for her business with
the President. She answers that 1t is very
| private and very important, and the score
tary tells her to go into the next room and
| wait there with the congressman and sem