The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-08
WHITE HOUSE.
COnfidentialEmplOyeSWhO
Can Be Trusted.
How Important Information
Has TO. Be Preserved.
characteristics of Secretary Porter.
Safe and SagaciOus.

Sale and Sagacl0uS.
WASHINGTON, July s Especial THE
secrets of the White House arc we'll guard
ed. Ii improves ones faith in human ma
ture 20 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 arc never known TO breathe
even the slightest hint of the information
which comes To them. / can testify that
not one of the newspaper correspondents
of Washington ever thinks Of approaching
White House employee other than the
secretary 10 the president for news con
corning White House policies or actions.
These men arc looked upon as confidential
employees. Their trust Is sacred one.
1t would be disgraocful for them To botray
IL, and oven the newspaper correspond
ents, who are, as n rule, pretty eager Tor
news, and sometimes In the flerCenoss OF
their professional rivalry are driven to odd
cxpcdients, respect the sacredness OF the
trust which tho president reposcs in the
men about him.
While Secretary Porter is tho only White
House employed who has access 10 the
presidents room at oil hours, other en-
ployccs find it necessary 10 see the presi
dent at various times during the day, and
in the nature Of things IL Is impossible to
keep from them information as TO what Is
going on. Then there is the correspond
ence. It's volume Is too great To be dis
posed of by the secretary alone. He must
have assistance In reading letters and in
preparing replies To them. This means
that Assistant Secretary Pruden, Execu-
tive Clerk Cortelyou, Telegraph Operator
and StenogrGpher Montgomery and yari-
GUS other clerks and employees must every
day be more or less familiar with what Is
going on.
A Privnto Telegraph Onioe.
It may not be generally known that the
president Of tho United States has tele-
graph Office of bis own. In small room
at tho northeast corner of tho Hiding,
second stay, sits Operator )nery.
BY means OF an errangemcl th tho
telegraph 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
kilograms do not pnss one way or the other
over this wire. Messages arc sent concern
ing foreign appointments Of the highest
importance, as, for instance, the mission
to Spain. Last month Operator Mont
gomery handled at lonst q score Of mes
sages about this one office, any one OF
which would have made interesting read
ing could IL have been given To the public.
Tclegrams are sent to influential men con-
cerning leading appointments, and more
than one administration taDgle is straight
ened out by means Of the presidents wire.
kilograms arc frequently sent TO tho
capitol or TO the departments. Senators
arc always calling up the White House,
either by wiro or telephone, TO know when
certain nominations In which thoy are in
terested are TO be sent To the senate. Oper-
ator Montgomery has charge of the tele-
phone ms well as the telegraph, and 1t Is
safe to say that tho 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 rs we'll attempt
conversation with tho sphinx of Egypt as
with this runctilious operator.
Men Who Keep "Mum."
Charles Loetilor. tho presidents door
keeper, is another White House employee
who Is in possession OF vast number OF
secrets Of state. Mr.. Loofiler's duty Is to
sit at the door Of the cabinet room, through
which important visitors arc admitted by
appointment. In hot weather this door Is
either left open or is covered only by
screen, that thcro may be free circulation
of air. Tho result ~ that as Mr.. Loefller
sits at his post he Is compelled Tn overhear
more or less Of tho conversation within.
IL frequently happens that the presidents
visitors Talk in loud voice, and the man
at the door is so near that practically all
they say is perfectly audible TO him. But
that makes no difference Mr.. Loefller has
been hearing this sort Of talk for 30 or 20
years. It Is an old story TO him. 1t all
goes In one cnr and out the other.
These White House employees have been
there, most of them, for many years. They
serve through administration after admin
istraton. prudon, Crook, Montgomery
and others have been there since the days
of Lincoln and Grant. They arc among
the most trusty men 20 be found in the
whole government service. But what
book any ono OF them could write II he
were 60 sit down and rummage among his
recolloctions of famous men and scenesl
Porter's Tact.
Il
has the most influence with President Nc
Kinlcy. That Is hard conundrum 10 an
swer, but If were going 10 make an effort
In that direction should certainly place
Secretary Porter before all others. Porter
has influence with the president chiefly be-
cause he does not try 10 have any. He Is
n thorough believer In keeping his place
He does not intrudc bis opinions. IL he
did, perhaps they would not bc so well re-
cciyed. Eut Mr.. Porter Is man of abil-
ity and Judgment. Ho knows human ma
turc. Having been newspaper writer, he
knows how TO size things up quickly.
The president long ago recognized Mr.
Porters good qualities and ho leans on
his secretary more than any president In
recent years has leaned on the man occupy
ING u similar position, unless we except
Mir Clcyoland's relations to Dan Lamont
during the first Cleveland term.