The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-15
LIKE JOB, THEY MEEKLY WAIT.
OFFICE SEEKERS HAUNT THE
WHITE HOUSE CORRIDORS.

when Ihey F1nu themselves Una
bIe to See the PresIdent-Their
sDringtime Clothes Have Taken on
IL winter FrnzzIc-The Southern
Republican Is Not to the Presi-
dents Liking-He Considers Them
spoiIsmen, and Is Not Hopeful of
Much Republican Organization in
the south.
Washington, Oct. 14-Disappointed Of
fce-seekers continue to hover around the
white house, pleading for an interview
with the President, and hoping that he
may out of the fullness of his generous
nature, give them a taste of the prosper
itv." Secretary Gage talks of so fluentlv
The crowd one meets at the executive man
sion these delightful October days has in
it many faces familiar to those, who
have duties requiring them to be close to
the President. For nearly eight months
these place hunters have fingered in
Washington, living on short rations and
a diminishing wardrobe. In the early
days Of the administration they were
cheerful and hopeful. They We're graft
fed when they went to the white house,
10 find the door to the Presidents office
open to them, and when they reached the
President he gave them a cordial grasp
Of the hand, and in an assuring tone of
voice asked for little time to consider
their respective claims. Such friendly
tire Lment sent their expectation bound
ing up to the point where they could al
most fancy they were already on Uncle
Sans pay roll.
The scenes at the executive mansion are
constantly changing but the principal
actors play the same old roles, day in and
day out. In the early springtime when
the trees on the lawn in front of the white
house were budding, and the flower beds
were being decked with spring and sum-
mer blossoms the place hunter bounded
up the stairway leading to the Presidents
office with an elasticity of step that was
boylsh in its buoyancy. His face was
clean shaven-many of the Office seekers
hoped to impress the President favorably
by wearing Mckinley face-his clothes
were new and his linen fresh. Sometimes
he wore single glove on his left hand
ana ne had pleasant word of greeting for
The doorkeepers, and the colored messen-
gers. Now things are different II is
very dlfhcult to get an audience with the
President The chronic Office seeker has
been spotted by the employees and they
are informed that the president is en-
gagged with a member of the cabinet. or
some other officer of the administration
and will not be able to see casual callers
to-day. In the next breath the messen-
ger ushers Senator or Represen-
tatlVe ---, or some other favored per
son into the Presidents office. The de-
spondent and now desperate ofice-seeker
Is tod that he may take seat in the cor
ridor and await chances of seeing the exec
utiVe
The office seeker is no longer a subject
Tor merry jest by those, who have to
witness his WEAKNESS and discomnture
MS clothes are growing seedy his eyes
are hollow, his frame once round and well
led, seems in a state of shrinkage and his
voice has lost the tone of confidence it had
When he related to every casual listener
now much he did in the last campaign to
elect Mckinley - DAYS weeks and
months have rolled by and he has follow
ed closely the list of appointments promul-
gated by the President. Names have an
peared in the list of prize winners which
ought not, in his judgment to be there
but his hope for personal recognition is
still strong and unfaltering JJp to date
thefe Is put little left in the way of patron
age for the President to distribute and if
is the realization of that erewsorna foot
mat sends a wave of bitter personal re-
sentiment sweeping over party loyalty ana
arouses desire to say disagreeabe things
ABOUT the President and his political lieu
tenants.
the
ing winds come rearing around the street
CORNERS, announcing the approaching
SNOWFALL season, the impecunious petition
er Tor federal patronage makes q final
endeaVor to see the President before start
ing for home. 1t is when he Is denied a
farewell interview that he proceeds to
lombard the executive office with long
communication, setting forth his services
rendered to the party in the last and pre-
Nous campaigns, recalling alleged prom
ises made by Senator Mark Hanna, and
other gentlemen directly interested in the
Mckinley cause. According to the rou-
tine at the white house, such letters never
, reach the President, because they go to
the private secretary, who opens and reads
them, and finding them merely personal
grievances, consigns them to the waste
basket
There are various types of office seekers
and while they excite the most profound
sympathy they also form one of the most
interesting features of a visit to the white
house. The fellows who has a real strong
pull on the administration goes to the
white house hanked on both sides by the
two senators from his state, or some other
political star, who has the entree to the
sacred precincts. He brushes past door
Keepers, ushers and messengers with the
air of veteran senator. He does not
have to cool his heels in the ante-room
for several hours while the favored few
the Influence" and does not have TO say
thank You to any one
Here comes a man wins tries to create
the impression that the President is eager
to see him. He dashes up the steps with
an air of confidence, pulls out his card and
hands it to the veteran doorkeeper, who
has been blufffng office seekers at the
Presidents front door for more than a
quarter of a century. The doorkeeper
takes the card, looks at. it, then shuffles
1t up with number of other cards in his
hand. With a strong German dialect the
doorkeeper informs the impressive caller
that the President is at that moment en-
gagged with a cabinet officer and may not
be able to see any other visitors that day.
Then the impressive man becomes veXed |
and he talks loud enough for every body
IN the ante-room to hear him. He declares
That he is a personal friend of the Presi- |
dent and if the latter once sees his card |
the doors will be thrown open to him.
v his kind of talk the veteran doorkeepcr
mas heard many times before and it does
not make the slightest impression upon