Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-27

letter beside 1t IL from a widow asking
| Mckinley to give her something out
of his plenty. The requests of sin
! gle mornings mail often amount Tn
more than $1,000. and the clerk tells
me that such petitions have footed up
as much as $1,000 day. President Nc
hinley Is generous man, but he has
his own ways of giving. He cannot
allow his soul to be narrowed up by
such requests, and letters of this kind
are never shown to him. They are all
answered however, and it takes
quite few pt nnies to pay the postage.
II is only the official mail that goes
free. Upon his personal mail the
president pays for the postage stamps.
HOW PRESIDENT M'KINLnY
WATCHES THE UNITED STATES.
In another part of this big counting
room the White House newspapers are
papers taken here every day. These are
clipped. There are several hundred
carefully scanned and all matter relat-
ing to the administration is cut out for
inc 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 hear the
criticisms of his administration He
watches the newspapers closely to
learn what the people wish and he
Keeps his fingers on the pulse of the
N"uhtiS y iit lIitTNleNS the men VINO
can upon him in order that he may
Keep abreast with public sentiment.
ana he Is, in fact, closer to all the peu-
pie than any President we have had
FOR years. Many persons can't see how
President 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 a little
room In the northeastern corner of the
Executive Mansion.
THE WHITE HOUSE TELEG RAPH
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 instrument and we see one
of the Presidents most confidential
clerks with his hand on the key. The
operator is Mr.. b. f. Montgomery, who
has for years been in charge of this
department of the White House. He
has instruments here which connect
MIN with the chief telegraph lines
of the country and that Geographic
switch board upon the wall controls
the avenues 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 moments
notice. He has his own telegraph line
connecting him with. Congress and all
of the government departments. Sup
pose he wants to see a senator. The
electric wire calls the man up at the
Capitol and within few moments the
President has his answer. Now mes
sage Is sent to the state department
for the papers in certain case. Now
a pardon Is telegraphed to the attorney
general and now the treasury depart
ment gets its directions as to what
to do in "A special matter. This office
is a strictly private one. Much of the
matter which goes over the wires from
here is confidential. Orders are sent
out which will affect the state of the
stock market, and a dishonest clerk
could easily make fortune by n use
of the news, Many of the foreign gov
ernments would be glad to have adj
vance information of the mater sent
over these wires, and the Spanish min
lister Just now would give pretty pen
NY for the teleCraphic conferences
which are held here on Cuba. 1t is
here also that the President gets al
most all of his news. He has import
ant items in advance of the newspa-
pers. The Press Association sends him
important news as soon as 1t 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 Clevc-
land gave all of his directions ut this
office. 1t was from here that he or
dered 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 tho
time of the Johnstown flood waiting
for the news az TO whether Secretary
Halford and his wife had escaped
that disaster. and here when Garfield
lay dying the muilled keys carried and
received the news from day to day.
WITH THE PRESIDENTS SECRE-
TARY.
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 Presi-
dent Mckinley, and IT keeps him NOV
ing 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 to attend to. He has
to arrange his social affairs and his
official meetings, and he is, in fact, the
business manager of the White House.
/ like Mr.. PORTER better than several
of his predecessors. Thurber man
aged this Office with the dignity of q
college professor. He looked like
saint, but he was as slippery as the
soaked bark of an elm tree. He prom
ises little and does great deal. Thur
Der was n great know-nothing. He
could never tell you whether Cleve-
land could do anything for you or
not. Porter can often tell you that Nc
Kiney will not obllge you, and he is
not afraid to say what he thinks
Thurber looked upon Cleveland as n
god. He bowed before him as craven
image, and one instinctively looked
at the secretary's knees to see II his
pantaloons We're not worn away by his
perpetual attitude before his master,
1t was different with Elijah Halford.
Halford kept Hurrlsnn's dignity. but he
never worshpped him. Halford was a
born diplomatist, and at the same time
n man of high character. Every one
liked Dan Lamont. He knew all the
politicians of the country, and he never
forgot n name or a face. Lamont had a
bushes view of things He knew
Cleveland thoroughly and was not
afraid of him. He had been a news
paper man, and so was Porter. Cleve-
land trusted Lamont. and | understand
that Mckinley trusts Porter, and In
some respects the two secretaries Gre
much alike.
THE sECRRARY's JOB.
don't covet Secretary Porters job
however. He gets $1,000 a year, but
he Is on the go from O'Clock in the
morning until ~ 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 II. He pushes secretary Porter
at the same time, and 1t is OFTEN after
midnight when the secretaiys work
is done. During our stay in the secre-