The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-04

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One of Gotham's Pecularities-MoK
Icy as an Outdoor Speaker-Cheers For
Gar Reed.
WASHINGTON. May 3.-[Spccial. John
Addison Porter, President McKinlcy's SEQ
rotary, has an ambition, and the chances
arc it will some dry be gratiflcd 1t is to
be governor of Connecticut Mr. Porter,
1t should be remembered, is great poll
tician himself. If any of the office seekers
who infest the White House imagine Mr..
Porter Is tcndcrfoot who can be fooled
with any of tho little tricks of politics they
will mako great mistake. He has been
there himself. AT an ngo younger than
that of any man who ever held the office of
governor OF Connecticut Mr.. Porter set
out to get the nomination for the chief
magistracy of his state He was warned
that Inc would not get enough, votes to save
himself from ridicule, but no made very
good showing. The next time he tried it,
with all tho old political organizations
against him, he came within an ace of sue
ceeding. A change of very few votes
would have given him tho prize.
Porters Ambition.
Secretary Porter in all probability will
decline to DO II candidate for the governor
ship rs long rs he remains President Mo
kinley's right hand man. 1t would scarce
be secmly for him to go out us an Office
hunter whilo standing so near the prcsi-
dent. But tho Republicans of Connecti-
cut, who are just beginning to learn what
good and strong man they have among
them In the person of Mr.. Porter, keep
saying that they are going to have him for
governor now whether he wants it or not
They aver they will nominate him by &c
clanntion and tako him away from tho
White House. If they do, they will not
please the president very much, for hc
likes Porter immensely, and scarcely
Knows how he could get along without
him.
Mr.. Porter h;rs the hardest job in Amer.
lca Tho presidents task is easy compared
10 that OF his secretary, for the presidents
can relieve himself of trouble and imror-
tunity whenever no wishes to do so by
simply giving an order To have the doors
closed. Poor Porter has TO stay and take
it rs it comes, and it usually comes in
largo and unpalatablo doses. Flo must
never lose his temper. Hc must be q mon
ument OF patience. He must smilo when
he wants to curse. Ho must invent ex-
ouscs and offer explanations to men who do
not deserve either when every fiber of his
body tinglcs with u desire to say what he
thinks and have q row. Now and then Mr..
Porter does hit out from tho shoulder ut
some oycrimportunate office seeker, somo
fellow perhaps who insists that tho prcsi-
dent shall be interrupted while holding
conference with member of the cabinet
in order to give him chance The gall of
somo Of these chaps Is IN amazing thing
and tho wonder is that Mr.. Porter does not
moro often sit down upon them 1t has
taken some of the habitues of tho White
House long time to learn that when Mr..
Porter says mo" he means it.
Distantly Related.
President McKinley's secretary and
buffer" is fighter from the word go,
and it is exceedingly difficult for him now
and thon to restrain his temper. He comes
OF lighting stock. A Connecticut man Was
telling me tho other day that Secretary
Porter is related to the Grants, to Grover
Cleveland and to Israel Putnam, he who
was too much for tho wolf. If all this re-
lationship does not Indicate fighting blood.
l am at Il loss to suggest what does. When
MIR. Porter first came to Washington and
met MIR. Cleveland, no said to him:
" Mr. President believe you and be-
long to the same family
Yes, +" replied Mr.. Cleveland, 81 know
all about that l was reading it tho other
V.
You and are kin, suro enough In one
branch we both go back to old Israel Put
nam"
Speaker Reed is well pleased with his
visit to New York for tho Grant cere
monies. He was at first reluctant to go.
Ho did not like to bo outshone by the pres
ident of the United States But he finally
resigned himself to his fate and made the
journey. Now he Is glad no did, for hc
was everywhere we'll received OF course
nc dld not attract as much attention as
the president, or elicit as much applause,
but he was easily tho second man in the
city during those memorial exercises, and
that is saying n good deal, for it was q
wonderful asscmblngo of notables. Wher.
ever Mr. Reed went no was at once rccou-
nizcd and chccred. When no made his an
pcarancc on the grand stand in front of tn
Grant tomb, tho cheers were almost as en-
thusiastic rs thosowhich had greeted Pres
idcnt Mckinley.
Where Fame Is "a Vapor.
New York is queer town. There or
regions in tho metropolis in which tho non
ulation cares nothing for president or n
speaker, or any ono else in the wide world.
L doubt If the coming of Queen Victoria or
tho emperor of China would cause lnnnv
of them to turn their heads. Ono of these
regions lies between Fifth avenue and the
Hudson river. President NlcKinloy and
his party drove through it after reviewing
tho naval parade. They were not recog-
nizcd by many people. Only now and
then was any attention paid them. Prob.
ably tho president would not have been
recognized at all had it NOT bocn for tho