The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-12
Like HUNGRY WOLVES.
Horde of Office Seekers at the
White House.

horde OF Othce Seekers at the
White House.
SECRETARY PORTER is BESIEGED.
Tho Great Crowd Enforces the Need Of a
Now White House-A Sadly Overworked
but Phenomcnaliy Patient President.
A New Elevator Wanted.
WASHINGTON, May 11.-[Special For
couple of months we have had such
great crowds of visitors at the White House
that demand has sprung up for new
executive mansion. The old house has
been found inadequate to the demands
made upon Its space Tho president Of the
United States is very popular man about
this timo. He has more than his share of
visitors. Every day his anterooms arc
crowded. Tho White House Is so con-
structed TINT there Is really no proper
place for tho accommodation of the horties
who call there on business. There is but
ono place for them to wait and that is a
sort of corridor running through tho house
from west to east. 1t really Is not room
mt all. 1t Is imporfectly lighted. In the
gloom OF this place, about Is feet by 80,
one may often see several hundred pcoplc
huddled together. There arc chairs only
for small pnrt of them. Hour after hour
they stand about men and women, young
and old, awaiting an audience. Too often
they wait till they are utterly worn out,
and then nre told that the hour for the
presidents luncheon has arrived and that
no moro visitors Gun be seen. 1t is not
the presidents fault, for no works from
early morn till late Mt night with all his
might. There are too many people, and
there is only ono president.
Pathetic Scenes.
Some of the scenes in this antcchnmbcr
arc pathetic enough. Every day you may
SEQ thcro men we'll advanced in years who
not long ago were on tho topmost crest of
prosperity. They were senator's or con-
grcssmcn or influential politicians. Then
they could get what they wanted by sim
ply asking for it. Now they arc out ut tho
heels. They bravcly try to hide ago and
poverty and dccrepitudo and despair. They
put OH bold front. Some of them look
ms If they were really hungry. But they
wear tho air of grand gentlemen. They
salute you rs If they had millions ut their
back. They laugh with forced laugh.
and smile with smile TINT is painful.
But they keep their eyes on tho door, and
II you look carefully you can SEQ wild,
despairing look in those eyes.
Here they are all mingled together. For
tho most part they sit in silence. Every
one knows his neighbours GRAND. Tt needs
no power of prosoionco to discover that cv-
cry last one of them is after an office Not
one perhaps all this assemblngc will sue
coed All these hopes arc to DO dashed TO
earth. 1t is really pitiful to watch tho
eager expressions upon their faces when
Secretary Porter makes his appearance mt
the door of his Office. In IN Instant they
are all up and mt him. They pouncc down
upon him like pack of hungry wolves
They extend cards to him by the score and
beg that he will get them an audience with
thc president. Tho patient secretary must
listen to dozen talking to him together
In tho end ho generally raises his arms as
If to ward them off, explains that the pres
ldcnt Is busy with senators or members Of
tho cabinet and makes his escape back
through tho door into his office. Then tho
crowd moves slowly and sorrowfully back
TO Its nesting plnces, some to give up and
resolve to como another day, others to whit
and wait and hope against hope
In the Anteroom,
Now and then u senator or representa-
tive appears Ho may walk strnjpht
through without hindrance. Tho door IL
opened ms he approaches, and others arc
told to step aside out of his way Lucky
inc senator or representative who is not
waylaid by one or more of tho hungry
dcnizons of tho anteroom. They beg to be
taken in, and some of them refuse to take
no for IN answer. There arc Office seekers
who como here day after dry and wait for
the appearance of n member of congress
with whom they arc acquainted and from
whom they may beg the favor of an escort
through the doors and into tho presence Of
tho great but sadly overworkcd and phc-
nomenally patient president
1t Is apparent that this is not q fit place
for tho reception of tho people There are no
accommodations of u character appropri-
ate to tho house of the president All these
people arc citizens of the United States.
They are here on honorable business They
deserve respect and fair treatment, even If
they arc Office seekers. The least Uncle
Sam could do for them would be to give
them II comfortable place in which to wait
and nurse their desperate hopes. There
Should be room enough for all and seats
and drink of water and plenitude of
1ou s FREQ air in tho anterOoms of the Drcsi-
dent of the United States.
The Ubiquitous Reporter
There should be enough room so that
inc crowd of waiting ones need not fall
over the tables ut which sit tho represent
atives Of the press. Perhaps yon do not
know that tho reporters arc always on
hand at tho White House From tho time
the office of Secretary Porter is opened in
tho morning till it is closed at night tho
press men keep their vigils. They are
there to record all that occurs. They want
TO know who sees tho president and what
about, and right ingenious and faithful
arc they in the discharge of their duties.
There Is no other place for them to work
than hero in the midst of all this hurly
Durly When the employees of tho oxocu-
tive mansion. the clerks and correspond