The Irish standard., 1905-07-29
DANIEL LAMONT.

DANIEL LAMONT.
1t is doubtful whether the country
ever realized or ever will realize the
important influence which the late
Daniel Lamont had upon the affairs OF
this country. AS private secretary
under the first Cleveland administra-
ton and as Secretary of War under
the second administration he occu-
| pied a closer relation with Grover
| Cleveland than other men. AS his
private secretary he was an entirely
new kind. Eie WAS the Presidents
alter ego. He was not mere servant
or machine. He was rather the Presi-
| dents trusted and confidential ad-
| wiser.
When Cleveland became Presi-
dent the first time Lamont was far
more familiar with politics and public
men than was Cleveland. Mr.. Lamont
had been one of Samuel ]. Tilden's
most accomplished pupils, and after
| Tilden's retirement Lamont was closely
associated in New York politics with
that other great man, Daniel Man
ming. Daniel Lamont had native
talent for politics. He was easily &C.
cessible, talked freely and frankly
with those whom he met; was modest
and treated everyone with perfect fair
ness. He was an ideal private secre-
! tary. He changed the Office of private
secretary to the President from that
! of a mere clerical position to one of
the highest Importance, more import
ant than cabinet position. Mr.. La
mont was able by the manner in which
he served Cleveland in the first ad-
ministration to easily win a cabinet
! position in the second administration.
No other private secretary had ever
accomplished so much. Since that
time Mr.. Cortelyou has accomplished
the same result, from private secre.
tary to Mckinley and Roosevelt he,
too, has become cabinet officer. In
ability Lamont and COrtelyou were
very much the same, and both had a
faculty for political organization, but
Mr.. Lamont was far more easy of &C
cess than Cortelyou, and more popular
with those whose business brought
them in contact with the White House
1t was Lamont who recognized the
real worth of public men, and to him
is due a large amount Of the credit
which the Cleveland administrations
obtained through the appointment o1
able men as cabinet officers and repre-
sentatives of the country abroad. II
was he who in his quiet way took true
measure of the men who surrounded
Mr.. Cleveland in the first days of his
first administration, and saved hi:
chief from many blunder. The coun
try will probably never know what
part Lamont played in the various
campaigns in which Grover Cleveland
figured to such great advantage. La
mont never advertised himself. HI
was content to serve his chief and tt
remain in the background. Always
! modest, he, nevertheless, was one o
the most potent factors in our nationa
politics and certainly one of the mos
loyal friends any great man ever had
After the end of the second Cleve
land administration Lamont, through
: the influence of Cleveland and othe
. men whom he had become intimat
:, with, launched into business affairs o
I great magnitude. He became one O
: the directors of great railroad col
a poration and finally one of its officers
8 and was recognized in the bushes
!. world in much the same way that h
Q compelled recognition in the politica
: world. He was Democrat Of the oil
ia u