The Irish standard., 1907-06-29
THE PRIVATE SECRETARY.

Sl9WH W DE one OF great lfnpOTldTC
Formerly private secretaries to execu-
tive officers We're mere clerks Of whom
nothing was required but faithful serv-
ice and the ability to keep condolences
Gradually the private secretary has
evolved from this s0te of servitude to
one where he is practically the alter
ego of his principal. In recent years
private secretaries to the president of
the United States have been very i'm
port individuals. possessing In many
cases more power than cabinet
officer In our own state of Mime
sofa private secretaries of our COVER
nors have heen most important indi-
viduals. We all remember Bixby,
Rosing and Jameson. Some Of us re-
member the secretaries and cannot re-
call the governors.
Bixby we know came from the south
ern part of the state to St. Paul and
within a few years was Tams Bixby
of Minnesota, the man who made gov
errors and who directed legislation at
Washington. Some people mentioned
him as candidate for governor, but
Bixby didn't want the office.
A few years ago q condition Of affairs
arose in this state that made it i'm
portant that the people should have
change from the rule of private secre-
taries to that of real governor and
they elected John Lind governor for
there was no way under the circum-
stances by which he could be made
private secretary Lind is big man,
but he forgot to abolish the private
secretary nuisance and selected his
next friend for that position. The
next friend selected was of a studious
nature. He studied up on the duties
of private secretary, having in mind
the illustrious example of Tams Blk
by. Rosing was not only studious hut
he had a great desire to serve faith
fully and to give the people all that
was coming to them. He not only
directed the drawing up Of commits
sions for notaries public and receipted
for the fees but necessarily was some
what interested in seeing that Gov
ernor Lind properly distributed the
offices. In connection with this office
of private secretary. the duties of
which are many and diversified. Mr..
Rosing was also chairman of the Dem
ocratic state committee. This latter
office was simply a side issue to the
private secretaryship.
When Mr.. Lind became tired of be-
ing governor and running for governor
it was natural that the man who held
this important office OF private secre-
tary should feel that he was we'll quail
flied to act as governor. Certainly any
one who is proper secretary ought to
fulfill the duties of governor but there
is a popularity about private secre-
taryship that ought to be noted. While
it is altogether the most important
office in the state. and therefore calls
for a man Of great and varied ability.
the means of getting to be private sec
rotary are different from those en-
p1oyed in attaining the governorship.
Rosing, who had no difficulty in be-
coming private secretary, failed miser-
ably in his attempt to become state
executive and the result was that
man comparatively unknown was
elected to the lowly office of governor
The latter didn't know much about the
business. but he was wise enough to
select an able private secretary He
selected a man who had been Judge Of
the district court: who had been chair
man Of the Republican committee;
who had been county attorney of the
most populous county in the state; a
we'll known and very able man.
When the term of this last private
secretary expired and with it. of course.
the governorship, there was elected as
Cllcl executive vi lulS state d man
who has gained national reputation.
This man has twice been elected gov
ernor of this great Republican state
on the Democratic ticket. His fame
has gone abroad and rightly so. He
has even attracted the attention of
Henry Watterson. from villa in
Italy, who runs one of the best news
papers in America. He has been
recognized for some time as doctor
OF politics in the best sense of that
term and has been recently recognized
by the second largest institution of
learning in the United States as a
doctor Of law. This is a remarkable
recognition. Governor Johnson would
no doubt freely admit that he has
never studied either politics or law.
And now comes the point we wish
to emphasize and that is, hat. not
withstanding that Minnesota has done