The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-08-20

life. OF course commissions are for the most par,
engraved. but there are names and dates IN b<
niied In and these are written deftlv and then
the pile OF parchment is laid on the desk before
the president, who frequently in seemingly au
tomato way signs his name to commission afts,
commission while carrying on with some vsitoi
at MS elbow conversation relating perhaps to
Intricate matters Of state.
The White House off1cials secretar,es ana
clerks have to concern themselves with all kindf
OF matters. Secretary Norton Is the REGIMENT
OF letters from people all over the United States
who write to the president upon the most trivial
affairs
When one takes into consideration the fact
that hundreds of persons who have really leeiti.
mate business with the White House either calf
or write every day, it can be seen at once that
the secretary's hands, time and mind are well
nlled There are certain orders of rank which
have to be respected and in a democracy II IL
pretty hard work to convince the ordinary citt.
zen that any man has the right of precedence
AS far as precedent is concerned the presidents
audiences are governed by the supposed impor
lance of the visitors Official business For in
stance, II a senator is waiting to see the prest
dent and cabinet officer happens to come IN
the member Of the presidents official family al
ways will see President Taft first unless he SAYS
specifically that his business is of little impor.
lance and expresses a willingness that the sen
newspaper man with whom President Tan
has had frequently personal relations for some
years went to the White House one morning and
told Mr.. Taft that he would like to see him alone
for minute II he could, and so the president
took him into side room and closed the door
They staid together talking for fifteen minutef
and then the newspaper went out into the
presidents main Office leaving the president he.
hind him to write letter in secusion On entering
the presidents office the caller met senator
who had been waiting for fifteen minutes The
senator Is 5ovial soul and with mock solemnitv
of spirit he bowed low to the newspaper man
Would you mind going back to ask the prest
dent" said the senator, IF now that he has com
pleted his affairs Of state with newspaper COR
respondent he will consent to see an humble
senator of the United States?"
The ambassadors and ministers representing
foreign countries In Washington are great stick
lers for precedence and every known means has
to be taken to prevent giving them offense II
is almost impossible for any human being except
one or two of the state department officials to
keep rigid track of the rank of the diplomats and
the attaches at all the foreign legations In Wash
ington. So it occasionally happens that some
second assistant secretary of the legation of the
king of the cannibal islands is allowed to get into
a room ahead Of the first assistant secretary Of
the legation of the king of ballyhoo and then
there are black looks which II they could be put
into words would be tantamount to declaration
of war against the United States
The American officials in Washington life ar.
not above being piqued il junior gets in abeaS
of senior. though troubles of this kind are con-
fined as far as Americans are concerned almost |
wholly to social ofenses. for senator's represen.
tatives. supreme court judges and the rest hava
finally made up their minds that at the Wbite
House one must take his changes Of precedence. J