The Lamar register., 1910-07-27

life. or course commissions are for the most part
engraved. but there are names and dates to be
hlled In and these are written deity and then
the pile OF parchment is laid the desk before
the president. who frequently in a seemingly au
tomato way signs his name commiss sion after
commission while carrying on with some visitor
at his elbow n conversation relating perhaps to
Intricate matters of state
The White House officials, secretaries and
clerks have to concern themselves with all kinds
OF matters. Secretary Norton Is the recipient
OF letters from people all over the United States
who write to the president upon the most trivial
AFFAIRS
When takes into consideration the fact
that hundreds OF persons who have really Iegiti-
mate business with the White House either call
or write every day. II be at once that
the secretafy's hands. time and mind are well
hlled There are certain orders of rank which
have to be respected. and in a democracy 1t is
pretty hard work to convince the ordinary citi-
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 the presi
dent and a cabinet officer happens to come in
the member of the presidents oficial family al
ways will see President Taft first unless he says
specifically that his business is OF little mpor
lance and expresses willingness that the
ator shall get to the president ahead of him
newspaper man with whom President Taft
has had frequently personal relations for some
years went 10 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 minutes
and then the newspaper man went out into the
presidents main ONCE. leaving the president be-
hind him to write a letter in seclusion. On entering
the presidents Office the caller met a senator
who had been waiting for fifteen minutes. The
senator is jovial soul and with mock solemnity
OF spirit he bowed low to the newspaper man.
WOnih ind tycrr hail
dent" said the senator. IF now that he has COM
pleted his affairs OF state with a newspaper cor.
respondent he will consent to see an humble
senator of the United states?"
The ambassadors and ministers representing
foreign countries in Washington great stick
lers for precedence and every known means has
to be taken to prevent giving them ofYense. 1t
is almost impossible for any human being except
one or two of the state department oficials, to
keep rigid track of the rank of the diplomats and
the attaches at all the foreign Legations in Wash
ington. So II occasionally happens that some
second assistant secretary of the legation of the
king OF the cannibal islands is allowed 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 a declaration
of war against the United States.
The American officials in Washington life are
not above being piqued II Junior gets in ahead
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 have
finally made up their minds that at the White
House one must take his changes of precedence.