The La Jara chronicle., 1910-07-29

life. or course commissions are for the most part
engraved but there and dates to be
filled in and these 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 after
commission while carrying with some visitor
at his elbow 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 one takes into consideration the fact
that hundreds of persons who have really legti
mate business with the White House either call
or write every day, it be at once that
the secretarys hands, time and mind well
filled There are certain orders of rank which
have to be respected. and in a democracy 1t is
pretty hard work to convince the ordinary cti
that any has the right of precedence
As far as precedent is concerned the presidents
audiences governed by the supposed impor
tance of the visitors official business. For in
stance, II senator is waiting to the pres-
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
tance and expresses a willingness that the sen
ator shall get to the president ahead of him.
A newspaper man with whom President Taft
has had frequently personal relations for some
years went to the White House morning and
told Mr.. Taft that he would like to him alone
for minute if 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 out into the
presidents main office, leaving the president be
hind him to write letter in secusion On entering
the presidents office the caller met a senator
who had been waiting for fifteen minutes. Tho
senator is jovial soul and with mock solemnty
of spirit he bowed low to the newspaper man
Would you mind going back to ask the presi
dent" said the senator. 'if now that he has com
peted his affairs of state with newspaper cor
respondent he will consent to 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 offense. 1t
is almost impossible for any human being except
one 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
ngton. So 1t occasionally happens that
second assistant secretary of the legation of the
king of the canniba 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 black looks which II they could be put
into words would be tantamount to a declaration
of against the United States.
The American officials in Washington life are
not above being piqued If Junior gets in ahead
of senior though troubles of this kind are con
fined far as Americans concerned almos'
wholly to social ofenses for senator's represen
tatives. supreme court Judges and the rest hav
finally made up their minds that at the Whit
House one must take his changes of precedence