The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-02
Now Position of High Honor

'FreSident TaftS selection or (. u. Hiles for the position of secretary to the President, recalls some of the prom inent men who have held that office,' said former resident of Washington.
 q was quite familiar with the White House routine as far back as President Hayes day, and when l first remember the Presidents private secretary, now styled secretary to the President, at tained little or no prominence. In fact. he was merely a confidential clerk, and the man who filled the position was about like the first rate modern stenographer. The salary was $3250. and few persons outside of the official life of Washing ton knew so much as the name of the private secretary.
 Tt was in President Cleveland's first administration that the private secretary loomed up as a parsonage. The late Dan Lamont, who had been private secretary to Mir Cleveland as governor of New York, had been managing editor of the Albany Argus. He was an uncommonly bright man. was familiar not only with New York state politics, but with na- tional politics as well, and he possessed all the fnesse which would be expected of a trained diplomatist. MT Clevela ad naturally took him to Washington, and Lamont had not filled the position as private secretary long when he was reclsoned with by the big politicians. He soon had won a national reputation. He was the first private secretary to be placed on a par. to all intent and pur- poses, with cabinet officers. He was in- vitad to all the state dinners, such thing being unheard of before his time.
 During President Harrison's adminis- tration the salary of the private secre- tary remained the same that it had been for years, but in Cleyeland's second term the title was changed from pri- vate secretary to that of secretary to the President. and the salary was ad- vanced to s5000. Henry T. Thurber, q prominent lawyer of Detroit, held the po- sition throughout the four years. The higher rank of the Presidents secretary having been thoroughly established, in- cumbents during the succeeding admin istrations have. been conspicuous figures. Cortelyou, who was President McKin- IeyS secretary, was dS Hiucu III tHc spotlight as Lamont had been
 ''The secretary's salary has recently | been raised to s10.000. MT. Hilles who | is to succeed Secretary Norton, is a; present assistant secretary of the treas ury. The increasing dignity attaching to the White House secretariat comes log 1 ically from the growth of this great republic. There was always a certain amount of etiquette observed in conne,-
 ton with the executive office,. but un' | til recent years the clerical force was small, and there were no military at | taches. During Grants eight years 1T | the White House no army or navy off cer was detailed for service there. MT | Cleveland, democrat, not only in name
 but in principle, was the first President | to have military aides. The' President l office becomes busier place every year and the executive clerical department #
 double that of few years ago. Sev' eral military and naval officers are as l signed to duty at the White House, ant 1 instead of the so-called Jeffersonian sim plicity the President is having something
 like the entourage that crowned head. | have. Nobody but the demagogue make
 howl about these changes and thes
 modern frills, so to speak. Such change!
 are of too little importance to be SC
 riously considered or opposed by an in
 telligent public