The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-04-05
Press men REJOICE
CORRESPONDENTS FIND THE
WHITE HOUSE CONDITIONS
TO THEIR LIKING.
TUMULTY EASY OF APPROACH
Access to President Wilson Is Not Diff
fieult and His Appointments for the
!, Day Are Posted Where All May
See Them.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington-There has been such
Q complete change in the conditions in
and about the White House Offices
since the new administration came In
to power that the through-the-years
observers have difficulty in recogniz-
ing the place. II might be said that
seemingly the change is grateful to
nearly everybody except him who
seeks an Office. Newspaper CORE
spondents, and some others with
them, are worrying a little lest some
mishap shall come to set back the
clock and to restore affairs to the old
time system of procedure.
Much has been written about the
open door at the White House. AS
soon as the intimation came that the
door was to be open, a direct notice
came that 1t was to be closed to men
who wanted office. This means a real
open door. however, for nobody today
seemingly misses the Office seeker,
and does not feel particularly sorry
for him, because his pokesman, and
himself II he chooses, can get the ear
OF the president by way OF the cab
met officers, who are willing to listen
to pleas for office and to carry them to
the White House.
The White House doors are open
not only to Democrats but to Pro-
gressives and Republicans. There are
at the White House two doors. one
open all the time, while the other
: swings easily upon oiled hinges. The
open door leads into the Office OF Jo-
seph p. Tumulty, the easy-going and
yet forceful secretary of the president
The closed door hanging upon its we'll
creased hinges, is that which leads
from Mr.. Tumulty's Office into the
round room of Mr.. Wilson.
For the first time since McKinley's
possible today to go unannounced to
the desk Of the presidents private sec
rotary, and there to ask a question,
with certainty of getting ready an
ewer. When Mr.. Loeb was private
secretary one always got the ready an
swer to a question, for Loeb spoke on
many occasions for HIS chief. and II
he could not speak for him, the mega
tive answer was ready, but even in
Loeb's day the private secretary had
to be approached either by the card
route or by the way of previous ap
pointment.
Private secretaries to Presidents al
ways have held that they must abide
by precedent. When a president
smashes a precedent the private sec
rotary does not always follow suit
Mr.. Tumulty is very much like Mr..
Loeb in his perfect willingness to
speak for the president with seeming
certainty that he is to speak right
Mr.. Tumulty's advantage from the out
side viewpoint. and perhaps from the
inside one also, is that with easy &C.
cess to him he can move among the
numerous callers and get through with
ten men In less than ten minutes, and
do II to the satisfaction Of the ten.
Through four years certainly there
has always been great secrecy OBJ
served at the White House concerning
the appointments which the president
has made for the day. Mr.. Roosevelt
did not make any secret matter of his
appointments to see people, but even
In the colonels day the list of ap-
pointments was kept under a blotter
on the secretary's desk He showed
It or not, IS he saw IT. Today three
lists Of the names of visitors are pre-.
pared, with the hour set for the call.
ing of each. One list is on the pres
fdents desk. another Is on the secre-
tary's desk and another is in an out.
side office, resting on a little easel.
life affair placed where all men may
see It.
k.ss Open Door Policy.
When President Wilson sent 10,
Deuator LaFollette to have a confer
49, with him upon legislative matters
= 4 was believed by many members OF
congress mat Mr.. Wilson would 'stop
at LaFollette" and would not confer
on legislative matters with any other
Progressive Republicans of the senate
or with any member of the Progressive
party In that body. Now 1t is under.
stood that before tariff legislation is
completed Mr.. Wilson intends to talk
over various matters of legislation
with Republicans and Progressives
tn both house and senate whose views
on certain policies are said to be
much like his own.
The open door policy at the White
House announced some time ago
takes on new significance with the
visits Of Progressives and Republic.
ans or. perhaps better to say. near.
Republicans. Mr., Wilson does not
know II probably but he is following
one Of the Roosevelt precedents. The