The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-03-07
J. p. TUMuLTY, As PRESIDENTS
PRIVATE SECRETARY, MUST
BE IMAM UNAFRAlD."
MEETS PRESS OF WASHINGTON
Woodrow Wilson and All Others Pre-
diet He VIII Make Good In Filling
Position Which Requires infinite
Tact.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


been appointed as his future private
secretary. Joseph Patrick Tumulty.
has been In Washington as the guest
OF the National Press club. There
was large gathering of correspond
ents and Of others to meet the man
who, In a way. win be second in COM
mand at the White House after
March 4.
IL Mr.. Tumulty can remember the
names and the faces of one-ffth OF
the public men and Washington CORE
spondents who greeted him here he
probably will prove qualified to con-
siderable degree for the duties Of the
ONCE which he will assume on the
nrst Tuesday OF the,first spring month.
II may be that at one time men were
given to the Understanding of the
necessities In the case of presidents
private secretary. He is more to a
president than any cabinet oficer and
he can make or unmake friendships
for his chief faster than any man who
sits at the presidents round table. The
personal equation figures more largely
In the success of an administration
than anything else to which mathe-
matics lends itself for a figure of
speech.
Mr.. Tumulty is keen-looking Amer
loan of Irish lineage. 1t ought not to
take him long to learn the names and
the faces of the men who will call
upon his chief. II he is not as quick
In learning their foibles, their temper
aments, their crotchets, their strengths
and their weaknesses, he may be In
trouble before the administration is
three months old. Being all things to
all men Is seemingly an essential in
. private secretary to the president of
the United States.
How He Can Make Good.
Everybody says that Mr.. Tumulty
is, going to make good, and everybody
hopes so. He has had numerous pre-
decessors in office within the last ten
years. He will find that, like them, he
must accustom himself to what may
be called "dignifled humility in the
J presence of men who modestly think
themselves the great of the land The
member of congress who has bill for
the building of a postoffice In the
county seat is just as big man in the
White House as the senator whom
seniority, II not qualification, has
made the head OF the finance commit
tee. No member of either house has
more than one vote and the enmity
Of a congressman who has made no
big mark on legislation may cost
presidential aspirant the electoral vote
Of a state.
The secretary of the president Of
the United States must be the man
unafraid." There are scores of things
upon which he must speak for the
president, and he must always speak
with the certainty that his speech is
to go unchallenged by his chief. There
have been one or two secretaries who
declined on any occasion to speak for
the president, prsferring to go to him
On every trivial matter. The president
has lot to do and he cannot act at all
times as chief executive and as pri-
Yate secretary to himself.
Mr.. Wilson, 1t IN said, has a noun
tain-moving faith In Mr.. Tumulty. If
he did not have It he probably would
not have made his present secretary
his future secretary. Mr.. Tumulty, II
he follows the example, or is allowed
to follow the example, OF some of his
predecessors in office, will be on many
subjects great and small the mouth
piece of the administration. He must
keep his tongue from tripping. Sec
retaries have succeeded In doing this
through long years and the strain OF
precaution seemingly has not worn
away their health.
Feathers and the Tariff.
It is possible, even probable,
that the congress of the United
States may interpose its authority
to change utterly the fashion In
woman's hats. Does it seem that this
is trivial n ter to take up the atten-
ton Of the careful law makers Of the
land? The legislators apparently do
not think so. and good many of them
say that the agricultural interests and
all persons who love nature will rise
to call them blessed IL they enter
with legislative intent into the realm
of Dame Fashion.
II is possible that the ways and
means committee under the leadership
of Oscar w. Underwood will make
up its mind before N1arch Is to ask
congress to prohibit the importation
into this country of all feathers for
millinery purposes, except those OF
the ostrich. OF domestic fowls and OF
game birds. II the committee which
frames tarin legislation shall lake this
action 1t will mark the final step OF
success in a crusade which had its be
ginning in the parlors OF few Ameri
can homes about fifteen years ago
II is probable that for the present
congress win content itself with q
provision In the tariff laws which will
prohibit the Importation 'of the plum
age of American birds, or Of plumage
, indistinguishable from that OF Ameri
can birds. including aigrettes. crud,
, and manufactured"