The Washington times., 1913-11-02
WOMAN SUCCESS
AT S|F TING CALLERS
Mrs. Marian c. Martin, Private
/: Secretary to Underwood,
: Has Lots of Tact.

Joseph 2. Tumulty OF the legislative
branch of the Government-Mrs. Marian
9. Martin.
Mrs. Martin is the private secretary
to oscar w. Underwood, Democratic
floor leader of the House and maker
OF tariff bills. She has a job which
reouires the constant exercise of abili-
u. and tact and Dir. Underwood thinks
she is one of the most tacuul women
ne ever saw
The Secretary TO the President makes
a success or failure according to the
amount OF tact he displays. That ls'
he must separate the wheat from the
chaff in the daily stream Of callers; he
must placate the fellow who wants to
get in to see the chief, but who doesn
40 50; he must know what matters to
bring to the attention of the President.
and what to attend to himself; he must
be, in the final analysis, an ali-ruund
confidential man, reading human nature,
maintaining silence when Loaf attrl-
btite is necessary and saying the right
thing in the right place when there Is
something to be said:
The President of the United States
has scores of callers daily. So does the
majority leader OF the House OF Rep
resentatiyes, whose dominance was
never more clearly shown than in the
recent period of tariff revision 1t Is
probable that the private secretaries
TO the President and the present major
ity leader Of the House have as diff
cult jobs as may be FOUND IN lhe SoV-
erhment. service.
Reference Not Amiss. .-.
1t is not .arniss, therefore, to refer to
Mrs. Martit as the Joe Tumulty Of the
Capitol Building. If Mr.. Underwood had
peen elected President last year, Mrs
Martin would have gone TO the White
House force, in what capacity, OF
course, cannot be said-for 1t didn't
happen. :f.
However, that doesn't detract from
the force of the fact that Mrs. Marian
e Martin is today holding down one OF
the most exact:ng positions ON Capital
tiall She lis not only private secretary
10 the majority leader, but she stands
as a buffer between HIM and the lobby
lists, job hunters and other pestiferous
callers who would take up the time OF
Mr.. Underwood on his busiest days.
Get the ear of Mrs. Martin and you
get in to see the majority leader or
The House-if you have anything worth
while to say. If your mission Is a
trivial one. nobody will discover 1t
quicker that Mrs. Martin, and she won't
1prt your feelings at that.
9rity leader of the House is a naughty,
accessible person He is thoroughly
emocratic easy-gung and courteous
ZEN to those who would impose upon
S time. But the leader of she doml-
ant faction in the lower branch Of
~ngress is necessarily a busy man.
is daily appointments are many; the
amands upon his time are great and
kere must be somebody to relieve him
4 portion of office burdens. Mrs.
fnr <7IlS he rnla aNpsAnfahlv and
r woman IN politics" ds a success.
Crowds of Callers.
While tariff legislation was pending
.sere was seldom a moment that the
Sherwood ante-room was without its
s4iting visitors. Some of the callers
E%re heard by clerks of the Ways and
lssan. Committee; others, insistent up
i4 getting the ear of the chief tariff
xsker tinself first outlined their mis-
,s6a TO Mrs. Martin. who would emerge
lEm the inner sanctom softly closing
* door behind hes =
"a am MI. Jereni$h- Jones, represent
isg the United Putty Makers Associa-
-h-i. observes a nattlly atJired. jaunty
TziicldCal. I'd like a few minutes with
sF. Underwood. l want to tell him
% the putty men stand on this tariff
Atter.'
SIR jeremiah Jones in reality is a lob
tS,st; perhaps not an 'irsidjous" one.
.. nevertheless. a lobbyist There
rs coveys of them about the Capitol
~ RUNNER.
t.Mr. Underwood is tied up and. 1 am.
~ aid he will be until late this after
pCu.' parties Mrs. Martin. Have YOU
a. brief of your views?
k}Ir jeremiah Jones explains that he
kS carefully written out the argument
x the putty people but he'd really like
Y talk over matters with Mr.. Under
food. He is persuaded that perhaps he
fEi AXE better impression by filing
- argument which will go direct TO
~. Underwood, / assure you" than by
IN sperins his wees into the ears of
ne chairman Of the tariff-making com
altIee. He goes a awy satisfied and
Hrs. Martin goes back to her work.
Just Another Knock
Another knock is heard on the Under
wood door-three offices are available
FOR the use Of the majority leader, but
ne transacts most of his business in a
little room just outside the Speakers
lobby in the Capitol proper-and the
private secretary again arises TO the
fdeaston.
CONGRESSMAN Bimm stands without.
de mas a delegation of constituents who
want 10 shake hands with the House
leader. 1t means something TO Congress
-ps.n Binm and a great deal to the con-
sfifUeHts. Nlnety-nine times out of q
AAf-44Nsl Gu MI SIiltIh Will interrupt
ists dictation, or whatever he may hap
pSn TO be doing, will shake hands all
around, and his private secretary will
sod q smile of welcome to the occasion.
group of newspaper correspondents
appear breeZily at the threshold.
We would have converse with the
gentleman from Alabama spokesman
announces with mock solemnity. Our
CfGces demand TO know what will be tbs
tarIf duty on compressed air.
III see" says Mrs. Martin and a.
moment later she ushers in the news
writ ers who are met with cherry
what can ] do for you, gentlemen"
from the majority leader.
Multiply these incidents about two
-core times and one may gain an idea OF
he average busy day spent by Mr. Un- 7
derwood and his confidential secretary.
tTCbably more persons come to see Mr.
fsderwood than any other member of
iils legislative branch Of the Govern
BIent. The Speaker. naturally has many
callers, but the majority of them come
on personal missions and not TO INQUIRE
bout legislation.
"Czar" Times Gone.
Under the Democratic regime the
speaker has been the able presiding
officer Of the House, and not the dis
tator Of party policies as was Uncle
Joe" Cannon. The Speaker acts in an
advisory capacity in party councils, but
e has no desire to be a "czar' like his ,
predecessor. The brUnt of the leader |