Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-02-27
:. y. TuMULTY, AS PRESIDENTS
PRIVATE SECRETARY, MUST
BE IMAM UNAFRAID."
MEETS PRESS OF WASHINGTON
Woodrow Wilson and All Others Pre-
dict He Win Make Good in Filling
Position Which Requires Infinite
Tact.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

present executive secretary, who has
been appointed as his future private
secretary, Joseph Patrick TumuIty,
has been in Washington as the guest
of the National Press club. There
was a 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.
II Mr.. Tumulty a remember the
names and the faces Of one-fifth OF
the public men and Washington CORE
spondents who greeted him here he
probably will prove qualified to a con-
siderable degree for the duties of the
Office which he will assume on the
first Tuesday of the first spring month.
It may be that at one time men were
g1ven to. the Understanding Of the
necessities In the case OF a presidents
private secretary. He ID more to q
president than any cabinet oflcer and
he q 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 administrators
than anything else to which mathe-
MATES lends itself for q figure OF
speech.
MT. Tumulty IL q keen-looktng Amer
lean Of Irish lineage. II ought not to
take him long to learn the names and
the faces OF the men who viii call
upon his chief. II he il 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
q private secretary to the president Of
the United States.
How He can MRe Good.
Everybody says that Mr.. Tumulty
10 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 a "dignihed humility in the
presence Of men who modestly think
themselves the great OF the land. The
member Of congress who has a bill for
the building Of a ~postof1ce in the
county seat is just as big a man in the
White House Is the senator whom
seniority, If 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 IN legislation may cost a
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 s
Co 60 u~nchaNenged by his chief. There
have been one or two secretaries who
declined ON any occasion to speak for
tho president. ~preferring to go to him
on every trivial matter. The preaident
has a lot 60 do and he cannot act ut all
times as chief executive and q pt.
vake secretary to himself.
MT. Wilson. It L. said. has a our
tatn-mOvtnG faith IN Mr.. Tumulty. II
he did not have it he probably would
not have made his present secretary
his future secretary. Mr.. Tumulty, If
he follows the example, or il allowed
TO follow the example, OF some Of his
predecessors in Office, will be or 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.
Forster Always There.
When Mr.. Tumulty arrives at the
White House to take office he viii find
that a system prevails, q system that
has stood the shock Of attempted in
reference by one or two private sec
retartes and which has stood satfsfac-
torily the test OF trial by more or less
Unfortunate members Of congress.
The chances are that no attempt viii
be made to upset the system.
For years there has been an assist
ant secretary in the White House, the
name Of whose Office recently has been
changed to that Of executive clerk.
Rudolph Forster holds this place
Some one has said Forster is the
White House." 1t Is certain that he
knows everything connected with the
Office routine and he knows every man
I'm the United States who, during the
last sixteen or eighteen years has
called on the president OF the United
,, States. Changes of administration
have not affected and probably wiz not
} affect Forster. II Mr.. Tumulty tries to
find out something ON his own account,
and can't, the smallest office boy can
give him the proper advice. When all
else fails, consult Mr.. Forster"
No one here seems to think fer g
moment that Mr.. Tumulty viii moi
measure up to his job. He looks as II
he would. It is perhaps, however, the
hardest job which these United States
p ~ - Fl -