Mr. Maurice Low, writing in Tuesday's Morning Post, sketches the
rapid and romantic rise to power and influence of Messrs. Cortelyou and Taggart, the chairmen of the Republican and Democratic Committees respectively. Mr. Cortelyou began life as a teacher in a Massachusetts State Normal school ; he then studied music professionally for several years, but abandoned it to become a stenographer in the Government service ; was transferred from the Post Office to the White House, first as a shorthand clerk, rising gradually to be assistant, and finally full private, secretary to President McKinley. Invited to remain by his successor, Mr. Cortelyou has since been appointed Secretary to the new Department of Commerce and Labour ; and when the Chicago Convention nominated Mr. Roosevelt, he was, at the President's request, elected chairman of the National Committee. The peculiarity of Mr. Cortelyou's career is that he has never offered himself for election or re-election, but has always been promoted on his merits or asked to remain on.
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