The New York herald., 1876-10-24
The Next Cabinet.

The President of the United States ls an
officer with great but limited powers. He
is, necessarily the head of a political party
as we'll as the Chief Magistrate of the coun-
try, and in both capacities his powers are
limited-in the last by the constitution and
in the first named by his obligations to the
party which elects him. He stands COM
mitted to the published and clearly asserted
policy of the party which chooses him. His
obligations in this regard were so clearly
stated the other day by Senator Conkling
that we cannot do better than repeat here
his words:-
Few are base and presumptuous enough to ac-
cept party or public trusts in representative systsm m,
and then pretext OF independence superiority 10
defeat the purpose and convection OF the constituency
which delegated power 10 them. There have been
such men, and party treason has been applauded for
moment but contempt and disgrace Tor all time waits
on the betrayer OF every trust which rests IN honor
and the PLAIN understanding OF That each OF the
candidates for the Presidency VIII maintain and illus
trate the policy spirit OF his party Is certain
good faith in man.
This is so true that in practice it is always
expected that a newly elected President will
select his Cabinet entirely from the most
prominent leaders of his party. Mr.. Lin
coin chose his first Cabinet from among his
rivals for the nomination; and, while Presi-
dent is held entitled to make his selection
such as to harmonize with his own pub
lished and well known principles he is still
rightly required, as Mr.. Conkling says. to
keep within the party lines and to select the
most conspicuous of his party's leaders.
We say rightly required, because the ex-
ample of General Grant, who called mainly
his own personal favorites to his Cabinet,
had not such success as to lead any Presi-
dent hereafter to follow it, or to make the
public satisfied with it. Nor is this all.
The Senate exercises a power over the new
Presidents choice of his Cabinet. It may
refuse to confirm his nominations and it is
very apt to scrutinize closely those of a
President who represents the dominant party
in the Senate. In fact, the republican Sen
ate will give Mr.. Tilden far more liberty
of choice than it would give Mr.. Hayes, be-
cause jealousies and rivalries in the Senate
itself would make their influence felt in its
consideration of his nominees. It is not
probable, for instance, that Mr.. George
William Curtis would be confirmed to q
Senate; it is hardly probable that Mr.. Evarts
would get the favor or consent of the repub-
icans in that body.
But a Cabinet makes the policy of Presi-
dent. It's members are its constitutional
advisers; and on their character and their
political opinions and prejudices depends
very largely the policy of an administration
1t is important, then, to consider whom Mr.
Hayes or Mr.. Tilden would be likely to call
into the next Cabinet. The range of choice
is not SO large but that the list open to either
can be easily put down, and we give the pos
sible names in parallel columns below of the
Cabinet material of both candidates.
HAYES oABixxr GARNET.
Blaine, Thurman,
Morton, Bayard,
Brst6w c. +. Adams
Chandler, Belmont
Conkling, Trumbuli,
Evarts, D. A. Wells,
Judge Hoar, Randolph,
General Butler, Morrison,
Logan Hewitt,
Morgan Gaston
Sherman, Payne
Gurus Governor Palmer
Jewell. Hubbard (Connect:cup
And to represent the And to represent the
South South -
Spencer (Alabama). Gordon (Georgml,
Kellogg (l.ouisiana. /. q q Lamar
Chamberlain Is. Carolinal
Of the gentlemen in this list from whom
Mr.. Hayes will, if elected, select Cabi-
net it is pretty certain that Mr.. Curtis
would not be confirmed by the SEN
ate. Probably Judge Hoar and Mr.. Evarts
would be confirmed with difficulty, if at all.
Nessrs. Blaine, Morton, Conkling and Bris-
tow, with one of the three Southern men on
the list, would be the prominent members;
for the other two places, Senator Logan,
Secretary Chandler and Senator Sherman
would be the most conspicuous candidates;
or, if the personal hostility of Blaine to
Conkling and Brstow and of Conkling to
Blaine and Bristow would make them in
compatible or impossible members of one
Cabinet, then there remain for selection
Messrs. Chandler, Logan, Sherman. Morgan
and Jewell, with one Of the rst named.
OF the gentlemen in the list from whom
Mr.. Tilden will, if elected, select b Cabinet
it is needless to say that there would be no
question of confirmation. A democratic
President would not find a republican Sen
ate opposing his nominations, except in
very extreme cases. Either Mr.. Adams,
Senator Baynrd or Senator Thurman would
make an excellent Secretary of State the
Treasury would be safe for sound currency
in the hands of either Mr. Belmont, Mr.
Wells, or Mr.. Hewitt; Governor Palmer n
brave and loyal soldier, would satisfy every
body at the head of the War Department
and from the rest of the list it would be
easy to pick out the remainder Of the Cabi-
net, including one representative of the
Southern States.
The Tilden list shows further that it is
easier for Mr.. Tilden to pick out Cabinet
favorable to reform Of the civil service
than for Mr.. Hayes. Indeed, with two or
three exceptions-and oil those gentlemen