The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-08
The Cabinet.

lected by President Hayes as his constitution
al advisers was made yesterday. Some dsap-
pointment will be felt hereabout that Maine
is not represented in the Cabinet, as she was
quite likely to be. The President early
offered to Mr.. Hale the Naval portfolio, recog-
nizing that gentleman's peculiar fitness for
the place, from the fact that he has had for
many years the practical care of naval affairs
In the House, a1d is consequently thoroughly
familiar with everything pertaining to the
department. AS the House is to be the great
arena for the next four years, and as but few
oid members remain, it seemed best, on the
whole, that Mr.. Hale should retain his place
there as leader of the Republicans. So he
declined the place. The President, who has
strong personal attachment and respect fer
him, urged the matter strongly; but Mr.. Hale
felt constrained to persist in his refusal, and
recommended Mr.. Frye for the place. This
appointment, which would have been an ex-
cellent one, was vigorously pressed by the
entire Maine delegation, but in vain. So the
State loses its representation in the Cabinet,
but retains both its practiced and powerful
representatives in the House. Mr.. Frye
would have reflected great credit upon him.
self and his State in the Cabinet; but so he
will in the House,
Of the Cabinet, as made up, three members
only are well known-Messrs. Eyarts, Sher-
man and Schurz. For convenience of those
who may not be familiar with the new Minis
ters, we append brief sketch of each, so far
as information is now attainable.
William M. Evarts, who becomes the sue
cessor of Hamilton Fish, as Secretary of
State, is native of Boston and was born
February 6, 1918. His father was Jeremiah
EVarts, who was graduated at Yale College in
loO2, and was afterward well known as
writer, editor, teacher and lawyer. Mr..
Evarts graduated at Yale in the class of 1887,
subsequently entered the Harvard law school,
and was admitted to the bar in 1S41. As a
awyer he has achieved national reputation.
He was counsel for Andrew johnson in the
impeachment trial in 1868, for Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher in 1875, and for the Republi-
can party in the memorable contest before
the Electoral Commission. In 1857 Union
College conferred upon him the degree of
LID, and the same honor was paid him by
Yale in 1864 aud by Harvard in 1870. From
July Is, 1868, until the close OF the admins
tratlon OF Andrew johnson he held the Office
OF Attorney Gen eral, and in that most deli
cate and important question, involving the
peace and prosperity of England and Ameri-
ca, which was submitted to the Geneva Tri-
bunal he acted as counsel for the United
States. Mr.. Evarts has not figured very
largely In politics, but during the recent
campaign efficiently advocated the election of
the Republican candidates.
John Sherman, who is selected for the
Treasury. comes from distinguished Con-
necticut family, founded by Roundhead
refugee from Essex, England. His father,
who was lawyer, removed to Ohio in the
early part Of the present century, where he
became Judge Of the Supreme Court. He
had eleven children, two of whom, John and
William Tecumseh, have won national
fame. The incoming Secretary was born in
Lancaster, Ohio, May 10, 1928. He COM
menced his career as civil engineer, but
subsequently studied law, and was admitted
to the bar the day after he became of age.
In politics he started as Whig, and was a
member of the National Whig Conventions
of 1S4S and 1852, and in the latter year was
chosen presidential elector. In 1854 he ran
for Congress in the Thirteenth District of
Ohio, and was elected. He was again elected
to the Thirty-ffth and Thirty-slxth Congress-
es. He was the Republican candidate for
Speaker of the latter, and, after an unprece-
dented contest, wanted only one or two votes
to secure his election. During that Congress
he was chairman Of the Committee on Ways
and Means. In 1860 he was elected to the
Thirty-seventh Congress; but in 1861, on the
resignation of Senator Chase, he was elected
by the Ohio Legislature to the United States
Senate, and placed upon its most important
committee, that of finance. In 1864 he was
active in opposing the continuance of the
State banking, and in favor of national banks.
In the fortieth Congress he became chairman
OF the finance committee, and reported the
bill for the funding of the national debt, sup.
porting it speech of great ability. His career
In the 44th Congress sfresh in the minds of all.
Carl Schurz, whom President Hayes has Sc
lected for the conduct of the Interior De-
partment, is native of Germany and was
born near Cologne, March 2, 1929. He was
educated at the University of Bonn. At the
outbreak of the revolution of 1S4S he con-
Quoted liberal newspaper, and for his part
in an attempt to excite revolt at Bonn, had
to flee to Switzerland. He came to this
country in 1852 aud soon after took an active
part in the anti-slavery movement in the
Northwest. He was a member of the Re-
publican convention of 1860 and was active
in the support of Mr.. Lincoln in the cam
paign that followed. President Lincoln ap-
pointed him minister to Spain, an office
which he resigned in December 1861, to en-
ter the army. He took part in the battles of
the Second Bull Run, Charlottesville and
Gettysburg and retired at the close of the
war with the rank of major general In
1867 he became editor of the WeStiche Post,
a German newspaper published in st. Louis.
In 1869 he was elected United States Sena-
tor from Missouri. He left the Republi-
can party during the first administration of
President Grant, and was one of the fore
most organizers of the so called Liberal
party which nominated Horace Greeley in
1872, and presided over the Cincinnati Con.
vention. He returned to the Republican fold
in 1875 and took part in the political canvass
in Ohio in that year and during the recent
campaign labored for the election of Presi-
dent Hayes.
Geo. W. McCrary, who will have seat in
the cabinet as Secretary of War, is one of
the repres entative Republicans of the North
west, and his abilities have long made him
rank among the foremost men of the House
OF Representatives. He has served upon the
Judiciary Committee, and has the credit Of
having drafted the electoral bill. He is law.
yer by profession.
David NJ. Key, who is selected for Post
master General, was Andrew Johnson's sue.
cessor in the Senate, having beeu appointed BY
Gov. Porter of Tennessee in 1875 to fill the va.
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