The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-12-23
Cabinet Officers.
The Presidents Who Have Retained Their
Predecessors Advisers.
re tica Herald1


President John Adams continued every
member of Washington's cabinet except the
Secretary of the Navy. He changed three OF
them in the last year of his administration,
and took a second Secretary of the Navy in
his second year President Jefferson, the op-
ponent OF Adams in so many respects, yet re-
tanned for year Mr.. Adams's Secretary of the
Treasury, his Secretary of the Navy and his
Postmaster General. Madison kept Jefferson's
Secretary of the Treasury .,hls Postmaster GEN.
eral, and his Attorney General. President
Monroe kept Mr.. Madison's Secretary of the
Navy and his Postmaster General and chose
for his Secretary of the Treasury VIM. H.
Crawford, who had been in Mr.. Madisons
cabinet as Secretary of War. When John
Quincy Adams came to the Presidency he also
took from his predecessor, the Secretary of the
Navy, the Postmaster General and the Attor-
ney General. Gen. JAG kson set new fashion
for himself, but Martin Van Buren, again con-
tlnued the Secretary OF State, the Secretary of
the Navy, the Postmaster General and the
Attorney General of that illustrious predeces-
sor in whose footsteps he was so ready to fol-
low -
Up to 1S4l therefore, with the single excep-
ton OF Gen. jackson, all our Presidents have
ers from among the preceding administrations
This rule has prevailed with more vigor with
regard to the Secretary of the Treasury and the
Postmaster General than in the case of any
other officer. John Adams found Oliver VOL
cott in the Treasury, and kept him there until
near the close of his own term, when he desig-
mated Samuel Dexter to that position, whom
President Jefferson employed in like capaci-
ty until Albert Gallatin was chosen in 1900.
PRESIDENT Madison was glad to rely upon the
Of lact p,oI q. s.xk<~ l.
own second administration. Mr. Monroe
chose his head of the Treasury from his pre-
decessor's cabinet, but changed his depart
ment. Mr.. Van Buren, left the Treasury in
the hands OF Levi Woodbury. whom Gen.
jackson had bequeathed to him.
Joseph Habersham, who was Postmaster
General under Washington after 1896, served
in that capacity during all of John Adams's
time and into Jefferson's administration. Then
in 1902 Gideon Granger came in and served
until 1914, when Return j. Meigs succeeded
until 1928, and John Mclean, appointed by
Monroe, kept right ON through John Quincy
Adams's term, giving way only when jackson
became President. Amos Kendallswas chosen
by jackson in 1885, after VIM T. Barry, and
went out in 1910. From 1876 to 1910 the nation
lad but six incumbents of the Office of Post
master General, an average service of nine
years. and in every case, except that OF jack
son, no President deemed it his duty to change
the Postmaster General on his accession
From 1863 TO 1910 the Secretaries of the
Treasury numbered seven, besides three per
sons who occupied the place for short period
under jackson. With these exceptions the
average service of the respective Secretaries
was SIX and one-twelfth years. John Adams
was content TO take Washington's Secretary
of the Treasury. Mr. Jefferson saw no reason
to assume that his predecessors advisers were
not to be relied upon. Mr.. Madison deemed
Mr.. Gallatin none the worse because OF his
success under Jefferson. Van Buren, made no
little part of his reputation by relying on the
sagacity and the financial ability of MIR. Wood.
bury, whom jackson had chosen for the Treas
ury.
Since 1910 all of these precedents have been
abandoned