St. Paul daily globe., 1888-08-19
BURIED BY POLITICS,
Men Once Of National Promi-
nenee Who Go to I'm
known Graves.
Of Grants Old Cabinet, But
One Man in Public
Life To-Day.
Cabinet Positions Not to Be
Desired by Men Of
Brains.
Those Who Accept Them Find
Those Who Accept Them Find
Obseurity Their Final
Reward.
Chicago Times.

Chicago Times.
met at the Fifth Avenus hotel the
other evening veteran politician in 6
reminiscent mood, and for an hour OF
more he chatted most interestingly OF
the ambitious men whose political ca
reers have been spoiled by the accept
ance of cabinet portfolios. "The man
of influence who has any designs on the
future always shows his sense by de.
clining cabinet appointment" said he
''for hard work, poor pay and political
grave are about the only rewards that
await him if he accepts. This has been
my observation for forty-five years, and
it holds good to-day. How many can
remember the men who composed the
war cabinet of President Lincoln?
Nearly all of them had the presidential
bee buzzing in their ears, but all of
them, with one or two exceptions, are
dead and almost forgotten. Chase, by
all odds the brainiest and bioadest man
in the cabinet, saw his presidential
hopes vanish when Lincoln, with his
usual Shrewdness, put MIN out of the
way by making him chief justice. Sew
ard
WON FAME
as secretary of state, but his presidential
proSpects-he was Lincoln'S chief op-
ponent in the convention of 1S60-were
killed the day he left the senate to ac-
cept that office. Stanton died thee
days after Grant made him justice of
the supreme court, worn with disease
and broken by disappointment. Speed,
whom Lincoln made attorney general
IN remembrance of early friendship,
but who never proved equal to the duties
OF the Office, became country lawyer
in Kentucky, and died, almost forgotten,
not long ago. Harlan, Lincoln's secre-
tary OF the interior, slid into obscurity
by way of the Alabama claims court, of
which he was the head until it's affairs
were wound UP couple of years ago.
The cabinet of Andy Jackson has Jared
even worse than that of Lincoln. Nc
Culioch, the secretary of the treasury,
was accidentally recalled to his old
position during the closing days of the
Arthur administration, but he is en-
phatlcally a back number. What of the
twenty-five men who were members of
Grants cabinet during his two terms?
Many OF them are dead, and of those
stlll living Don Cameron, who held the
portfolio of war for short time, is the
only one in
ACTIVE POLITICS.
Ellhu b. WaShburne, the first secretary
of state, and subsequently prominent
candidate for president, for years before
his death. which occurred quite recent
ly, led retired life and ranked among
the bygones. The same is true of Ham
llton Fish, who succeeded him. E. R.
Hoar managed the affairs of the attor-
ney generals office in such way that
the senate refused to confirm his NOM
ination for chief justice. and forced
nun TO go back to his law practice in
Boston. Richardson is rich and
still prominent figure in Washington
society, but his career as the head of a
department is almost forgotten. Bris-
tow's prosecution of the whisky cases
ended his public career. He is now
lawyer in New York, demanding and
receiving big fees, but taking no part
in politics. Boutwell, is a Washington
claim agent. Creswell allowed the pub
lie to forget that he was ever pOstmas-
ter general whi lie he drew a fat salary
from the Alabama claims court. Taft
is practicing law in Cincinnati. Relk-
nap, dismissed from the cabinet in dis
grace because his wife had disposed of
few post-traderships for money, now
has law office in Washington, and is
said to be making fair living. Will
liams, able and ambitious, who built a
big house in Washington and dreamed
of a long public career,
PASSED UNDER A CLOUD
along with Secor Robeson, and both are
now political bankruptS, the one in
Oregon, the other in New Jersey. Col
umbuS Delano is leading the life of a
farmer out in Ohio. ION the cabinet of
continued the veteran. ''Evarts,
whose ability as a pleader won him the
portfolio of state, and Sherman, who
failed to climb into the presidential
chair by way of the treasury depart
ment, are its only members still in poll
tics. McCrary, who was secretary of
war, and whom Hayes made a United
States district judge just before his re-
tirement, LETT the bench two or three
years ago, and is now railroad attor-
ney in Kansas City. His political
influence is Insignificant. Schurz,
whom Hayes made secretary of
the interior in return for his Ia
bors with the German voters of
ONO, has been everything at intervals
and nothing long. He is now earning a
living as agent for the German holders
of American bonds. Devens is local
judge in Massachusetts,, and Kew is on
the Federal bench in the South. De
LeSseps, who, in common with
ALL FOREIGNERS,
had an exaggerated idea of the value of
an American cabinet official, made Dick
Thompson, Hayes secretary of the navy.
president of the Panama Canal COM
pany, at a salary of $4,000 a year.
Thompson didn't amount to much while
he was in the cabinet, and he has been
of less value in his present position.
His successor as secretary was Gen.
Golf, of West Virginia. Golf was the
youngest cabinet officer in the history
of the country, but he is now by no
means conspicuous member of the
lower house of congress- Take the cab
met of President Garfield. Blaine is
the only member of the cabinet still
power in politics, and not one man in
were. James is president of a bank.
and no longer factor in politics. Sen
ator Window was leading presidential
possibility when he became Garfield's
secretary of the treasury. After the
latter's death he sought reelection to
the senate in order to put himself in the
way of the presidential lightning in
1884, was defeated by a comparatively
unknown man, and retired from politics
IN DISGUST.
Kirkwood also met his political death by
going into the cabinet, and is now farm
ing in Iowa. Hunt, whom Arthur laid on
the shelf by way of the Russian mission,
is dead. Sentiment led Garfield to make
Lincoln secretary of war, and Arthur
continued him in Office for the same
reason. Wayne MacVeagh, the attor-
ney general, has law office in Phila-
delphia and another in New York, and
makes great deal OF money. Arthur's
curiously-composed cabinet is almost
forgotten. Poor old Frelinghuysen is
dead. And so are Howe and Brewster
and Folger. The election which made
Cleveland governor, and started him on