The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-06
THE COAST AND THE CABINET.

California and the Pacific coast gen
orally viii feel keenly disapp-
olnted over not being represented
IN President HARRIsoN's cabinet,
They confidently counted onehaving one
place at the presidents table, and thought
that one of two men, Judge NJ. NJ. EsTEB
and Governor JOIN F. SWIFT, would be
taken. The matter went so far that it is
said both of the gentlemen named bad been
arranging their affairs in expectation of be-
ing called to Washington. The HERALD
would have been pleased by the suggested
recognition OF the fast-growing west, and
hoped that Judge EsTEB would obtain
the coveted prize. He is a capable,
cultured gentleman, and would have been a
credit to the far west, as well as to the
cabinet. At the same time, we never could
quite understand why California should
claim the place as matter of right, as she
did, nor why the Slope should think it its
due to have q representative in the execu-
tive family. California, it is true, is a
great state, but there are many greater, the
size being estimated by population, as it
must necessarily be. We cannot gauge the
Importance of states by the number of
square miles embraced within their
boundaries: if we could, the con-
troll of the nation would at once
come west of the Missouri river, and that
region on the Pacific side of the Rocky
mountains would 'boss" the populous far
east. 1t should be the rule, and an effort
has been made to have it so, to so apportiOn
the cabinet ministers as to give the various
geographical sections of the country each
representative, provided the section was of
sufficient Importance, by reason of its
population, to entitle it to such recognition.
HARRISON has not followed this rule, hav-
ing gore to New England for two, taken
two from the northwest, and taken two
from the middle states, leaving the south
without any, and not coming west for a
minister.
But, let US look over the field, and we see
what title California and the west have TO
seat in the cabinet. The representation in
congress must be our guide, that being
based on the population in the several
states. Including senators and representa-
tives, there are 4O1 members of congress,
the states with the lowest number having
three and New York having thirty-six.
There are eight executive departments, as
follows: State, treasury, war, navy, post
office, interior, justice and agriculture. If
these were apportioned equitably, each
would be taken from a geographical section
of the country which sent to congress fifty
senators and representatives. The three
Pacific Coast states-California, Nevada
and Oregon-have total of fourteen mem
bers in both branches of the national legis-
lature CALIFORNIA; delegation numbers
eight, including her two senator's If we
add the representatives which the two new
Pacific States of Washington and Montana
will have, the Slopes representation will
aggregate just twenty, or less than half
the number entitled 70 a cabinet position.
Let US go still farther and allow three each
to the four territories which form part of
the far west, and we have thirty-two, or
eighteen less than the requisite number. If
California is entitled to a cabinet office,
so are twenty-five of the states
each entitled to one, and some of
them should have from two to four
No injustice has been done to California in
this matter. and no slight put upon her,
though we may expect to hear much de- |
nunciation of the president, who will be
charged with unworthy Partially and IN
Just discrimination, while ungratefulness
will be one of his common sins.
The outlook is that by the time another
cabinet is formed the Pacific slope will be |
entitled to the control of department by
reason of her population and congressional |
representation, and the next president will |
undoubtedly recognize that right; but
HARRISON ought not to be blamed for pass
ing the far west by.