The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-03-08
The Cabinet as n Whole.


The accepted rule for a good macy
years, since Jackson's time in fact. has
been in organizing 1.-THE cabinet" al
though there is no recognition OF such a
body IN the Constitution or laws, for
the President to give representation TO
acknowledged party chiefs, than to pay
some attention to sectional representa-
tion, and lastly to appoint one or more
OF his close personal friends, on whom
he can rely as close to to him personally
as well as politically. Generally cab
met making has set out with the selec-
tion OF the personal friends, and the
chinks have been filled in on
considerations of party leadership or
geographical propriety.
GensI Harrison names two of his
Secretaries for the reasons of a pruely
personal character. He takes his law
partner, Miller, for Attorney General,
and Mr.. Noble, lately Of Iowa but now
or St. Louis, an old college mate and
intimate friend, for the interior, the
most important of the patronage de-
partments, as it includes lands, pen
sions, patents. Indians. and other odds
and ends, and will have control of The
Federal census next year. No fault
can be found with these selections, al
though the Indiana Republicans are
much disgusted an unknown quantity
in State politics like Miller should be
taken rather than New or Huston. II
President Harrison has been as fortun-
nate as Mr.. Cleveland was in his pei
sonal selections he may consider him
self fortunate. The strongest men in
Cleveland's cabinet-ManniDg and
WhItney-were appointed on this
ground.
Mr.. Blaine. through his strikers un-
ques.ionably made terms for the State.
Department, at Chicago. 1t is the be-
liet General Harrison would gladly have
avoided the dose, and would bave done
so had Senator Sherman been willing to
take the State Department. Mr.. Wsna-
makers appointment was comr .nded
by Chairman Quay, in compliance with
ante-election promises for services rem
dered- 1t is in no sense a represen-
tatlvo appointment awarded the Re
publicans OF this great Common wealth.
Not Congressional district in the
State but could have presented one or
more truly representative Republicans
with pretensiOns 20 statesmaRship. 1t
is personal appointment as TO Mr..
Quay, and tAe repayment OF a debt OF
gratitude and finance as to President
Harrison Still there is a probability
the great clothier may make an excel
lent Postmaster General /; but the shop
is bigger one than tha. on the corn
er OF Market and Twelfth.
The Treasury, for many years the
most important Of all the departments,
but now, as the great financial ques-
tions have been adjusted, of lessening
influence, goes to Mr.. Window, of
Minnesota and Wall street. For six
months he held the keys under General
Garfield's brief Administration. He is
not a strong man, in the sense Sher-
man, Manning. McCulloch and Allison
are accepted as strong financiers, but
falls several grades behind all of them.
He was only accepted after Sherman,
Allison and Mckinley had declined.
The Secretary Of the Navy, Mr.. Tra-
cy, of Brooklyn, is a leading local poll
tician OF the city OF churches and a
brilliant lawyer, but his friends do not
claim for him the acute business exper-
ience or knowledge so necessary for the
creation or the new navy, and which
Mr.. Whitney illustrated so admirably.
Mr.. Tracy is an after thought to con-
ciliate Miller and PIatt, Mr.. Proctor.
OF Vernsont, for Secretary OF War, and
ex-GovenoT Rusk, OF Wisconsin, for
the new Department OF Agriculture.
are little known, but these departments
are not Of much Importance, though
there is no telling what may be made Of
that of agriculture.
As whole the Cabinet may be con
sidered as thing of shreds and patches
In which Blaine will be the dominating
force. For the most part it does not
represent the first or second choice OF
the President. It was forced on him
by clamor and necessity. The men he
would have had he could not get. They
gave him the 'shake"-a Blaine shake.
AS in the past there may be exceptional
capacity existent N the list to be deyel-
oped by the course of events The two
opposing forces will very likely be
Blaine and anti Blaine, and out OF this
may come conflicts and rupture. It is
said General Harrison will be the con-
rolling force, but if he had the neces-
tsry force to cOntro! why did he ap-
point Blaine, against his own better
judgement That desperate dema-
gOgue, skilful intriguant, and the auda-
ciOus adventuIer is an element of trou-
ble and an incitement to corrupt
practices and reckless policies whenever
he can get "a finger in the pie" And
he generally does.-PittSbttr1 Post.