The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-02-08
CABINET CHANCES.
The Problem Now In Good Condi.
tion for a Casual and Reminis.
cent Review.
Blaine Will Probably Be Secretary
Of State, Because There Is No
Contest.

WASHINGTON. jan 2S-The nearly uni
versal conviction that the momentous Ques-
tion Of the next cabinet has been all but de-
cided at Indianapolis, and the general agree
ment Of public conjecture upon it's main
features open the way to review of tho
converting streams Of circumstances and
event which have led up go nearly to the
final culminatton. It ts not prudent to take
anything for granted until Gen. Harrison's
conclusions are announced upon his own
authority. The unanimity Of conjecture,
however. furnishes o sufficiently Substantial
..nElework for reminiscent comment, These
ti1ttEs m;.y be taken for granted: That Alli-
son IL Gen. Harrison's choice for tho treas
ury; that Sherman is no longer thought of
for any position; thut Blaine liz most likely
to be secretary of state, for the reason that
no other Republican leader of equal rank
cares to contest tho place with him; that
New YoEk ia unlikely to be fsptsssnted in
any proafnent place; that John Wanamaker
will havo aome portfolio; that no other sem
ator than Allison will be called into the cabi-
net, and that the smaller places will be given
to men relatively qualified for them. like
Gen. Alger, Estee or Swift Of California, the
lesser Indiana aspirants or the compare
lively unknown candidates from the South.
1t will not be a distinguished cabinet, except
in one or two places. 1t will not drain the
senate Of lis talent; 1t will not be an assem-
blage of the great lights of the party nor u
group of factional leaders
THE CABINETS COMPLEXION.
1t will be reasonably harmonious in itself
and fairly representative. 1t will probably be
a good working body. It will not be bril-
liant council Of statesman of national fame
and commanding ability. How has such u
cabinet grown out of tho very different
probabilities which took shape in the public
mind soon after Harrison's election? Mainly
by process OF progressive exclusion. One
name after another dropped out Of the first
tentative lists as the views Of the president-
elect mud OF the gentlemen proposed to him
ns his cabinet advisers became known. Ii
the great suggesting mud advising public has
not had it's way altogether about The cabinet,
there is some consolation for it in the refiec-
tion TINT Gen. Harrison has not wholly had
his way about it either. Ho has bad
to make cabinet such us he could,
not such as he would. The uvnilablc
cabinet material presented to him after
his election is roughly divisiblc into two
categories, men who wanted places without
being notably unfit for them, and men who
we're notably iii for place without wanting
it. That is to say, men who urycd their
claims to cabinet appointments upon the
president-eiect, and men whose appoint
lnent was urged upon him without auy effort
ON their part. This division does not neces-
snrily stamp one clnss MS selfish office seek
ers and the other as patients. Men are often
as selfish in refusing office as seeking it. L.
banpens that most Of the cabinet candidates
urged on Gen. Harrison without any effort
on their own part had hetter places already.
Most Of Che candidates of the second category
are in the senate. The party leaders to whom
the public mind spontaneously turned as the
fttest men to serve ms advisors of the
new president were nearly NIL senators or cx-
MISUNDERSTANDING, Warner Miller, Allison.
and John apooncr The men whose claims
were urged BY themselves or by interested
friends. like Blaine. Platt and Wana,naker,
were nll out of Office aud, with one brilliant
execution, out Of the range of spontaneous
public selection.
GEN. HARR1soN's POSITION.
1t is undoubtedly true that Gen. Harrison
himself, like his great voluntary advisory
council. the ofiicious and interested public,
turned first to tho senate in his search for
cabinet material This was the more natural
because nearly all his personal intimntes
among the public men of the day IRE SEN
ators and ex-senators. Scarcely any cabinet
candidate outside OF the senate was person.
ally known to him, or. indeed, prominent
enough TO be well known TO him in any
way, except Blaine, and there were reasons
for not turning first of all to tine man who
seems to DO his final choice for the first place
in the cabinet. 1t is perfectly well llknown i'll
well informed circles that there was time
when Mr.. Blaine himself doubted whe; he
wished to go into Gen. Harrison's cabinet.
There was time when he would have pre-
ferred to return to the senate ii either Of the
Maine senators would have taken the secr.-
iarysllip of the navy or foreign mission.
Their willingness 70 do so was tested and
both preferred the senate. 1t was not until
after this that MIR. Blaine was sure he wanted
TO go into the cabinet So 1t happened that
the senate remsined the most conspicuous
field of cabinet gossip. There is probably
this solid foundation of fact for all the gossip
connecting tue names of senators with cab
Ipet places that at least two members Of that
body besides Allison could have had places
in the cabinet il they would have taken
them
MEN WHO DIDN'T WANT IT.
That Sherman is one goes without saying.
Without doubt he could have been secretary