Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-14
SIX MONTHS IN OFFICE.
The President aud His Cabinet Have
Become Thoroughly Acquainted.

TIE GROWING INFLUENCE OF Mr.. wINDoM-THE JC-
DIc1ous COURSE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SECRETARY MOBILES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Mr. TRAcy-THE POPULAR SECRETARY OF WAR.
Mr. Harrison's cabinet are about as well set
tied in their chairs as they will be. 1t has
turned out good cabinet. There is no OBJ
trusive greatness about it; ii does not pose to
any great extent nor go on dress parade. 1t Is
abusiness body, with considerable stateman-
like ability.
Secretary Noble, perhaps, has had least COM
fort out of his position. He is good lawyer
and Iaan Of not mean ability, but he always
seems little uncomfortable and lacking in
confidence at the head of that big department.
People who have had to see him often at his
office are impressed with the idea that he Is
both punctillious and timid. He seems not to
be always as sure of his own attitude, and he
Is more or less restrained and lacking IN
that freedom with others which other cabl-
net officers exercise with tact He is by
no means free talker. But he has had more
to annoy him than has any other cabinet OFF,
Ger, having TO endure the criticism that the
pension Office has provoked; and perhaps he
feels that first and last. enough talking is done
to excuse little reticence on his part he
probably has ambition to do anything
striking or great. He evidently feels the want
OF experience IN PUBIC lie. NOW IAN
per Is gone he may be happier.
MR.. WINDOW
has been growing in influence in the cabinet
ever since he entered it. His former expert
ence has been of great value to him. His wise
conservatism and self confidence have won
upon the President, who has begun to feel that
in him he has one of his most reliable supports
At the beginning the cabinet was divided into
two sets-those members whom Mr.. Harrison
al I'd c.
force of circumstances and on account
Of their prominence in the party
fitted TO their places. Noble and Miller
were conspicuously of the former class.
Wanamaker may be said to have won his way
into the cabinet, as he has since won his way to
the front rank of that council. There was
nothing out of the ordinary in the manner of
the selection of the others. Less than any
were Blaine and Window, the purely personal
choice of the President. They went to the
heads of their respective departments in the
natural course of politics. There feeling
at first that the President looked upon these
two somewhat in the light of possible rivals for
the honors of the administration. At the
same time there much said about the
Presidents independence of his cabinet.
WELL ACQUAINTED.
Mr.. Harrison and his cabinet have now made
each others acquaintance. There is a marked
cordiality between them, and the President has
learned to rely more on his advisers and better
how to estimate their worth. In this process
of getting acquainted Mr.. Window has gained
immensely in influence. 1t would have to be
mighty strong argument that would prevail
with the President over the advice of his Sec
Rotary of the Treasury. There is something in
Mr.. WINDOWS placid disposition that has
greatly taken the fancy of the President
He has on no occasion shown himself
TO be In the least disturbed or lack
ing in resource. The spirit which
enabled him to rise to TIE emergency when he
made the bond extension in Gartield's time is
still with him. and Mr.. Harrison has come to
feel that no emergency can arise too great for
his powers. 1t was this confidence in the Sec
Rotary of the Treasury that decided the ques-
ton against an extra session of Congress. In
cabinet Window has quiet way of setting
forth his arguments that gives him great power.
II Is said that he can state complex prob
lem more concIsely than any other member of
the cabinet. He Is man of marvellous amia-
bility.
THE JUDIcIoUs SECRETARY OF STATE.
If Mr.. Harrison ever had any suspicion that
Mr.. Blaine wanted to run the administration
he no longer holds it. After all the talk there
has been in the newspapers on that subject it was
but natural if Mr.. Blaine felt under some con-
straint on entering the cabinet not to press his
views too strongly to the front. 1t is the COM
ment of observant men who have been
watching him pretty closely that he has
shown a wonderful amount of prudence
since he went to the head of the State
department He has not tried to force
his advice upon the President nor to resist
when Mr.. Harrison chose to follow his own
= ideas rather than those of the Secretary He
has endeavored. however, to be judicious and
conservative IN bis expressions on all occasions
and instead of the arrangement that was pre-
dicted TO grow up between them a greater con-
ndence has appeared. and Mr.. Harrison turns
more frequently to the Maine man for advice
and Is more apt to follow that advice when
given.
Mr.. Tracy is the shrewd and aggressive man
Of the cabinet Whitney The business
men who have to do with the department all
like Tracy. They say he has a thorough IN
Outstanding OF business proposition, and is
not narrow-minded nor hair-splitter. He Is
not easy to fool. He looks out from under
those shaggy gray brows with pair of sharp
little eyes that see about everything that is
going on. He Is always approachable and has
the hearts OF the men who have business with
the department and have. in former times so
often been forced to submit to tedious delays
PROCTOR Is THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN OF THE AD-
MINIsTRATIoS.
He resembles the best portraits Of Lincoln
and is credited with some of the characteristics
Of that great man. He is probably the most
popular Secretary of War with the officers of
the service that has presided over that depart
ment Tor many years. He is q man of more
polished manners than was the great abolition
LIST President. but he has that same air of honest
simplicity that so marked Lincoln. He is a
slow-speaking. patient and amiable man under
all circumstances and habitually has a good
natured smile or his face while in conSersa-
ton All the little jealousies and wranglings
common in the military service seem to disap-
pear under his administration of the depart
menL he Is not a stlckler as TO rank and pre-
cede1ce when nothing Is involved. and he dis
courages by example small chickering's among
the officers over these matters. He would
stand better as the personiication Of arbitra-
ton than the representative of frowning
war. There is something about him that
shames the arrogance of the average army
officer.
Mr.. Wanamaker has not only lived up to his
reputation as business man, but has gone be-
yond his FIRST promise and is acknowledged to
be the best organizer and most methodical man
IN the cabinet; and, withal, the greatest hustler
Excepting Window, perhaps, ne is most thor
ouShly the master of his work. He is the head
OF his department
Six months observation does not seem to have
changed the popular impression of Farmer
Rusk- He Is the same Uncle Jere"
As a good Attorney General Mr.. Miller has
indicated the Presidents selection
An "Eye Opener" for Men.
To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
The problem to how women .'kill time, -
having vexed the minds Of more than one of
antla frfa +o