The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-24
THE CABINET BREAK.

THE HERALD's New York correspondent
wires an important and interesting piece of
information this morning. 1t comes in the
form of Washington special to a Brooklyn
newspaper, and is nothing less than the
news of a revolt in the cabinet which was
followed by the tender of their designations
by three members of the Presidents official
advisers. This announcement has been ex-
pected, but the public did not look for it
so soon. We don't believe there
were in the United States on
March I, last, one hundred men familiar
with politics and men of the nation who
believed that JAMES G. BLAINE would re
main in HARRIsoN's cabinet till the end of
the Presidential term. There were not ten
such men who thought he would continue
in the place four years if he were TO be
lorded over by the President. Mr.. BLAINE
is not built that way. He is an intellectual
and political giant, and no man is better ac-
quainted with the fact than he. He knows
that no man in his party is his equal as
leader or as a statesman and he is equally
familiar with another fact, which is that
General HARRISON, in comparison with
him, is a veritable pigmy. No disrespect
towards the President is intended by this
The American people understand the truth
of the remark. When HARRISON was in
augurated he set out to be President in the
broadcast sense of the title; he even under
took to do more, by ignoring to certain
extent his cabinet ministers and exercising
jurisdiction over their departments which
other Presidents had not attempted He
had been President but a few hours
before he snubbed his secretary of
state in the matter of naming GER
tain persons for the foreign diplomatic
service. From the first it has seemed as if
the President were trying to belittle Mr.
BLAINE, and reduce him to the position of
a figure-head. The other members of the
cabinet have Jared little better, all being
more or less passed by and dwarfed, HAIR
RIsoN making appointments in their de
partments contrary to their recommends
lions, and in some instances without con
sulting them.
1t was impossible that this order of
things could continue, especially with such
a man as BLAINE. A revolt was natural
and necessary, and the correspondent wires
that the break has occurred. Mr. BLAINE
led off by announcing that if he were not
to be allowed greater latitude in
his own department, his resignation
was at the disposal of the President.
Secretary Proctor followed, standing in
with the man from Maine, even to the ex
tentof rendering his resignation. Secre-
tary WINDOW came next with protest
against being reduced to the position of a
clerk in his department He did not 60
quite so far as his associates, but let it be
understood that he would be secretary of |
the treasury in something more than name |
or he would retire to private life. The re- |
porter does not tell what the |
outcome was. He need not tell |
us what it will be, for we
all know that the matter hay
ing gone so far, it must proceed to the
extreme limit-the retirement of the three
gentlemen from the cabinet The Pres
ident cannot retreat and acknowledge that
he has been in the wrong To do so would
make him a subordinate TO the ministers
and destroy his influence as head of the
nation. 1t will not be contended that the
will recede from the stand they
have had the manhood and courage to take.
The qu ariel BODIES no good to HARRIsoN's
&C min .stration, or to the Republican party.
If BLAINE shall go out of the cabinet be
cause he cannot stay in with self-respect,
he and his friends will do what they can to
bring failure and disaster to the admins
tration, and that they will succeed nobody
need be told who knows anything of the
character and ability of the men engaged
in the controversy. BLAINE did more than
any other man to make HARRISON Presiu
dent and he is capable of doing more than
any other man to belittle the administra-
ton.