, 1889-03-21
sosa CABINET CONTRACTS.
iHtsrestinK Figures About the Prescn
and Fast Fresidcnts' Advisers

correctly announced IN the Press !
last Monday and sketches and por-
traits OF all the new men were then |
given. Some comparisons are now
interesting Mr.. Window is the old |
est member Of the new Cabinet. bez
ing within few months of 63 years
OF age. Mr.. Miller, the Presidents
old friend and law partner, is the
youngest member, not having
reached his 4Sth year yet. Mr.. Blame
and Mr.. Rusk have just passed their
18th birthday. Mr.. Proctor is 5S
years old, and General Tracy was
born exactly three score years ago.
Next TO MIR. Miller the youngest man
in the Cabinet is John Wanamaker,
who is not quite 81 years old. The
average of the members of President
Harrison's Cabinet is 81 years.
The ages of these men are in strik-
ing contrast with those of the men
President Washington selected for
his advisers just 100 years ago. That
WAS essentially q Cabinet of young
men, and its youthfulness has never
been equaled since The President
was 81 years old, but he did not have
man in his Cabinet who had
crossed the half-century mark.
Thomas Jefferson, who was called
from France to be secretary of state,
was the Oldest member, and he was
only 40 years of age. The youngest
man in the Cabinet, and, in fact, the
youngest Cabinet officer who has
ever been appointed, was Alexander
Hamilton. the secretary of the Treas.
ury. He was but 80 years of age,
yet he WAS the foremost fnancier of
the age. Edmund Randolph left his
position as governor of Virginia to
accept the Office of attorney general.
He was 36 years old. General Knox,
the Secretary of war, was 80 years of
age, while Samuel Osgood, of Mass
achusetts, who was called to be post
master-general, had just turned Al.
He was succeeded in 1871 by Timo-
thy Pickering, who was 46 years old
The average age of the first Cabinet
vas 80 years. 1t ranks as the young
est Cabinet in the history of the
country.
During Washington's second term
Jefferson, who could not get along
with Hamilton, resigned his post a.
secretary of state. He was succeed
ed by another Virginian, Edmund
Randolph, who had been reappointec
encouragement. Washington Sc
lscted William Bradford, a Phila,
delphia lawyer, who was not yet AZ
years old, to take the attorney~gen
sralship. Hamilton also retired from
ths Cabinet in 1885, and Washington
appointed as his successor Oliver
Wolcott, who was then but 80 years
old.
Thomas Jefferson also selected {
number of young men as his adyis-
ers. the average age of his officers
being 43 years. James Madison, hi.
close friend, was made secretary oi
state. He was so years old. Alber
Gsliitan, famous lawyer at 40, liv-
ing in the western part of Pennsyl-
yania, was his secretary of the Treas
sry. Roger Griswold, Coneecticut
congressman, was appointed secre.
tary of war. He was 80 years old.
Another member of congress from
Connecticut, and warm admirer d
Jefferson, was taken into the Cabi-
net as post-master-general That
was Gidgeon Granger, who, although
but 81 years of age, was rated among
the foremost lawyers of his time
Robert Smith, a member of the
Maryland legislature, was Jefferson's
secretary of the navy and was "A
years old. The oldest member OF
Jeferson's Cabinet was his attorney
general, Levi Lincoln, of Mass, who
was 81 years of age.
The average of the men who COM
posed President Lincoln's Cabinet
was Sc years, only two years less
than the average of President Harri-
sons Cabinet. Mr.. Lincoln took
three United States senators into his
Cabinet, while President Herrison
has not taken one member from the
Senate. William H Steward, OF
New York, then secretary of state,
had been MIR. Lincoln's strongest
rival for the nomination IN the Con-
Vention. He was a leader of the
party in the Senate. He was 60 years
of age when he entered the Cabinet.
Salmon p Chase, the secretary of
the Treasury, was So years old and
had just taken his seat in the Senate
when appointed to the Cabinet He
had also served a term as governor
Of Ohio and WAS leading lawyer of
that state. Simon Cameron, Pennsylva
nis's representative, was 62 years old
when he assumed charge Of the War
department in 1861 He resigned
his seat In the Senate to go into the
Cabinet. In 1862, Mr. Cameron was
sent to Russia to represent this
country, and Edwin N- Stanton, of
Ohio, who was AZ years old, was ap-
pointed his successor. Gidgeon
Hslles, the secretary OF the navy, |
came from Connecticut, and was 50 |
years of age. He had been chairman |
OF the Connecticut delegation in the