The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-06-12
THE CABINET.
PEN PICTURES OF THE PRESI.
DENTS ADVISERS.
Sketches of the Eight Men Who Ad.
minister the Departments OF the
Government-How They Live
and How They Work.

Washington correspondent OF Phlladel-
phia Record. By possible Presidents, I
mean, of course, the eight members of
the Cabinet, who are by act of Congress
in the line of promotion upon the death
or disability of the President or Vice
President. It is not certain that the
Secretary of Agriculture, the baby of the
Cabinet, is in this line of promotion, for
he is not mentioned, of course, in the
"Presidential Succession act" because his
Office had not then been created. But I
suppose that under the general terms Of
the act creating the eighth Cabinet place
its incumbent is given all the powers and
privileges of his colleagues. But, at all
events, "Uncle Jere" is member of the
Cabinet and a good fellow, and so We
will call on him, too.
Blaine's department occupies the south
ern wing of the new Stanawar-State,
navy and war-building, which stands
just west of the Executive mansion, on
the site of the old war and navy build
ings. Secretaries Blaine, Proctor and
Tracy, who control it, have adopted
somewhat more stringent rules for the
admission of visitors that are prescribed
in other departments. Unless you are q
Senator or representative of depart
ment official you can only see them per-
sonally at twelve o'clock on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Saturdays-newspaper
men being, of course, excepted here as
everywhere.
Blaine is the latest member of the
Cabinet for getting down to his Office,
seldom arriving until 10 o'clock, the
hour at which he begins to receives Sena-
tors and Representatives. But this is not
because he gets up late, for he is a light
sleeper and an early riser. It is because
he takes time at his desk in his comfort
able rooms at the Normandie to read the
morning newspapers, which he does like
an old newspaper man; dispose of some
of his private correspondence, and pass,
with the assistance of Walker Blaine,
upon some of his public business, so that
Walker is apt to carry portfolio full of
papers to and fro for his father every day.
When he can the Secretary of State walks
the few blocks by way of Lafayette park
from his hotel to his department. His
hair and beard are entirely white, his
face is more deathlike than ever, but his
form is straight and his step is springy.
At distance his age would not be at all
apparent to casual observer.
The Office of the Secretary of State,
having been finished and furnished several
years before the others, is faded compared
with those of the Secretary of War and
the Secretary of the Navy. Still it is q
handsome room, with a fine wood floor
covered with rugs, elaborate frescoes, a
great square mahogany desk for the Sec
retary in the centre, smaller one for
his private secretary in one corner, book
cases, cabinets and fine globe scattered
around, and number of portraits on the
wall.
But we must not keep the Secretary of
State waiting. He stands up to receive,
sitting down and fitting back in his chair,
with his legs crossed, If he settles down
to a good talk with you. He takes your
hand with his old fervor, and his eye
still dances and sparkles-as I believe it
will when he is dead. He always says
something pleasant when he can, and, if
possible, something clever, too; and so
with smile and bow youa are dismissed.
From 10 to 12, like all the Secre-
taries in this building, he receives Sena-
tors and Representatives on all days ex-
cept Thursday, which is reserved for
members of the diplomatic corps exclu-
sively. On Mondays there are not so
many Senators and Representatives calling
as to take all of the two hours, so that he
does not lose the whole morning. At 10,
except on Cabinet days TUESDAY and
Friday, when he must be getting over to
the White House, he receives the public
until 1 or 2, as business will permit.
Then, on his return from the Cabinet,
he works away on official business until 5
o'clock, when he drives down the avenue
to private gymnasium, and either takes
some prescribed exercise or a massage
treatment. His physician has told him
that he must take from four to six hours
exercise every day. Before he went into
the Cabinet he walked several miles each
day. But now he considers himself for
tunate when he is'nos detain at his Office
after S, and can get an hours exercise be-
fore dinner. He dimes with his family
in their private dining-room at and
then works most of the evening at official
business if he does not 60 out to dinner.
Mrs. Blaine is experimenting the recon-
struction of the Seward mansion on La
fayette square, which they have leased
for ten years, and which they will occupy
in the fall, sothat the Secretary is relieved
largely of that. He has a great deal of
private business, though, with his real es
tate here, and his railroads there, and his
mines far out in the West. Altogether he
has too much work to do and gets too
little exercise, and he will be very glad to
get little rest after while.
William Window, Secretary of the
Treasury, comes next in order on the
list. To see him we cross over through the
White House grounds, in front or in rear
of the White House, and walk up to the
second floor of the Greek temple known
as the Treasury building. Window has
changed the Office of-the Secretary of the
Treasury from the southeast corner, where
Manning and Fairchild had theirs, to the
centre of the south side, where he uses
Assistant Secretary Thompson's old room
as his main Office, and the chief clerks
old room, opening out of it, as his con-
sultation cabinet and real working den.