The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-27
DOES OFFICE-HOLDING PAY?
Four Members of the Cabinet Say It
Does Not, from a Financial View.
Little Except Honor TO Be Gained by Accepting
High Places-Telks with the Two Fosters,
Mr.. Noble and Attorney. General Miller.
SPECIAL to the indianapolis journal.

tinent because, at this time. when dozens
of ambitious politicians in the Democratic
party are putting up l~ightning-rods in
preparation for President Cleveland's ap-
pointments, seven of the eight members of
the Cabinet of President Harrison have
announced that they had given notice TO
the President that il he were reelected
they would resign their Offices early next
year. The men who are going out are
much better judges of the beautiful and
the ugly features Of offic holding than
those who are hoping to come in; so your
correspondent asked the members of Presi-
dent Harrison's Cabinet If thev had found
any rewards in their public service.
Tall. slender. white-haired John w. Fos-
ter, the Secretary of State, met me In the
Cabinet room. adjoining the Presidents
private Office, and as we walked over to
the Department of State he talked freely of
the mutations of office and what satisfac-
ton there was in q Cabinet position. "A
Cabinet Office is alluring, but it takes q
great deal of personal sacrifice, both finan-
cially and domestically. to accept It," said
Mr.. Foster. IL suppose my connection with
President Harrison's Cabinet is different
from that of any other man. but the result
~ " ~ anlO h1hotA
for nor desired the place. but i could not
have refused to serve the President under
the conditions. He insisted that he needed
the exact character of services which
he thou ght j could, render, and be saw no
available nan who appeared to be familiar
with the work. l find myself without the
international law practice which l enjoyed
a few months ago, but / presume that II
desire to return to 1t immediately. or 1t was
q matter of bread and butter with me. l
could gather 1t up again. There Is nothing
III n Cabinet Office but hard work and ex-
penditure of mind and money. As soon as
i get out of the Department of State Mrs.
Foster and i will start UI % journey around
the world. We have long anticipated an
extensive European trip, and now that we
have the timo we will make q circle OF
the globe. i am not sorry that / went Into
the Cabinet of President Harrison. The
work has gwen me an extensive insight TO
the diplomatic branch of our government.
which is both intricate and interesting q.
end have the satisfaction of feeling that
l have not only yielded TO the wish OF the
President III rendering a personal service:
but have given some of my best days and
efforts to my country"
NOTHING BUT HONOR IN 1T.
Charles Foster, Secretary of the Treas
ury, was In his Office deeply interested in
financia! problems when l broached the
subject to him. 1.-The advantages of q Cab
met position consist chiefly in honor."
said Mr.. Foster. I'm fact, the honor is all
the advantage discoverable. 1t probably
gives q man q tone and character that ele-
Yates him. giving one a better standing be-
fore the public, provided he faithfully per-
forms his work and Is successful In his
Administrations. The discomforts are many.
There Is the labor of the place.
The duties are exacting, intricate. difficult,
over helmlDg and sometimes puzzling.
The demand for appointments Is constant,
while the desire of q Cabinet officer to
oblige his party friends and his inability
to do so in all cases make it exasperatinR
Ind painful. 1t is a fact that out of every
hundred persons who apply for position.
all of whom the Secretary would like to
oblige, he can appoint but about one. A
Cabinet officer is also subjected to social
demands that make the cost of living much
greater than his salary. The onerous
duties thus imposed fall In like manner
upon his family. and after the novelty
wears of are very wearying. Notwith-
standing the Disadvantages. however, q
Cabinet position is not one to be rejected
or avoided on considerations Of personal
comfort. 1t Is q place where, II You are
faithful TO Your trust. much satisfaction
will come in tho knowledge Of we'll doing,
and you will. like all faithful public serv-
ants. stand ever afterward much higher In
the estimation of the people"
SECRETARY MOBILES VIEWS.
Secretary Noble was busy listening to the
demands of one OF the army of Office seekers
when / entered his Office. He disposed of
this business quickly and then gave me his
attention long enough TO epitomize his
ideas of ofice-holding. Does 1t payi" he
said. repeating my question. Not fnan-
chilly. 1t costs q Cabinet officer with q
family. at least 81 for every dollar
he receives TO live in Washington.
Has it compensation Well, it
offers many opportunities for doing good.
and there ~ q great deal of honor IN IL for
one who administers his Office properly.
The office that | hold is, l think, the great
est and grandest office In the world. But Its
responsibilities are proportionatsly great.
There is the administration of Indian at
fairs and the lettering of the condition of
the Indian. the conservation of the head
waters of our great rivers: the distribution
of these waters for lrrigation; the perserya-
ton of our national parks; the care and
management of our territories and the
public domain; the control of railroad in
trreets n the enormous railroad
debt; the management of the
census, which i have had and which
will not fall To the lot of another Secretarv
Of the Interior FOR ten years; the establish
ment Of agricultural colleges. and the man.
agement of the Patent Office which. though
less intimately associated with the Interior
Department, Ia still one of it's auxiliaries.
w N.Y. "hcu 4 Shli MY ciknt Aodus u u o
partments about me. | have q Cabinet of
my own. Then there are the eleemosynary
institutions in the District-the
insane asylum and others-and
the Capitol grounds. These you may say
should run themselves: but they don't.
There are questions arieing con-
stantly, ana each one takes up II certain
amount of time. Then there is the direc-
ton of this enormous force of clerks-l6. 600
employes-of whom 1000 are In Washing
ton most of the time. and there are ID
pointmrnts To consider and promotions,
aud the Civil-service Commission To meet.
ton of all these affairs is very great and
Won must keep them CONS at
full speed all day, IKE q locomotive draw
ing a freight train. When Congress meets
there is one investigation after another. all
of them more OF less invIdious. and you
must stand CD and hight them or you will
be whipped: and there are personal contro-
versies In the department and scandals
fortunately this administration has been
very free from them. To fill this place q
man must be a first-class lawyer-or must
every question that arises with firmness
ana with confidence in himself. LII he
doubts himself he becomes dependent on
his assistants. and be never knows whether
they are leading him I'D the right path or
not. He is held accountable for everything
that occurs in his department.. If a shot is
fired at one of his bureau chiefs 1t
is more than likely TO hit him.
They are going under one sail.
and he has eight. And If the Secretary of
the Interior makes seven successes in a
day and one failure. the failure will he
heard of all over the country, and prob
oblv oofhrnu Ill ha hard of fha sncc.ssaa