Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-15

happier than when working on legal questions
had no idea of being a member Of President
Cleveland's cabinet. and when found was to
be offered a position in 1t I hoped that the
place given me would be that of Attorney
General. But find that the Interior Depart
ment has about as much law connected with it
as the Attorney Generals office. Legal ques-
tions are constantly coming up and the work is
much the same"
HOW HE WAS MADE CABINET MINISTER.
"Please tell mesomething of the circumstances
Of your appointment, Mr.. Secretary" 1 asked.
81 don't know that there is story worth
publishing connected with them," was the re-
ply. II had never met President Cleveland
until a few weeks before his election and had
no idea Of accepting any place or of entering
official life. became active in politics in
Georgia largely through President Cleveland.
/ have taken part in them to q certain extent
all my life. though / never wanted nor would
have accepted office. In 1883, however, when
President Cleveland put forth his free trade
message number Of the leading newspapers
Of the state advocated the Randall views Of the
party and were FOR protective tariff. Some
time before this had become interested IN the
Atlanta Journal 1t was being published in a
building which had bought for my law Offices
1t had only about 900 circulation and found
that the man who owned it wanted to sell.
thought there was room for a good newspaper
which should advocate different principles than
those espoused by the other papers and be run
on different lines. The result was that bought
The paper for $12, 900 and made stock COM
pany Of 1t. got a good business manager, who
was at the head Of one Of the printing offices Of
the town, and a managing editor, who was then
city editor Of the Atlanta Constitution. Each
Of these men took rs per cent Of the stock in the
new paper and l advanced the money to the
editor keeping his stock az collateral.
"In addition to these two took several other
parties into the concern, but kept the control
ling interest myself. Well. the paper paid from
the start The editor sold out the other day
with clear profit of 5000. and the value Of
the stock has doubled again and again. The
other paper in Atlanta. and it has become q
power in the state. have not had much to do
with 1t except in a political way. I wrote all
the editorials In favor Of low tariff and
again wrote for 1t when we were making the
fight against machine politics and also against
the third party in Georgia. Before the conven-
ton some OF the best papers in the state were
for Hill and against Cleveland's nomination.
was in favor Of Cleveland, for I believed that
he would run his administration in the interest
OF those who were out of office rather than
those who were in-in other words, in the in
terest Of the people rather than of rings. Well,
was in New York on legal business during the
campaign, and went over by invitation to see
President Cleveland, and spent the day with
him. We talked together over the situation in
the south and in Georgia, but there was moth
ing said as to the cabinet. Shortly before the
announcement Of my name as Secretary Of the
Interior was again in New York and I went to
see him by arrangement. We had a half-hour' 8
chat together, and during this he offered me
the position. SO there you have the story"
THAT PENSION DECISION.
here spoke to Secretary Smith as to his de-
cision regarding the pension law OF 1890 which
is creating SO much discussion among the SOL
diers Of the United States He said 81 made
the decision because I believed it to be right
and the law will be carried out. 1t will result
in saving Of something like $50 ,000, 900, for
am told that nearly one-half of the pensions
granted under that act were illegally granted.
The question is not a matter Of sentiment with
me. 1t is q matter Of right. It is matter Of
law. There is no doubt that my construction
Of the law is correct, and can only go by the
law. l have been advised by some that my ac
ton is open to criticism because come from
Georgia. This is ridiculous. Because l am
merely the agent Of Congress. am to carry
out the laws which it enacts. II Congress
should pass law to give each man who was in
the late war certain sum OF money, no matter
how large. il it were possible it would be my
duty to do it. But Congress has not passed
its instructions. think the people are gener-
ally in favor of the decision and don't think
that ms construction Of the law has yet been
disputed"
sEcTIoNAL1sM AND THE SOUTH.
"You are too young a man to have been in
the confederate army" said I.
"Yes." was the reply, 81 was nine years old
when the war closed. Had I been old enough 1
would probably have been a confederate SOL
der. But that makes no difference. l am as
good a Union man as there is in the United
States. Many people of the north have a
wrong idea of the south. As for sectionalism.
there is more Of it in the north than in the
south. Henry Grady's speech. which created
| such a stir over the whole country, was only
the utterance of the sentiments which had pre-
vailed in Georgia for years and which he had
been hearing about him every day. The fact
that the north was enthusiastic over it was q
| surprise to the south. don't mean to dispar-
age Mr.. Grady or his eloquence. but he told no
| new story when he spoke of the fraternity, pa
triotism and non-sectional feeling OF the
| southern people. Sectlonalism has long been
dead in the south. The people have a senti-
ment, it is true, for their heroes in that con-
flict They revere their memory. They weep
over their graves They honor their brethren.
But they do not mourn the lost cause nor feel
| antagonistic toward their country nor their
brethren Of the north. We have as good Union
| men in the south as you will find anywhere
and we love the United States as much as any
people III IL.
THE FUTURE OF THE SOUTH.
Show about the future Of the south, Mr.. Sec
retary?"
"The south is o great empire" was the 70.
ply. "It is filed with marvellous resources. II
has mineral and agricultural wealth untold and
it has the muscle and brains necessary to de-
velop it. The south will grow right along. Our
young people are workers-live industrious and
patriotic"
''How about the northern man in the SOUTH?
"He is perfectly welcome and be has all the
| rights and liberties Of any citizen. We have
lots of good northern blood in Atlanta and the
people in whose veins it flows are as much re-
spected as our own"
THE NEGRO QUESTION.
"How about the negroes?"
"They are getting along very well. Many Of
them are becoming educated and not few are
| accumulating property. They are better of
now than they have been for years.
''How about social equality? Will the two
| races ever come together?'
NO" was the reply. ''The blacks are rs
proud as the whites and are as anxious to keer
| separate. We have no white teachers in the
colored schools in Atlanta, and the most of our
Methodist churches will not employ white
preachers. There is less mixing with the racer
| in the south than ever before, and it NAV sur