The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-24

Republican nomination for president in
1883. He has been Republican up to
very recent date. at is not true" wrote
Judge Gresham on the 9th of last October.
that voted for Mr.. Cleveland in 1883.
voted the Republican ticket at every presi-
Dental election since the party was
organized, except in 1854, when
was not able to go to the polls"
In this same letter Judge Gresham wrote
his friend Bluford Wilson that he had
always been a Republican and still be-
heved that a Republican could vote for
Mr.. Cleveland without joining the Demo-
cratic party. It is not true that Judge
Gresham did not approve the Republican
tariff platform of 1883, for this platform
was adopted before the balloting began.
On the first ballot he had Ill votes, and in
numerical strength he was second only to
John Sherman in the long list of aspir.
ants. Gresham started in with thirty
one votes more than Benjamin Harrison,
and up to the eighth and last ballot. on
which Harrison was nominated. Judge
Gresham's following in the convention was
not much reduced. As candidate. he
kept up the fight to the end. He acted with
the party during the whole cam
paign and voted for the candidate.
Since the enactment Of the Mckinley tar
if Judge Gresham has been reported as
not in accord with the Republican party,
but the Mckinley tariff is nothing but the
enactment of the tariff pledges of the plat
form of 1883. In politics Gresham is be-
come the double of Wayne MacVeagh.
Like MacVeagh, he was once prone to
wave the bloody shirt in all his stump
speeches, and then suddenly he became a
Mugwump, and at the last moment ''came
out" a. q supporter of Cleveland, and
doubtless helped Cleveland to the support
of his personal following in Indiana and
Illinois.
1t is of course quite possible that Gen.
Gresham may make an admirable secre-
tary of state. but he 10 certainly q man Of
small promise for the great office. While
Judge Gresham cannot be regarded a. an
accomplished man for the position of Sec
rotary of state, nevertheless his appoint
ment is probably q shrewd political
stroke.
The rest of Cieveiand's cabinet are men
OF no particular public consequence. or at
least they are none of them men of ma
tional fame. Lamont - q sound man of
business, but Gen. Slocum would have
brought q fine military and civic training
RI
and political reformer his appointment
would have won the applause Of both
parties. Herbert, Of Alabama, will bring
the benefit Of years of service upon the
congressional naval committee to the work
of his office, but he is not q superior man.
Olney is an able Boston lawyer, while
Bissell, Hoke Smith and Morton are men
Of purely local influence, and have no ma
tional political weight in their party.
From Mr.. Cleveland's point of view the
presidents cabinet are merely his clerks,
and need only to be men of respectable
business habits, capacity and knowledge.
He chose Mr.. Carlisle alone for his states
manlike brains and character and gave
him the laboring oar to pull; he appointed
Gresham as bit Of fine political strategy
in order to enlarge the rift in the Republic
can log in the Middle West; he chose tho
rest of his cabinet to satisfy his desire to
secure efficient clerks. without regard to
their political CONSCIENCE or influence. 1t
is good cabinet from the standpoint of an
autocratic. not to say arrogant. president;
it is weak cabinet from the standpoint of
statesman who desires his party peers a.
his official counsellors.