The Progress., 1893-11-25

ment of one of the great departments of
the government is not so difficult task MS
you might imagine it to be. II one is will
ing to place hirlself at least temporarily
in the hands of his lieutenants they will do
the work. In all these departments are men
who know just as well how to manage
them as the ablest Of the gentlemen who
are appointed to look after them by the
president. II "a secretary of the treasury
cares to do it in that way, he may sit at his
desk and simply sign the letters and orders
placed before him, and he need have no fear
that the business of the department is not
going along in proper manner
An Injured wife's Ally.
Mrs. Carlisle has no ambition to manage
the treasury department, am sure. But
few weeks ago she did help run the de
partment for "A few hours and when she
started in to show what she could do as an
executive she succeeded exceedingly well.
She knew what she wanted to accomplish,
and it did not take her long to do it. There
was in the department woman who had
not confined her att mtiOn solely to the
work of her desk = She had managed to
strike up desperate Irritation with fel-
low clerk, married man, whose wife soon
discovered what was going on and did ev-
erything she could think of to put stop to
it. But her husband had been completely
infatuated by the schemng clerk and con
tinued his relations with her despite his
wife's threats and entreaties. Then it was
that the injured wife thought of Mrs. Car
Isle. She had heard that the wife of the
secretary was "A woman of great courage
and positiveness of character and felt sure
she would also find her full of sympathy.
sue called on Mrs. Carlisle, stated her
case, was asked a few questions and told
to call again For two or three days, so
far rs appearances went, nothing was be
ing done. But all this time Mrs. Carlisle
was satisfying herself as to the truth of the
charges which she was able to do only too
certainly. Then she walked into her huS-
bands Office and asked for an interview.
At the close of that conversation the secre-
tary issued an order dismissing the woman
who had broken up a once happy home,
and if the civil service rules and some other
red tapish distractions can be got over the
injured wife will get the place vacated
by her late rival The infatuated husband.
relieved of the constant presence of his
charmer, is gradually recovering his senses.
IL Told You So.''
There is still some curiosity in the pub
lie mind to know whether or not Mrs. Ger
Isle will have chance to say II told you
so" before this administration comes to an
end. Ii will be remembered that she was
opposed 30 her husband leaving the senate
for the purpose of becoming secretary of
the treasury. In the senate she said his
place was fixed. He was one of the leaders
on the Democratic side. There he could
push himself forward as one of the masters
of the tariff and other economic questions
He could have leisure for study, could do
his duty without wearing himself out men
tally and physically. If there was any
thing better in store for him Mt the hands
of his party, he would be just as likely to
win this from the senate floor as from the
office of a cabinet minister.
Mrs Carlisle spoke of the risks of serv-
ing as secret"ry of the treasury IL the adj
ministratioL made mistakes, the secretary
could not fype to escape his share of the
responsibility. If he were to be unfOrtu-
nate enough to quarrel with the president,
doubtless his political career would come !
to an end. If he remained in the senate,
she argued, Kentucky would send him
back, term after term, as long as he lived. /
But If he voluntarily stepped aside and
another were elected to his seat it would
be almost impossible to displace the new
conner should the desire to do so arise.
While Secretary Carlisle and the president .
are still on good terms, and Mr.. Carlisle .
seems to be doing very well in the treasury .
department, there are observers of men
and things who say Mrs. Carlisle will still .
get chance to call attention to her proph- .
ecy, pointing to its fulfillment with a GER
tain pride if not with satisfaction.
Mrs. Gresham is another woman who is .
honored by her husbands fullest conf .
dence in matters of state Mrs. Gresham |
knows all the ins and outs of the diplo- .
matte relations of this government. The /
secretary tells her what is going on, and /
when he is troubled by any matters he .
never fails to ask her advice. She has her /
own opinions, and these are sometimes .
quite different from those entertained by .
the secretary. In the Hawaiian matter for .
instance, it is gossiped about the Arlington /
hotel that Mrs. Gresham did not agree
with her husband, and that they had sew
eral good natured but earnest arguments /
about the matter, in which the woman
showed that she was quite able to take care /
of herself
Hard Work to Keep a Secret.
Luckily Secretary Gresham is not man
to insist that every one about him shall CO.
incide with his views. He likes opposition, /
and if Mrs. Gresham did not like the plan /
to place Queen Lii back on the throne of
Hawaii she gave such arguments in sup
port of her view that even the secretary OF
state must have been compelled to ransack
his brain for good answers. The wife of a
member of the cabinet said to me few
days ago:
"Yes, think that nearly all the impor
tant public men of this day talk over their
politics and business with their wives, just
as professional and business men talk Of
their affairs at home. ST no reason why
women should not give advice sympathy
and assistance in political or governmental
matters as well as in private concerns. The
old idea that a woman cannot keep a Sc
cret has been exploded thousand times
right here in Washington. You would be
surprised If you knew what l know as to
the Importance of the secrets which the
% at