The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-26
PAGES IS to is.

and said: You noticed that did not men,
ton that matter to Lincoln. am rather
superstltlOns about such matters and /
q on,t ike to talk about an appointment
until have made it. had not yet signed
your commission, and l thought It best To
wait TILL everything was completed He
tnen affixed his name to the commission.
ana after short chat | left the White
House; and that day took the oath OF
Office"
How did President Arthur treat his
Cabinet?"
He gave them authority over all matters
pertaining to their offices, and he expected
them 10 manage their own departments
ABOUT matters Of public policy we conferred
together. but as to ordinary appointments
ana rulings our decisions in our own depart
ments were final. He was very courteous
In the treatment Of his Cabinet Ministers.
anu L think they had more influence than
such officers have had during the last two
administrations. He was In some respects
much like a boy. If at times he became
crusty or petulant lie would overflow with
kindness to the extent almost of ELUSIVE
ness as sort OF an ap0l0g, for his actions"
The Cabinet of General Garfield was made
very slowly. He considered the matter the
night he received the news OF his election,
and he made out slate at that time. but he
changed this again and again before the day
OF his Inauguration, and his final choice was
disappointment 10 many. One OF his
closest friends at this time was General
Swain. whom he afterward made judge
advocate general, and Judge Swain has
told me some unwfitten history concerning
it. Said he:
II was at Mentor during nearly the whole
OF the period between Garfield's nomination
ana his election, and | remember very well
the night when we received the news that
he was elected We had decided ourselves
beforehand that New York aud Indiana
WnflI6 ln focf I f,o1 ,,aA
with General Chester A. Arthur to tele-
graph me at midnight Of election day as 10
the result in New York, and we received
his dispatch sitting in the little Office which
stood apaFt from the house at Mentor The
returns showed that everything had been
going our way. and when we got the dis
patch saying that New York had undoubt-
ediy gone Republican ] told General Gar
field that he was elected. He tried not TO
believe it and doubted, saying that we had
better wait awhile before we became too
confident. As the dspa tches came in, how
ever. his election was confirmed beyond
doubt, and shortly after midnight we left
the oflce and went upstairs. where he had
another little study aud where we could be
alone.
AFTER we got into the study asked him
as TO his Cabinet. ! said: You are elected
beyond the shadow of doubt, and would
like to know If you had TO decide tonight
just who was to 60 into your Cabinet what
persons you would choose He smiled at
the idea and asked me whom thought he
would select, ana be finally had me take my
seat at my desk, while he sat at mis- on the
other side of the room. He then said: we
will each write down on slip of paper the
men that we think ought TO GO into thu
Cabinet. After we are through | will turn
over my paper and lay it on my desk and you
can turn over yours, and we will then change
desks and see how near we come together
All right said i, and we each began
to write. A moment later General Garfield
SAID: have an alternate for one of my
Offices Il have several said |. Well. In
the course of a few minutes we were
through and We changed seats. OF the
names written down there were, perhaps,
three or four on both lists which were the
same. The others were different. Several
of the men whose names were written down
are still living, and would Tot like to give
the lists President Garfeld's ideas changed
from time to time until his Inauguration,
and he had 10 make Cabinet which should
be strong and which at the same time
would, he thought, aid in harm0niZing the
different elements of his party. aud at the
same time do justice to the whole country.
The details Of the formation may be pub
lished some time. but it seems to me that it
is too soon TO do now"
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Washington, Feb Is.