Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-10-08
THE PUBLIC'S MEMORY.
II Is the Most Tickle Thing OF
Which We Know.
Statesmen Who, . Few Years Ago, Con-
trolled the Destinies of the Nation,
Are Now Not Even Remem-
bered by Name.
Especial Washington Letter.

1.-THE people forget very quickly"
said Senator Hill one evening when hc
was being complimented for his de-
Tense of his party. 'They are quickly
appreciative and ready to applaud
when they think it is right; but they
very soon forget public services"
That is very true, and several gentle
men who heard the remark of Senator
Hill were discussing it this evening.
We reverted to the public men who had
passed away and been forgotten in u
generation. The question was asked:
"Who were the members of the cabinet
of Abraham Lincoln?" Not man in
the gathering could name all of them.
William H. Seward, secretary OF
state, had so much to do with our for
eign relations during the civil war that
his name was readily recalled. Edwin
M. Stanton, secretary of war, had his
name in the newspapers every day, and
hence became so prominent that his
name was easily recalled. But Salmon
p. Chase, secretary of the treasury, WAS
seldom heard of in comparison with the
others, and only one man present re-
called his name. The other members of
the Lincoln cabinet were forgotten,
until veteran sailor reminded the
gentlemen that Gideon Welles was Sec
rotary of the navy.
Gen. Grant was president for two
terms, and nobody in our party could
give the names of the members of his
cabinet. They were all great men, and
all served their country with distinc-
ton, but their names do not stand forth
prominently in the memory Of men:
30 that gathering of gentlemen who
have dealt with public men for many
years could not give their names.
Grant was the central figure of his own
administrations. The members of his
cabinet who were unfortunate were re-
called, but none of the others.
President Hayes had a cabinet COM
posed of strong men, and their names
were more easily recalled, because it
has not been so very long since they
were here with us. Can you name
them all, or any of them? William M.
Evarts was secretary of state; John
Sherman was secretary of the treas
ury. Richard Thompson, of Indiana,
the venerable statesman who still
lives, was secretary of the navy. David
M. Key was postmaster general, and is
remembered chiefly because he was the
first southern man given a cabinet po-
sition after the civil war. George w.
McCrary, the author of the electoral
commission bill, was secretary of war.
Carl Schurz was secretary of the in
terror, and Gen. Charles Devins, of
Massachusetts, was attorney general.
Mr.. Evarts was in the senate for six
years, and then retired to private life.
John Sherman has been in the senate
ever since, and has twice been presi-
Dental candidate. McCrary, Key and
Devins are dead. Carl Schurz is an
editor.
If their names were not mentioned
thus particularly,w could recall them
without great mental effort? Very
few.
President Garfield had a strong cab
met, but it was broken up after his
death, and a new cabinet was formed
by President ArthAr. You might find
it difficult to recall the names of the
members of either one of those cab
inets. Blaine was secretary of state in
Garfield's cabinet, and Frelinghuyscn'
was secretary Of state in Arthur's cab