The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-20

affairs of the department. No one OF
the gentlemen whose name is mention
ed in connection with the place under
the next administration has had any
naval experience
THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
The secretary of state is the premier
of the cabinet He is not only first in
line Of succession to the presidency
after the vice president, but he is the
most honored of the presidents ad-
ViSers, and he is supposed 10 have more
important interests in his keeping than
any other member of the cabinet. He
corresponds as the representative OF
the United States with the other gov
ernments of the world through our
own ambassadors, ministers or consuls,
or through the representatives of for
eign nations at Washington. He is
also the medium of the president in his
communications with the governors Of
the states. He has the custody of the
great seal, and atfixes it to all execu-
tive proclamations, to commissions is
sued by the president, and to warrants
for the extradition Of fugitives from
justice. He has the custody of the
treaties made with foreign nations, and
he has charge of the laws of the United
States passed by congress. He issues
passports to Americans, and he grants
exequaturs to foreign consuls in the
United States. He publishes the laws
of the United States and amendments
of the constitution, and proclaims the
admission Of new states to the Union.
He also sends to congress reports
about commercial relations of our
country with others, and through his
cOnsuls he collects, for the benefit Of
merchants and manufacturers of the
United States, information about the
possibility of introducing American
goods into foreign markets as well as
information about shortages in foreign
crops and other facts tending to affect
the market price of goods at home
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
The attorney general is the chief law
officer Of the government. He repre-
sents the government in all matters in
volving legal questions, gives opinions
on the construction of laws, ETC.. to the
president and the department chiefs
when requested, superintends the work
of the district attorneys and marshals
of the United States throughout the
country, and provides special counsel
whenever necessary to protect the in
terests of the government He ap-
pears In the supreme court for the gov
ernment. He has supervision of the
care OF federal prisoners and he re-
ports on all applications for pardon
before they go to the president for ac-
ton. All the law officers of the depart
mqnts act under the direction Of the
attorney general There are subordi-
nate officers to represent the attorney
general actively in the supreme court
and the court of claims, but he must be
a good lawyer If the affairs of his de-
partment are to be conducted to the
best advantage.
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
The secretary of agriculture Is the
tail Of the cabinet, and the late Secre-
tary Rusk said his mission was to keen
the flies off the other members. There
have been only three secretaries of ag-
ricnlture, and all of them have been
men with some practical knowledge of
farming. In fact it is admitted that
the secretary of agriculture should
have a technical knowledge of farming,
though the place could be filed by a
man who had never seen a plow The
work Of the department is largely scien-
tific. Though a great many people
think there should not be a secretary
of agriculture, there is no doubt of the
Importance Of the work which the de-
partment has to do.
1t has happened very often that q
newly made member Of the cabinet has
discovered when he reached Washing
ton that he had to perform duties which
he never dreamed were associated with
the position he was to hold. If the few
thousand statesmen who are ambitious
to be in President McKinley's cabinet
will study this brief outline of the
duties of the members of the presidents
cabinet, they will learn what their
duties are to be If they capture an APP
polntmenf James r. Sanderson.