Evening star., 1896-12-26
President-Elect Mckinley Studying j..
the Situation.
MUCH DEPENDS ON EVENTS
Cabinet Gossip and the Rush for
Diplomatic Places.
SO NJ E POSS SIBILITIES
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star

eoinS 10 De so much of a vacuum as tho
congressional recess. Mark Hanna's branch
headquarters in Cleveland are thronr,d
with people who have important business
with the national chairman ana I'm spite of
ms efforts TO head them on they all come
oo"n TO Canton TO pay their respects 10
the Presiden,-elect. So the major will b..
Aep. ousier than he anticipated I'M Con-
gress Is at work again.
The folks who come dtrec, fro,, wash
ihston find Major Mckinley more interested
In the Cuban probabilities than I'm sn,
other subject. The tariff outlook gives
him no more concern since the Dinrlev hill
was buried, and the plan for tariff l.sisla
tioh at an extra session met with the in
dorsement of the republican leaders The
cameron resolution. however is recognized
as magazine. which by causing an ex
piosion might demand an entire change in
eer.aln plans and policies of the admins
uauon- On that account the President
elect has been anxious for the nsrsorsI
views OF public men fresh from Washing
ton Senator Shoup and others have toId
MN that the sentiment was growing more
conservative, and that the probabilities of
action which would precipitate a conflict
with spain at the threshold OF the majors
administration are lessening. Nobody how
EYER, mas told him positively that the
cameron resolution would not pass the
senate, while considerable Irritation has
peer shown toward Secretary Olney. The
star correspondent is informed that A
,rlsndly hint has been conveyed TO Major
mckinley, whatever views he may have on
the merits of the question, not to lei th.
impression get abroad that he approves
secretary Olney's way of raising the issue
WIN WIN the Senate The major being dis
Greet man who avoids antagonisms such
advice to him is hardly necessary When
the Cuban policy of the Mckinley adminis-
tration has been matured IL will be of a ma
h fhx.- n,
ate.
Cabinet Talk
Major Mckinley is the more anxious 10
be correctly informed on the CUBAN proba-
bilfties because the makeup of some parts
OF MS cabinet depends on what Congress
does There are no fresh developments
regarding Senator Allison and the S.ate
Department In all likelihood there will
be none until the Iowa Senator goes 10
washington Possibly the most accurate
statement of the situation would he to
say that the department is open half way
to Allison. Other positions. however are
also dependent on this little speck of a
war cloud over Spain and the United
states. There is ground for saying that
the President-elect has modified some of
his original views In regard to the War
and Navy Departments His hope and
expectation is that full justice will be done
to the lberty-loving Cubans without the
active Intervention of the United States.
He prefers to enter upon his administra-
ton In the happy condition of peace with
all nations assured for the future so that
domestic policies may be carried out New
ertheless, Major Mckinley recognizes the
force of the war sentiment. He never
characteriZes it '.jingoism.' He feels
that while continued peace is the sensible
and reasonable assumption prudent states
marship requires that the remote poss!-
bility Of hostilities shall not be overlooked.
And one element of prudent statesmanship
would be to have men at the head of thu
War and Navy Departments who would
know something of the technical duties OF
their positions. Tfic remote contingency
has already caused doubts whether the
place Of Cornelius Bliss in the cabinet
will be the Navy Department. Ii has
thrown a shadow over the prospects of
Ex-Governor w. r. Merriam of Mime
sofa for the War Department and has
caused the record of some of the men who
have served in the military and navel COM
mittees of the House and Senate TO he
scanned with view to discovering their
other qualifications.
Foreign Missions.
The uncertainty over the cabinet does not
interfere with the active pursuit of foreign
missions. Fully half the visitors to Canton
want the administration to send them
ablo Nearly every man who was rep
resentative of the United States under the
Harrison administration, either i'm the Dip
lomatic or the consular service. wants his
old place or something better" Few of
these will have their wishes gratified. As
Mark Hanna puts it, the new man has got
to be recognized this time Some of the
party leaders have been SO determined in
their efforts ii has been necessary to re-
mind them that whoever is chosen Secre-
tary of State will want something to say
Until this selection is made not much light
can be gained. Some Indications, however,
may be cleaned 1t seems to be under
stood that for the sake of peace in the New
York family Whitelaw Reid can be am
bassador to one Of the leading powers. pos
sibly to Great Britain, II his health per
mits. Col. John Hays probable preferment
is still unknown, though Major Mckinley
evidently intends to make use of his tall
ents in some responsible diplomatic posi-
ton. He will be credited to Ohio. but the
appointment will be a personal. rather than
a political one. Ex-Congressman Bellamy
Storer of Cincinnati wanted to be am
bassador to France, but would have taken
Italy. Theological reasons however. would
interfere with his going to Rome, and Paris
seems a little beyond his reach. He may
get Austria or Russia. Senator Foraker
hates Mr.. Storer with a deep and abiding
heartiness, yet he might not oppose the
latter's confirmation, because he would pre-
fer to have Mr.. Storer out of the country.
Besides, his opposition would not prevail
against the wishes of the national admin
istration.
Senator Quay is credited with a desire TO
have Gov. Hastings given either cabinet
position or foreign amDdSSduorsnip ds
compensation for taking him out of the
race for the Senate. Major Mckinley will
await the outcome of the senatorial strug-
gle before committing himself on this point.
though Pennsylvania will be remembered
in the first-class foreign appointments. He
has a high regard for John Russell Young,
who is friendly with Quay. 1t is therefore
possible that Mr. Young may take ms pof-
mer place as minister to China
The Illinois politicians want two or three
high-c;ass foreign missions, though they
have not presented the high-class men to
fill them. They may secure the mission to
Belgium for ex-Gov. Fifer. Ex-Congress-
man George E. Adams. who has Withdrawn
from the senatorial struggle. may at a later
period be selected for the diplomatic serv-
ice.
Several ambitious statesmen have made
known their willingness to be accredited
minister of the United States to the repub-
lie of Cuba. Perhaps one of them may
some day have this wish gratified, but the
nomination will hardly be in the first batch
that President Mckinley sends TO the Sem
ate A minister to Spain Is likely to be
among the early nominations. Minister
Taylor will be succeeded by some one who
is known personally to Major Mckinley.
and who will be sent abroad with full
knowledge OF the administrators policy.
Andrew ID. Whites name has been suggest
ed. Mr.. White will not be Secretary OF
State. but he will be In favor with Presi-
dent Mckinley. Spain does not rank with
- - IL q.