The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-14
SOME CABINET GOSSIP.
Dingley For Secretary of the
Treasury.
SHERMAN SECRETARY OF STATE.
Our Washington Correspondent Again
Makes Predictions Why senator Ali
son May Decline Place In the Cabinet.
His Ambition TO he President.

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. son May Decline Place In the Cabinet
His Ambition TO he President.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IA Special Herr
! at the capital the politicians are settling
down To the belief that Governor Dingley
of Maine Is TO be President Mckinley
secretary Of the treasury. 1t viii be re-
membered that this selection was an
: nounced in my dispatches 10 your paper
ten days ago. For some time the friends
OF the Maine congressman expressed the
opinion that he woull not be willing 20
leave the house of representatives, where
he has practically a life tenure, in order TO
serve as a member of the cabinet. They
said no had an ambition to stay in the
house and at the head OF the ways and
means committee till he could prepare a
tariff bill and give his name 10 il. For
some reason or other 10 is the ambition of
many men who achieve success in public
life 20 attach their names TO tariff bill.
Now that Major Mckinley has by that
road advanced TO the White House the
ambition to follow in his footsteps will
probably DO keenor than ever before.
Dlnglcy's Guiding Hand.
Those who argued that on this account
Mr. Dngley might not be willing to go
into the treasury overlooked one important
part of the plan. Mr.. Dingley occupies
today the unique position of man who
can eat his cake and have it too. He may
attach his name to a new tariff bill and at
the same time be secretary of the treasury.
The ways and means committee held
meeting on Thursday to prepare the way
for the framing Of tariff bill TO be pre-
20 tIs, -.
meet in special session next March, rs
some time ago told you it would do. Mr.
Dngley is the chairman Of this committed
His will be the guiding hand in the prepa-
ration of the bill. When the new congress
meets, the measure will be all ready for
passage. 1t will be given to the commit.
tee of the new house-practically the sans
committee that now exists-and will he
promptly reported back to the new house.
There it is expected to pass in couple of
weeks.
BY the time It gets through congress
and to the White House. and thus to the |
statute books, Mr.. Dingley no doubt will |
be secretary of the treasury. But no mat |
ter, twill still be his bill. 1t will be the |
fruit of his toll and genius. 1t will bear
his name. As chairman of the ways and |
law, and az secretary Of the treasury he
will have the execution of Ii. This is q
unique position surely. The only parallel
to it in history which can recall at this
moment is found in the case Of Robert
Walker, who, in 1916, while secretary of
the treasury, prepared what was afterward
known as the Walker tariff law. 1t al
ways bore his name, though he was not in
congress when it was enacted. AS secre-
tary of the treasury he executed it, Just as
Mr.. Dingley, if the present programme
succeeds, will have the execution of his
own statute.
TIL. State Department.
From all / can gather the president
elect is in quito quandary concerning
the selection of secretary of state. That
is most difficult post properly to FILL and
1T chances just at this moment that the
Republican party contains but few men in
every way available for it, The first
thought of Major Mckinley was to offer
the state department to his old friend and
leader, Senator Sherman. To Senator
sherman more than to any other man in
public life Major Mckinley felt a sense of
gratitude. Even now it Is reported in
that Senator Sherman will
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elect rendering him the premiership of
the new cabinet But it is not thought
Mr.. Sherman will accept. He finds his
years growing on him apace, and he wishes
to spend the remainder of his days in the
senate, where he is not forced to hard work
unless he happens to feel like doing 1t. In
the state department it would be all work
and no play, and the task is too heavy a
one for Mr.. Sherman to undertake
Barring the improbabili5y of Mr. Sher-
man accepting the post, believe Senator
Allison OF Iowa Is next in the mind of the
president elect. Though Mr.. Allison has
never had special training for state de-
partment work. he is an able man and
would make good premier. Major Nc
hinley Is trying to construct cabinet
that Will be strong not only in executive
work, but In its influence with congress.
II he were to have Allison In the state de-
partment and Dingley in the treasury, he
would have made great stride toward
OF his purpose, for one is
strong among senators and the other pop.
ular and influential in the house.
but there is "a fear that Senator Allison |
VIII not accept. He Is perhaps tho only
man living who has had the chance to de-
cline three appointments to the cabinet.
he declined the secretaryship of the treas
lry under Garfield Arthur and Harrison.
understand that to the latter be told the
reason why he would not take the Office
because no president ever permitted sec.
retary of the treasury to run the Office
himself according to his own ideas and
without interference from the White
House.
Allison's Ambition.
Senator Allison has fortunate place In
The upper branch of congress. Next to Mr..
Sherman, who is now giving up much Of
his activity, the Iowa senator may be said
20 be the Republican leader of the body
de Is third in seniority of service, being
oxcelled In this respect only by the veteran
Morrill, of Vermont and by Mr.. Sherman
Allison will have been in the senate for "a
years come next March, and he has Just
been reelected for six years more. The
chances are that IL he refuses to succumb
to cabinet temptations he will be able to
stay In the senate as long as he lives
One reason why the friends of the Iowa
senator think he will decline to take
place In the Mckinley cabinet Is that he
still has an ambition to be president of the
United States Last summer he was, with