The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-27

dents. There have been go members OF
Presidents Cabinets. 1t has been the
common ambition of Presidents to main
tain as nearly intact as possible the
Cabinets with which their administra-
lions began. Franklin Pierce was the
only President who attained this am
bition. The seven Secretaries whom Mr..
Pierce called to his council remained with
him until he went ont OF office. Internal
harmony was, perhaps, the most dlstln-
gushing feature of the Pierce admlalstra-
ton. Yet there were men of strong indi-
yidualitv around that long table from
1858 to 1857 and there were great questions
before the country. Jefferson Davis was
the Secretary of War; William l.. Marcy
of New York, the chief politician OF his
dey, was Secretary of State; Caleb Cush-
ing was Attorney-General. The other
members would hardly be recognized by
this generation.
President Grant accorded to his Secreta-
RES more independence than almost any OF
the later Presidents. James \. Iyner,
who was Postmaster-General,s says Grant
left all ordinary matters to the members
of the Cabinet. He simply asked to know
the recomm endations of the Secretaries,
and Endorsed them as matter OF form.
Il want you to look into such things
and decide them for me- he would say.
If you are sure you are right L Will de-
eide them as YOU say.
But notwiths landing this theory of the
dignity and Importance OF the Cabinet Of
fee, General Grant had much trouble in
keeping his members together. Twenty
three men held positions OF this kind un-
der him. In those days there was one less
member. The Secretary of Agriculture
had not been created. Five men-Scho-
field, Rawllns, Beiknap. Taft and Cam
eron-filled the Office of Secretary of War
under Grant. Five men-Hoar, Akerman,
Williams, Pierrepont and Taft-were in
turn Attorney General. The secretary
ship of state under Grant was held practi-
caliv by one man through the eight years.
Washburne was Secretary, but only for a
short time.
Hamilton Fish was the Secretary of
State practically for the two terms. Presi-
dent Grant became so accustomed to
Cabinet changes that he had in his mind
successors for the Secretaries. Fish fire.
quently talked of resigning; he wanted to
General Grant selected a man for Secre-
tary of State and carried him in his mind
for years, but without having the oppor-
tunitv to appoint him. That which makes
this Renaissance worth the telling IS the
fact that the person whom Grant would
have appointed Secretary of State, had
Fish resigned, is one much talked about
for the same place in the Mckinley Cabi-
net. He is Andrew D. White of New
York.
Mr.. Cleveland has in his Cabinet three
men who were not there when the admin
istration came i'll four years ago. He lost
nis Secretary of State by death and his
Postmaster General and Secretary of the
Interior by resignation. tits not generally
known that before he resigned II oke
Smith made careful inquiries among in
innate friends as to the prospects of the
Bryan and Sewall campaign. The Secre-
tary of the Interior firmly believed at
that time the free-silver Democracy was
going to win. Perhaps lie would have re-
signed anyway, but there is no doubt the
course of political events was not what he
expected when he retired from the Office
for conscience sake.
'Say to Mr.. Mckinley that he will take
the lid off of hill if he gives Whitelaw
Reid place in the Cabinet"
This remark is attributed to Thomas C.
Platt. 1t is said to have been made at
the recent meeting between Mr.. PIatt and
Mr.. Hanna in New York. 1t will serve as
an illustration that a President-eIect
must consider more than the wishes OF
himself and the acquiescence OF the one
selected in making up a satisfactory Cabi-
net. The late President Hayes had an ex-
perience which is another good example
along the same line. He invited John NJ.
Harlan of Kentucky to become his Attor-
neyGeneral. Mr.. Harlan accepted, made
all of his domestic arrangements to take
up his residence in Washington for four
years and actually came here with his
family. But when Mr.. Hayes arrived to
be inaugurated Senator Morton of In
diana called upon him and said Mr..
Harlan must not go into the Cabinet.
He added that if the President insisted
on sending Harlan's name to the Senate
for Attorney-General he would exert him.
self 70 the utmost to prevent confirma-
ton.
thing for the Senate to do, but there was
no doubt of Norton de.ermip alton. Mr..
Hayes yielded. He did not send in the
name OF Mr.. Harlan, substituting for ii
that of Mr.. Devens of Massachusetts,. Fol-
two or three days MIR. Hayes was In q
good deal of trouble about his Cabinet.
He had 10 make several changes because
of the withdrawal of Harlan before he was
satisfied with the harmony of the list.
The Hayes Cabinet stood we'll as finally
fixed. There were but three changes made
during the four years thatfollowed, which
was far better than the average Cabinets.
Morton's iDsuperable objection to Harlan
dated back to the war times. Harlan was
Union Democrat. He commanded Ken.
lucky troops until 1863, and then became
Attorney General of Kentucky, being
elected by the Union party. After tina,
he was Republican and in the National
convention which nominated Mr.. Hayes.
Mr.. Harlan was chairman OF the Ken
lucky delegation. But away back in the
Mcclellan campaign Mr.. Harlan had gone
over into Indiana and made speeches