The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-11
No Doubt That the President has His
Resignation in Hand

1
Washington, D. c., Aug 10.---Secre-
| tary Hoke Smiths resignat ton as mem
Der Of the cabinet and the head Of the in
terror department is in the hands of the
president The authority for this state
ment is a close personal friend of Sec
rotary Smith.
As the story goes Secretary Smith for
| warded his resignation to the president
at Gray Gables on the same day that he
authorized the publicati ton in his paper,
the Atlanta Journal. of the editorial de-
claring that the paper would support
Bryan and Sewall, although deprecating
the platform upon which they were nom
mated. In his letter to the president, IT
is said, Secretary Smith announced the
position he was going to assume. point
ed out that he had during the campaign
IN Georgia given a solemn pledge that
he would abide by the action Of the
Chicago convention, and then went on
to say that he could not, in justice to the
president, longer remain In the cabinet.
While Secretary Smith is not here
either to affirm or deny the story, and
while he has maintained persistent 81
lence towards the public on this oues-
ton, the suggestion that he has already
placed his interior department portfolio
at the disposition of President Cleve-
land is believed here to be correct The
question IS. what VIII the president do
about it? If the president maintains his
present policy of silence and apparent
Indifference toward the independent
sound money movement as Wen as the
Chicago ticket, and at the same time
takes no action upon Mr.. S1n;ht's resig-
nation, 1t is believed the secretary Will
~
If the president makes any public decla-
ration whether IN behalf of a Demo-
cratic sound money ticket or advising
his friends Of adopting the more direct
method Of voting for Mckinley; or even
ifhe should come out in a public de-
nunciation Of Bryan and Sewan and
their platform, it is believed Secretary
Smith will compel the acceptance of his
resignation and retire to his Georgia
home to take ali open part in the cam,
paign.
A great deal has been said about Mt
Cleveland keeping hands off, and per-
hitting members of his administration
TO do as they please. but this does not do
credit to the arneStnesS Of the president
in this matter. He might not pay much
attention to the action of minor officials
IN behalf Of Mr.. Bryan, but ne would
not remain indifferent to a member Of
his official family giving support to a
ticket, the success of which would not
only bring disaster upon the country,
but carry with it condemnation of the
administration.
The disagreement Of Mr.. Cleveland
and Mr.. Smith on the point at issue be-
ing merely one OF political policy does
not relieve the situation much, however,
though it makes 1t impossible there
should be personal rupture between
them There is a thorough understand
Ing between Mr.. Smith and the presi-
dent, and the former is no more apt
to yield a point than the latter
The attitude OF Mr. Cleveland toward
the Bryan ticket is much more positive
and aggressive than has been indicat-
ed by any Of the gusses indulged in
There is nothing passive or indulgent In
mis- attitude. He is intent upon the ac-
compl&5hment of BTyan's defeat, and
can be depended upon to do anything
he thinks Will best serve that end. His
is not an ordinary opposition, which
simply disapproveS, but is intense, and
will be active. Under the circumstances
man supporting the Popocratic ticket
would be as much out Of place IN his
cabinet as would a protectionist as sec
rotary of the treasury.
Secretary Smith has never made for
NAL announcement of his personal atti-
tude in the present fight, but there is
no doubt about him following the policy
adopted by his paper which would not
have been taken without his approval.
But though Mr.. Smith has not taken the
public fully into his confidence he has
not left Mr. Cleveland in doubt.