The morning times., 1897-03-04

! win be as pleasant to hisfellow-countrymen
| as it must be to himself. 1t may be be-
ieved that he has the ability and person
ality TO meet and conquer the difficulty
| OF following one of the very best and
most popular war secretaries that the
nation has possessed. Whether consid-
| cred as man, an administrative officer,
or shrewd and genial moderator and
conseryator of the frictions and differ
ences, civil and military, that always
| cometo perpleX the head ofthis department,
| Colonel Lamont has shown himself ad-
mirable, and he retires loved and honored
| by al who have come in contact with him
Officially or socially.
As Secretary OF the Navy, ex- Governor
Long, of Massachusetts, may be expect
| ed to fill the place with credit and salts
faction to his party. His predecessor, Mr.
| Herbert, before entering the Cabinet, en-
| joyed the advantage of experience as
| chairman of the House Naval Committee,
and therefore started in with considera-
BILE equipment for the duties of the posi-
ton. IL he had been less hampered and
restrained by the dastardly policy of the
State Department. his administration of
the Navy might have passed into history
with a more brilliant record
The assignment to the Department Of
the Interior OF Mr.. Cornelius N Bliss, OF
New York, comes as final effort to give
the Empire State place in the Cabinet
without too much offending either of its
warning Republican factions. In this re-
spect the effort is likely To fail, and it
win hardly result in an increased opposi-
ton TO the administration on the part
of Senator Platt and the New York ma
chine. In one sense the appointment is
open to the objection that the Secretary
OF the Interior ought to have thorough
knowledge Of the land system of the gov
ernment, and of great economic and sci
entific questions connected with his du-
ties. Irrigation and forestry are among
these; and then he ought TO be q first
class lawyer. AS to nearly all these re-
quirements the supposition is that Mr.
Bliss is not fully equipped.
His immediate predecessor, Mr.. Francis,
is new man in the place who has given
indications OF ability, and with more time
might have made anexcellent record. The
Secretary before him, the Hon Hoke Smith,
was an industrious and painstaking officer.
who had the manhood to escape from bad
company when he found that his chief
and associates were bent upon destroying
the political party to which they owed
allegiance.
AS Attorney General Judge Mckenna
will be acceptable, although his proper
place would have been in the Interior De
partment. He succeeds Mr. Harmon. who
has had rather colorless administration,
no more characterized by antagonism to
trusts and other obnoxious public and
private influences than was that Of Mr.
olney who was in office before him.
Mr.. Gary, born in Connecticut, but now
of Maryland, is to be Postmaster General
in place of Mr.. Wilson, who has made a
good one and who succeeded Mr Bisser,
President Cleveland's old law partner, on
the latter's rather precipitate retirement.
Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa, the new Secretary
Of Agriculture, has seen good preliminary
service as head OF an agricultural college
in his State. He is not practical farmer,
but viii make no less a good Secretary ON
that account. He is fortunate in that he
might be anything and know as little as it
is given to man TO exist upon, and still
shine gloriously in comparison with the
official who reties.