Evening star., 1897-03-05
Nominations of the New Cabinet Of
ficers.
ALL CONFIRMED WITHOUT OBJECTION
Some Little Talk in Regard to
Messrs. Gage and Bliss.
WHAT MR.. TELLER SAID

The President today sent the following
nominations to the Senate
Secretary.o of State-John Sherman of Ohio.
Secretary of the Treasury-Lyman j.
Gage of Illinois.
Secretary Of War-Russell A. Alger Of
Michigan.
Attorney General-Joseph McKenna of
California.
Postmaster GeneraHJames A. Gary of
Maryland.
Secretary of the Navy-John D. Long Of
Massachusetts.
Secretary of the Interior-Cornelus N.
Bliss of New York.
Secretary of Agriculture-James Wilson
of Iowa.
The Senate at once went into executive
session and confirmed Mr.. Sherman's nomi-
nation.
No objection was made to the nomina-
tions of any other member of the CABINET,
but they were referred to committees TO
pay a compliment to Mr.. Sherman. The
nominations were referred as follows:
Mr. Gage and Mr.. Bliss to the finance
committee, Mr.. Alger to the committee on
military affairs, Mr.. Mckenna to judiciary.
Mr.. Gary to post Offices and post roads.
Mr. Long to naval affairs, and Mr.. Wilson
to agriculture.
The Senate then, without going out of
executive session, took a recess until
o'clock.
The first nominal ton taken up as soon as
the Senate reconvened at 2 o'clock was
that of Mr.. Gage to be Secretary of the
Treasury This nomination caused consid-
cradle discussion. the silver men of the
Senate taking occasion to point out the
position of Mr. Gage on the financial ques-
ton.
Silver senators who did the talking said
they did not intend to interpose any OBJ
jectio to the confirmation, but they want
ed to make it plain that while there were
pledges made by the new administration
for bimetallism. the new Secretary they
said was a gold man.
Nothing was said on the democratic side
concerning the cabinet opposing. Senator
Teller, silver republican, made the prin-
cipal speech. After discussing the nomina-
tion of Mr.. Gage for some time he took up
that of Mr.. Bliss to be Secretary of the In
terior.
He said he considered this a most unfor-
tunate selection. Mr.. Bliss was esti-
mable man, and man who would have
filled other positions with credit. but he
was entirely untitled for Secretary of the
Interior. This was a position which was
of vast Importance. More cases were de-
cided involving property rights by the Sec
retary of the Interior than were decided
by the United States Supreme Court. They
were for the most part legal questions. and
required a knowledge of law.
Mr.. Bliss was not lawyer, but banker
and a business man who knew nothing OF
the many questions which .were to come
before him Secretary of the Interior.
Senator Hoar of Massachusetts paid a
| high tribute to Mr.. Bliss and pointed out
! that many of the questions decided by
| the Secretary Of the Interior were inter
pretated by law clerks, and no matter how
good lawyer a man might be he coulc
| not investigate all the matters that came
| before him. and for that reason Law
| force had been provided to assist the Sec
| retary in his work He said that the bust
| ness ability of Mr.. Bliss was unquestsoned
| After a little more talk, all the nomina
| tions were confirmed without objection.