Evening star., 1897-04-09
PRESIDENTS CABINET
MoKinley's Advisers Business Men Rather
Than Scholars.
An Interesting Character Study OF the
Group of New Secretaries at
Washington.
From the Review Of Reviews.

One of the first things to be noted is the
fact that in point of years the cabinet Is so
literally well-seasoned. Every man in the
group is past sixty years of age except
Nr. Long, who IS fifty-nine, and Mr.. Nc
Kenna, who is ffty-four. 1t seems to US
dccide edly to Mr.. McKinley's credit that he
selected men older than himself to be his
couns elors. Mr.. Mckinley Is just fifty
four, and Is therefore of the same age as
the youngest member of his cabinet. The
average age of the whole group is some
what between sixty-two and sixty-three
years. Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet was much
younger The men who laid down the port
folios on March had averaged only fifty
one years of age when their cabinet was
formed.
The Oldest Cabinet.
Mr.. McKinley's cabinet. therefore. aver
ages from eleven to twelve years older
than Mr.. Cleveland's Mr.. Cleveland him
self. who completed his sixtieth year on
the 18th of March, was about five years
older than the average of, his cabinet
President Harrison had cabinet of rather
uniform age, the average at the beginning
being about ffty-five years. Some further
comparisons with earlier cabinets not
Washington's first cabinet averaged only
3S-S years. Mr.. Jefferson's forty-six years
making him much the oldest member of
that group. while Hamilton, being only
thirty-two. was the youngest. President
Jacksons first cabinet averaged less than
forty-sfx years, and the very oldest mem
Eer OF 1t was only fifty. President Lincoln's
first cabinet-as befitted crisis so grave
and fateful-was made up of much older
men. their average age being more than
hfty-seven. So far our inquiries have
extended. Mr. McKinley's cabinet would
seem to be Of a greater average age than
Pttt ",
day the art of living has so much i'm
proved that men are still young at sixty
MIR. Mckinley Is by no means unapprecia-
tive of the usefulness Of young men In
public life: but he would seem to prefer
older men for the cabinet, and, as a rule
younger men for assistant secretaries and
Tor headS OF bureaus and special services.
W hen the process Is completed and the
new administration organized throughout
1t will be found that Mr.. McKtnley's cabi-
net Is brilliantly reinforced by a group of
talented and vigorous men whose age will
average about forty years.
Notable Business Men.
1t is further to be noted that this cabinet
Is pre-eminently composed of business men
as distinguished from politicians. None of
them have been devoid of political expert
ence. and each has political weight in the
party councils Of his own state. Mr.. Sher-
man. Of course. is a veteran public servant
whose long life has been given to practical
participation in the official work Of carry
ing on the United States government. Three
Wilson. Mr.. Long and Mr.. McKenna-have
had congressional careers and have had
large and prominent experience in the leg
tslatures of their own states. Mr.. Long
having also been ore Of the most bril-
liant governors in the history of Massa-
chusetts General Alger has served as
governor of Michigan, and Mr. Bliss might
have been governor of New York more
ha n Nr GarS ole hnx, hnov,
governor of Maryland II the state had not
been hopelessy dem ocratic. Thus, the
cabinet has had the average fair
share of experience in political work and
public life. But each member of it has
large and responsible private interests. and
possesses in that sense a great deal Of
weight in his own community. 1t is a
cabinet of men accustomed to large bust
ness affairs. 1t happens to be true also
that 1t Is cabinet Of men OF means sew
eral of whom are reckoned as milionaires.
But these are to be considered rather as
representing the best type of administra-
tive ability. rather than merely as the
possessors of large wealth. They are typi-
cal men Of affairs rather than typical rich
men. Their business knowledge is of a
kind that ought to be Of inestimable value
in the conduct of the affairs OF the United
States government, which in the course of
their four years term must. In the nor
NAL order of things. collect and expend
more than $2.OOO,0OOOO.
The City Rather Than the Country.
1t is worth while to observe further that
this is cabinet distinctively of city men.
Thus. Mr.. Bliss represents the business men
of New York city in the most authoritative
sense, while Mr.. Gage. more completely
than any other one man that could be
named, Is representative of the best bus-
ness life of Chicago. Mr.. Long. though a
lawyer and therefore a professional man
rather than business man. Is nevertheless
IN his practice clOSe1v identified uyffb
the large business interests of Boston, and
stands for that city very admirably Mr.
cary represents the manufacturing. bank
ing and commercial interests OF Baltimore as
typicaily as New York and Chicago are
represented by Messrs. Bliss and Gage
However much or little Mr.. McKenna may
have been identified with the commercial
hfe OF San Francisco, 1t + certainly true
that the substantial business men Of that
city of all shades of political opinion have
applauded his appointment as that of man
Immediately representing the best quality
Of their San Francisco life and citizenship
General Alger has been identified with the
development Of the fine city of Detroit for
thirty years or more. and is in every sense
an exponent OF those particular manufac-
turing and business interests that have
played the leading part in the prosperity of
the city. Mr. Sherman-although his legal
residence and summer home is at Mansfield
Ohio-belongs, in fact. to the beautiful city
OF Washington. where in the pursuit of his
official duties he has had his principal resi-
dence for the past forty-two years. The
oEly member of the cabinet. therefore, who
Is not Of the city rather than the country
Is the Secretary OF Agriculture Mr.. Wilson
who is at once farmer student scientist
administrator and teacher. and who, In ali
around capacity. has no superior in the
cabinet. while in fitness for a specific port
folio he has probably no equal This cabi-
net made up Of city men Is In rather strik-
ing contrast on that score with Mr. Cleve-
land of 1893. which had Mr.. Olney of Bos-
ton as its only member who might be con-
sidered as identified in any representative
sense with the life of great city. No 9TH
er cabinet in the history of our country has,
to any such extent as the one now at work
been drawn from the heart Of the larger
business life centering in our great towns
The change In this respect suggests certain
radical changes that are coming about in
Our social and Industrial conditions.
Not n Cabinet Of Scholars
II the new cabinet may be called a
group of men Of city manners and excep-
tional social qualifications, It is not q body
OF university-bred or strikingly learned
men. Mr.. Long. with his Harvard educa-
tion and his literary aptitudes, is the ex-
ception. Mr.. Gary Of Baltimore attended
TN his early youth the college at Meadville,
Pa. where Mr.. Mckinley also went for a
time, but the other members Of the cabi-
net are not Of college training. All of