The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-20
ON CABINET MAKING.
THE DIFFICULTIES PRESENTED TO A
PRESIDENT ELECT.
Why Most Men Prefer the senate to Po-
sition In the Cabinet--Parts of the Coun.
try To BE Considerable observations on
Some Cabinets In the Past

Some Cabinets In the Past.
1t Is ever TO be regretted that the
founders of the republic did not in some
way arrange that cabinet places should
be more attractive to the class of men
who can best fill them Every cabinet
officer is In one sense one-eighth Of the
presidency OF the United States The
executive duties and responsibilities
with which the chief magistrate is
charged are divided into eight parts
and for practical purposes the head Of
a department is president of the United
States concerning that eighth of the
country's interests The presidents APP.
prevail and consent is more or less per.
functory, depending largely upon the
degree Of confidence he comes 10 have
in his various official advisers I'm this
light it il strange that a set of offices
so important and with the presidential
successiSl falling to them should go a.
begging to the extent that is usual with
cabinet places Few men nowadays will
leave the senate to enter cabinet Sen.
ator Allison has at least twice before
been offered portfolio and declined it.
Secretary Proctor left the cabinet of
Harrison to become a senator from Yer
mont Nathan GOT Of West Virginia is
said 70 desire "a cabinet position now,
that he may set into line for the senate
TO take the place of Mr. Faulkner,
whose term viii expire in two years.
Illustrations might be multiplied in
definitely 20 show that a place in the
senate is more coveted than one in the
cabinet. 4 senator, in going into cab.
met must bury the individuality of his
political ambition. AS long as the pres
ident is q candidate for reelection his
cabinet confidants must stand by him
and with him, while no Such response
bility is entailed upon his supporters at
the other end of the avenue If an adj
ministration prove a failure, it carries
down with it the reputation substantial
ly Of all who have been part of it.
Again, the duties of cabinet officer
are arduous and continuous. Instead of
an average six months in year, he
must. reside here constructively the
whole ID and have constantly in mind
the work of great business establish
ment. Half of his first year is consumed
in picking out his chief subordinates
and in explaining to the SO disappoint.
ed applicants for each position how it
happened that their names were passed
over. He must, moreover, maintain a
social establishment of considerable dig
nifty and consequently Of considerable
expense.
The relative undesirability Of cabinet
positions is only one, however, Of the
difficulties Of president elect in max
ing suitable selections for them. He
must, Of course, choose eight men who
are not only congenial to him. but con-.
genial to each other. They must be Ca
pable administrators as well as students
| of the affairs of their several depart
ments Geographical considerations,
too, always constitute troublesome
factor. When Major Mckinley started
out on the task of cabinet building, he
probably realized that one of the eight
places must go to New England anoth-
| er to New York one to the new tier OF
! Republican states on the southern bor-
! der, one to the northwest and two to the
Ohio valley and middle west region,
! and that perhaps the Pacific coast should
be remembered, the middle. Atlantic
states and also the extreme south. New
England almost always has a cabinet
position. In the two Cleveland admins
trations Mr.. Endicott and Mr. Olney,
| both of Massachusetts, have been the
New England representatives. Senator
Proctor of Vermont was Harrison S
man, and William L. Chandler of New
Hampshire President Arthur's. The
| Garfield cabinet which was in existence
so short time, had no New England
member Mr. Hayes selected General
Devens of Massachusetts. In the Grant
cabinets, where changes were pretty
| frequent, New England was represented
by Boutwell, and Richardson of Massa-
| chusetts and Morrill, of Maine inthe
treasury. Marshall Jewell of Connect
cut was postmaster general, and E X.
Hoar Of Massachusetts, served as attor-
ney general. -
New York, which has not far from
one-eighth of the population OF the
Union and proportion larger than
that in the matter of distinguished men.
gets place in every cabinet with like
regularity Mr.. Cleveland, in the con-
struction of each of his cabinets, has
selected two New Workers, Manning
and Whitney sitting in the first one and
Lamont and Bissell in the second. On
the death of Mr.. Manning, Mr.. Fair
| child, also of New York, succeeded.
Secretary Tracy was President Harri'
sons New York appointment TO the ma
Wv portfolio. Judge Folger was Presi
dent Arthur's secretary OF the treasury
and Thomas L. James was postmaster
general under President Garfield. VIII
liam M. Evarts was secretary OF state
under Hayes. Under Grant, Hamilton
Fish held the same office. and Edwards
Pierrepont was for time attorney gen
eral.
If Major McKinley's experience Is
like that of other presidents, he Will
find the task of cabinet making so great
that the real make up is likely to be