The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-06
THE CABINET At WORK
How the New Men Take Hold
Of Business.
WAYS or THE OFFICE SEEKERS.

retEfY 1ona 1NNA'i"h5- ]
Hold OF the Roins Two Able Assistants
For Gage and sherman.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-[Special THE |
new members of the cabinet are just get |
ting settled down to their work. For |
month they have had their time taken up
very largely by office seekers and by the
friends and champions Of the latter, the
senator's and representatives in congress
II has been pretty hard work for the new
cabinet officers, strange in their places,
unfamiliar with public methods, afraid all
the time of making some ludicrous mis-
take. and constantly beset by influential
men asking for this, that and the other. l
was talking the other day with Postmas-
fer General Gary about this. The new
postmaster general is mild hammered old
gentleman. He even has benevolent as
meet with his CHEEKY, rudy face, his white
hair, his old fashioned spectacles. But if
ony one takes him for n groenhorn on
account of his appearance it will be great
mistake. MIR. Gary is trained and sue
cessful business man. He knows human
nature and IL quite competent TO take care
of himself.
cit is amusing to me, said he, "to
have men come TO me every few minutes
declaring that unless ] appoint So-and-s0
postmaster at such and such place the
Republican party will go TO ruin. They
make the hardest fight for the smallest
offices 1t is almost laughablo to hear
these dire predictions about little Offices
where the salary is only few hundred a
year Why, men will travel 1000 miles TO
see me about an Office in which the salary
of the postmaster is not more than 5000
per annum. And how they do stick and
hang for these little placesW And the
new postmaster general laughed most
heartily.
WAYS Ia the Navy Department.
Mr.. Long, the new secretary of the navy,
is surprising all the veterans of the depart
ment. You must know that when new
man comes to the head OF one OF these
great government departments all the lieu
tenants. all the officials who remain there
through administration after administra-
ton, Immediately proceed to "size him
nm They want to know how much he
will stand, what he will do in the way OF
keeping the strings in his own hands, how
easy it will be to impose upon him. III ne
is timid, or lazy, or procrastnatlng, they
have q chance to take possession or MN.
If they can start him out rs lieutenant
in his own official family, they VIII con-
trive afterward that he never gets pro-
motion. OF course this trouble is greatest
in the war and navy departments, where
the bureau officials are men who nave
come UP through the service. Ihey anect
To despise mere civilians anyway, ana
claim to know all about everything, ana
generally do, while the new man at the
head of the concern is a mere amateur VINO
needs good advice.
Secretary Long has taken hold OF the
business of his office like veteran. he i
already famous as n quick declder' Inc
bureau chiefs are delighted with th'
pronptness with which he dispatches busl
ness His predecessor, Mr.. Herbert, Wa'
certainly one of the best secretaries Oh TN
navy we have ever had. But he was DO
ouick. MIR. Long, on the other hand keep
his desk clear all the time. When ma'lu
is presented TO him. ne asks lew peru
nent questions about it, appears 10 uhuVr
stand il instantly, and signs his name.
is done. Mr.. Herbert had Il way OF puttlns
il off till tomorrow, till some Gay Whon ~
could look into it. Perhaps this dircrenc
is only the temperamcntal difference Whiol
we find between northern and southern
business men.
In the War Department
Secretary Alger is not faring qui.' 60 .
well. The war department. Is laihpus ~
being run by the bureau officials II nc ne
amiable and able gentlemen can 90 So Vn'
take control. They make the secretary :,
mere mail clcrk-that is, they acUu''ii
run the business, prepare inc oru ,Iio 90" %,
letters and the whole business OF the se'
retarv is to aflix his signature. ne ma
take the trouble to read them IL no I'm - :,
1t doesn't make any difference. Vt y
chooses to designate some one 10 sign W
,,,o;, Cor bimebis chief clerk or prlva'
secretary, for instancc-it Is al .no co." ,,,a
Tn sucI cage the secretary may go ava
ana have q GOOD time, and the departinei
goes on lust as we'll without him. ApoI
-. every other secretary of war we nav
willing enough to do this. MT La,ino o
xvas not one of that kind. He insisted uPo
running the machine himself III -
short. sharp, cunning way he prousno v,
chiefs I'M standing AS soon as IL was g. 3,
derstood there was no further troupio' :,
tho bnroou men are all fine gentlemen III
know their places.
Treasury and State Depar''''A
Secretary Gage of the treasury treas, y 'i has
ment says the greatest trouble ,t no time me
with the office seekers. He wants 81. .,i sen
study his department., and wno on, u" frien,
tors and representatives and tnel io i hv =,
oo,,,e abont and take up his time ny u
hour he grows trihe weary ,,o,. Mr' IN ot \
has shown how much he believes .s i
merit system by appointing as ou nss,I'I i
secretary young man VINO wot f,on, Il
way up through the department. ir np doc
humblest post, that of messenger aIn II
tender. This young secretary IN ME- , mumS
is only 8s years old, one oil inc roo sUrve
assistant secretaries of the tre s SUI mo
have ever had. He is also ono 0, .lre s scr
compctent for he knows the cu Is Sncre ph
ice like a book. "In fact, " saiu u ','' vou,
Gage to me today, 81 envy einII y Of +
man his knowledge of all the oetai =, y Enc
customs division. But in,enu ~ in
the treasury through and throu I'm a
short time. | shall not be happy ~, o' .oon
ne familiar with it as 1 am with .no ~ :"
halls and furniture of my own no"'t chin
Secretary sherman is taking .,o on uta
- ua said before he went lnto ono s ,','