The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-06
DAY BEFORE INAUGURATION.
Exchange of Formal Visits Between the
President and President.Elect-Tbe New
Cabinet as Now Arranged-Cleveland to
Go Duck Hunting.

Exchange of Formal Visits Between thu
President and President.Elect-Tbe New
Cabinet as Now Arranged-Cleveland te
Go Duck Hunting.
Washington, March 3.-The president
elect is in an excellent state Of health
this morning. He rested we'll and was
/ exceedingly pleased with the quiet din
ner and evening which he passed at
the White house with President and
Mrs. Cleveland.
At 1890 o'clock Governor Lowndes,
Of Maryland, accompanied by his staff,
called and were received in the hotel
| parlor.
Late his afternoon there We're a
number of conferences at the rooms of
the pr~esident-elect on the subject of the
cabinet.
It was IL O'Clock when the president
elect drove up to the White house in
the rain to make the customary formal
call. Quite a crowd had collected near
the portico in anticipation of his arri-
val. Mr.. Mckinley walked quickly into
the main corridor whence he vas at
one ushered to the Blue room, where
President Cleveland and Secretary
Thurber stood eXpectingly. The hand
grasp Of the president was noticably
cordial in greeting his successor. The
interview was brief, for the president
elect had remained at the White house
last night until 10 o'clock discussing the
inauguration arrangements, and the af-
fairs Of state which are left over to
worry him.. and besides the visit was
purely one of courtesy in acknowledge
ment Of last nights hospitality. With
in two minutes of his entry the pres
ident-elect drove away.
President cleveland and Secretary
Thurber returned the call at once
The throng of callers at the White
house shows no lessening. Among them
today were Captain Robley Evans, who
is perfecting arrangements for q duck
ing expedition on a light house lender
to begin Thursday night.
1t is that this morning
Cornelius n. Bliss agreed to reconsider
his determination to remain in private
life ard consented to enter Mr.. McKin-
ley's cabinet as the representative of
New York state. 1t is understood that
the place to which he is for the present
assigned is the vacant post of secretary
Of the interior, n that the formal
tender of a abine position will be
made to him this afternoon by Mr.. Nc
Kinley. But Mr.. Bliss New York
friends want him to be secretary of the
navy and he would prefer that post for
himself for the reason that he is not a
lawyer and the tradition is that the
post of secretary of the interior shall
be occupied by a lawyer.
Governor John D. Long,, of Massa-
chusetts, who has been slated for secre-
tary Of the navy and who did not ex-
pect to reach here until some time to-
morrow was communicated with by tel
egraph and asked to come to Washing
ton Immediately. 1t is apparently the
intention to ask him to become Secre-
tary of the interior so as to leave the
navy portfolio Open for Mr.. Bliss.
If the arrangement as above outlined
is carried out the new cabinet will be
as follows:
Secretary of State-John Sherman, Of
Ohio.
Secretary of the Treasury-Lyman j.
Gage.
Secretary of War-Russell A. Alger,
of Michigan.
Attorney General-Joseph M'Kenna,
Of California.
Postmaster General-James A. Gary,
Of Maryland.
Secretary of the Navy-John D. Long,
Of Massachusetts.
Secretary of the Interior-Cornelius
N. Bliss, of New York.
Secretary of Agriculture-James Will
son.