The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-03

lords which have exerted such baneful in.
fluence upon recent administrations. / also
learn upon excellent authority that Presi-
dent Mckinley intends to give members OF
the house pretty free swing in the NAM
ing of postmasters and other officials in
their districts, thus restoring the system as
1t was before the days of Harrison, when
members of congress were virtually the ap-
pointing powers in their districts and rare
ly, very rarely, indeed, turned down by the
president.
VIII Trust His Cabinet.
in addition to the foregoing a prominent
senator tells me Major Mckinley told him
he was going to make his cabinet officers
cabinet officers in fact as well as naInc-
that is TO say, he was going to initiate
President Hayes policy of turning de-
partment over to the chief of 1t, holding
the chief responsible for its management,
and not interfering himself except In case
of large matters or things affecting policy.
Senator Sherman once told me that while
he was secretary of the treasury under Mr.
Hayes he would have been as much sur
prised at the presidents interference with
his management of the department as he
would have been at an attempt on the part
of one of his subordinates to dictate to
him. sit is the only way to run the gov
ernment," said Senator Sherman. "This
nation of ours is now too big for any one
man to attempt to manage. If a president
cannot trust his cabinet officers, he cannot
trust any one. He must trust them. And
If he wants good results he must give them
authority along with their responsibility.
Senator Sherman severely criticised Pres
ident Cleveland for virtually making him
self secretary of the treasury, giving orders
to Secretary Carlisle as if the latter were
hired man. That method of doing bust
ness did not coincide with Mr. Sherman's
ideas of the proper way to manage the af-
fairs of this great government. Besides,
he said, the secretary of the treasury was
as much responsible to congress as he was
to the president. That official is required
to report to congress, and is really the man
chosen by congress for care of the govern
ment's strong box. Senator Sherman add
ed in this conversation which l am now
recalling that by pursuing these methods
President Hayes gave the country one of
the best administrations it has ever had.
Policy of Harrison and Cleveland.
that Presidents Harrison and Cleveland
exercised constant supervision over their
cabinet officers. Practically nothing of
importance has been done during the last
three administrations in any of the de-
partments without previous consultation
with the president. Even in such matters
as the appointment of small postmasters,
the postmaster general has been required
to take all the papers up to the White
M tn fhpn1 pn
other with the president. 1t is not at all
uncommon for matters of second rate i'm
portance to come to standstill in one of
the departments pending conference be-
tween the cabinet officer responsible for It
and the president.
Harrison and Cleveland were hardwork
ing presidents. Nor is it any wonder
that they were. The president Of the Unit
ed States who insists upon keeping track
of all the details Of the great government
bureaus will not have much time left over
for play. There are so many really impor
tant affairs, vital matters, for the president
to give his attention to that he should con-
trive to throw off ne many details as pos
sible, leaving his mind free for the in
trinsic subjects If Major Mckinley has
decided to restore cabinet posts to their
original Importance, he has, in the opinion
of most public men here, decided wisely.
When Joseph Chamberlain, now secre-
tary of state Of Great Britain for the colo
MES, was in Washington few years ago,
he was much impressed by the small part
played by individuals in our government.
He was then known as Radical who be-
lieved in greater liberty for the people in
his own country. He was astounded to
find that in the United States man count
ed for little and that party and the sys-
TEN were everything. "Why," he said,
"there is no comparison between the in
fluence of an individual In your country
and in ours. With us the attitude of a
Gladstone, or of a Salisbury, or Of Par
nell, is everything. Here your individuals
are all subordinate to the party. No one
man rises to very great influence. You
keep your men down by your system, in
which one man is pretty nearly as good as
another would not live in country, {"
was Sir Joseph's conclusion, Gin which
the individual is of such little Importance. {"
Better Than Machine.
After Major Mckinley had been elected
president / heard him ask certain well
known public man-one who Is noted for
his devotion to the fortunes of a political
machine-how the organization was com
ing on. The public man told him they
| were in fine shape. cit may seem odd to
you," said the president elect, who was OBJ
viously In reflective mood, ''but have
never had machine. Even in nv con-
| gressional district, where / had many Bit
ter contests, never had such a thing as n
| political organization which you would
call machine. Somehow have been able
to get on without one"
The gentleman to whom this remark
was made had the good tact to say to the
president elect: II know that TO he trutb