The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-21
-e-GR-S-
IN MAKING a CABINET.
Difficulties That Confront the Presi-
dent-Uncoveted Eonors.

Boston Transcript: 1t is strange that
a set of offices so important, and with
the presidential succession falling to
them. should go a-begging to the extent
that is usual with places in the DreSi-
dents cabinet. Few men nowadays will
leave the senate to accept cabinet post
Senator Allison has at least twice before
been offered a secretaryship. ana mas
declined. Secretary Proctor left The cab
met of Harrison TO become senator
from Vermont. Nathan Golf of West Nir-
ginia is said to desire a cabinet position
row that he may get into line for the
senate to take the place of Faulkner.
whose term expires in two wears. Illus
trationS might be multiplied indefinitely
to show that place in the senate is
more coveted than in the cabinet / g
sides the danger of getting ont Of the
succession. which a senator risks in going
into cabinet. he must also bury the in
dviduality of his political ambition. So
long as the president is candidate for
reelection, his cabinet ministers must
stand by him and with him. while no
such responsibility is entalled upon his
supporters at the other end of the
avenue. If an administration proves 4
failure it carries down with it the repu-
tation of all who have been d lart of
il. Then the duties of a cabinet officer
are arduous and continuous. instead of
six months in the year at Washington.
he must reside there eleven months, and
have constantly in mind the work of
great business establishment. Fer the
Is all that a ca binet minister can do to
pick out his subordinateS and explain
to the 80 disappointed applicants Tor each
position filed how it happened that their
names were passed over. Cabinet officers
must maintain a social establishment of
considerable dignity. and altogether the
position IS not one that ranks in at
tractiVeness with a snug place in the
senate on a six-year term.
This relative undesira bility of the posi-
ton adds 10 the difficulties of a president
elect in making suitable selections. Then,
the president must pick out eight men
who are not only congenial to him. but
congeniai to one another. They must be
capable as administrators as well as
students of the affairs of their depart
ments. and altogether. the task of max
ing up cabinet is no small one.
Geographical considerations always
constitute troublesome FACTOR. Nhel
Major Mckinley started out on the task
of cabinet building, he probably realized
that one of the eight places must go to
New England, another TO New York. one
to the new tier of Republican states on
the southern border. one to the north
west. two to the Ohio valley and middle
west region. and that perhaps the Paclic
coast should be remembered. the middle
Atlantic states and also the extreme
south New England almost always gets
The regularity of Mr.. Cleveland's cabi-
nrfs rae been Inc drafting of men A.
post wholly from private lie. n TIE
present q. hlnei. as originally -otHi''C-
Carlisle and Herbert were the only mem
hers who had been honOred with any
elective office. Mr.. Gresham
had received judicial appointments and
had held two cabinet posts. but mad never
been elected to any place OF prominence
The remaining five members were COM
paratively untried men in Dublc way,
although all men of very successful eX-
perience in business or professional me-