The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-07-08

well known.
President Harrison knew the wishes of the
people when he asked James G. Blaine to &C
| cept the portfolio of State. He knew that
friends would hold up his hands and the
opposition would fear his decision. From
the first incumbent, Thomas Jefferson, to the
present, no man of greater ability has filed
this Office
Mr.. Harrison's chosen Secretary of the
Treasury, Hon. William Window, was another
appointment that did him credit. Alexander
Hamilton, the first man to hold the Office,
who entered it when there was not money
enough in the Treasury to meet current ex-
penses. to say nothing of paying debt of tens
| of millions, yet saved the National credit
against mighty odds; his first official act being
to recommend that the domestic and foreign
| war debt should be paid dollar for dollar. In
| his supreme sagacity he put forth those great
| state papers on finance, whose embodiment
into laws fixed the duties on all foreign pro-
| auctions and taxed with Judgment the
necessities and luxuries of ife
| He established system that has met all
exigencies, saved the National credit paid
the National war debt of the Revolution and
| OF 1872; and in the war Of the rebellion, when
| the expenses of a day were more than years
income in Hamilton's time, this policy met
all demands. The National credit was main
tanned, the country was prosperous and the
United States Treasury vaults full to over
| flowing.
| 1t is said that it takes more wisdom to keep
money and judiciously handle it, than it does
| to make it. Therefore President Harrison
| chose wisely when he placed William Win
dom at the head of the financial Department.
In the centennial year of Cabinet organiza-
| ton, it spoke well for the leaders of the
Republic that there was no sign of going back
| ward. Since 1889, when one of New Eng
lands bravest Generals, Henry Knox, came
into possession of the first portfolio of the Sec
| retary of War, all along the century's line of
war ministers, we find brave men. Monroe,
of Virginia; Crawford, of Georgia; Calhoun,
| OF South Carolina; Marcy, of New York;
Cameron and Stanton, ofPennsylvania; Grant,
of 1llinois-all, have been eminent chieftains
whose valor has been proved in times of need.
In times of peace there is no cessation of
this work. The Regular Army is the skele-
ton upon which, in times of war, the forces of
the Republic form. The President chose his
councillor from the clear atmosphere of the
New England hills, where. just hundred
years ago, George Washington went for Henry
Knox to occupy the post taken by Secretary
Proctor
The Department of the Navy was first an
auxiliary of the Army, but in 1889 became
full-fedged Department, and its head honored
by seat at the Cabinet table, filled by Ben
jamin St0ddard, Of Maryland. Superior men
have been called from civil life to represent
this Department; among them may be named
Crowninshield and George Bancroft, of Massa-
chusetts; John Branch and VIM A. Graham,
of North Carolina; Levi Woodbury. and VIM.
E. Chandler of New Hampshire; Gideon
Welles, of Connecticut; VIM. c.. Whitney,
and, lastly, President Harrison's choice. The
President gave careful look ahead when he
made Benjamin F. Tracy Secretary of the Navy.
The British Parliament. in ITO, in the
reign of Queen Anne, established general
postofice for her Majesty's Dominions. By
this act one chief letter-office was established
in New York, and others at convenient places
in her Majesty Is Provinces in America. These
postal facilities were preserved as far as pos
sible when the yoke of allegiance to the Crown
was thrown of. Benjamin Franklin was APP
pointed General Deputy Postmaster of the
Colonies in 1853. Two years from this time
he gave notice that the mail to New England,
which formerly started once fortnight in
Winter, should start once a week all the year,
whereby answers to letters might be obtained
three weeks, which used to require six weeks
Samuel Osgood was the first Postmaster
General under the Federal Government, at a
salary of 81 800 per annum. His appoint
ment dates to 1883. Not until President
Jackson's Administration, 1929, was the
Postmaster General recognized as an ex-
officio Cabinet Minister. Among Americas
distinguished sons who have been honored by
appointments as heads of this office were
Amos Kendall, Joseph Holt, Horatio King.
Montgomery Blair, and John A. ]. Creswell:
powerful men when the country needed giant
help
President Harrison returned to the locality
that gave Ben Franklin to the country's SER
vice, and from the city Of Brotherly Love
brought John Wanamaker to the front, to
handle the Nations mail. It did not re-
quire political campaign to make this man
prominent before the people
In 1S49 Congress passed an act establishing
the Interior Department., and Thomas Ewing, |
of Ohio, was the first Secretary. Able men
have been called to the head of this Depart- |
ment, like Caleb B. Smith, of Indiana /: |
James Harlan. of Iowa; Zach Chandler of |
Michigan; Henry M. Teller, of Colorado. |
John W. Noble, the newly appointed Secre-
tary, had been tried and not found wanting.
Again must we 60 back a hundred years to
learn who was the first Attorney General, /
and to find that it was Edmund Randolph. Of
Virginia. What an array we find along the
way! There were William Pinckney, Rich
ard Rush, William Writ, Reverdy johnson.
Caleb Cushing, jeremiah Black, Edwin M.
Stanton and William NJ Evarts among them.
William Henry Harrison Miller was too
closely allied to President Harrison for him
to have made any mistake in his appoint
ment He was wise counsellor and friend of |
the President, such as is q necessity to every
man in his position.
The Cabinet centennial year could not have
been better observed than by adding a new
Department and a new Secretary to the Presi-
dents official household. A new chair was |
placed at this family table, and the President |
happily invited jeremiah M. Rusk, from the |
Badger State to fill it.
He bore the. credentials of q public man. |
Three terms had he served in Congress- and |
three times been chosen Governor of his |
State; but, perhaps, what he priced most was |
his service to his country, that made him
Brigadier- General The picture that went |
over the country representing him driving
the boys" to "Nacirema" showed his |
popularity. President Harrisons Judgment
was not faulty when he chose Jerry " Kusk
for his Secretary Of Agriculture.