Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-06
CABINET AT WORK.
How The New Members Take
Hold of the Business.
Ways Of Office Seekers Hard Fights
for Insig ifcant Places.
longs Quick Decisions Alger's Soft Snap
Two Able Assistants.

month they have had their time taken up
vcry largely by Office seekers and by the
friends and champions Of the latter, the
senators and representatives in congress.
1t 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'
ter General Gary about this. The new
postmaster general is q mild hammered old
gentleman He even has u benevolent as
pect. with his CHEEKY, rudy face, his white
hair, his old fashioned spectacles. But il
any one takes him for a grecnhorn on
account Of his appearance it will be great
mistake. Mr. Gary is trained and sue
cessful business man. He knows human
nature and is quite competent to take care
of himself.
at is amusing to me-" said he, "to
have men come to mo every few minutes
declaring that unless l appoint So-and-so
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 laughable to hea1
these dire predictions about little offices
where the salary Is only lie" huhureo
year. Why, men Will tfaVel 2,ooo lhiles u
see me about an olnce In winch the salary
of the postmaster is not more than 5000
per Annum. ANA now they 90 seich anu
hang for these little places" And the
new postmaster general laughed most
heartily.
Wavs In the Navy Department.
NJ Jo,,, tho NOW cecrotarv of the navy
.o r,,r,r;s;n, oil tho vatarons of the depart
m,art Won mist know that when a new
,,,or oo,nos 70 tho bead of one of these
..,oot ,,ororrnept derortments all the lien,
tanants oil Tho off;c;als who remain there
- Instrumentation ofter administra
40, ;mmod,otelv nroceed to "size him
~, !, Tbev want 10 know how much he
III, .+nna What ba viii do in the way at
,,ao,,;,,r, ~. strinos in bis own hands. how
49,, =. ,,;Il i've IN imnosa nnon him IF he
- t,,,',a ~ 1a,v or nrocra stinatine they
a,oroo =, tol,a rossession of him
If tho,, can start him ont nc a lieutenant
in bis own official family. they will con
triye 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 have
come up through the service They affect
to despise mere civilians anyway, and
claim to know all about everything, and
generally do, while the new man at tn,
head of the concern is a mere amateur who
needs good advice,
Secretary Long has taken hold of tht
business of his office like a veteran. he Is
already famous as q quick decider. The
bureau chiefs are delighted with the
promptness with which he dispatches busl'
ness His predecessor, Mr. Herbert, was
certainly one of the best secretaries of the
navy we have ever had. But he was not
quick. Mr. Long, on the other hand, keeps
his desk clear all the time. When a matter
is presented to him, he asks % few peril
nent questions about it, appears to under
stand it instantly, and signs his name. 1t
is done Mr.. Herbert had a way of putting
it off till tomorrow, till some day when he
could look into it. Perhaps this difference
is only the temperamentnld difference when
we una between hor'Herii anu So''iieii'
BUSINESS hheh'
In the War department.
Secretary Alger is not faring quite 81
we'll The war department is famous foi
being run by the bureau officials. II thes,
amiable and able gentlemen can do so, they
take control. They make the secretary a
mere mail clerk--that is, they actually
run the business, prepare the orders and
letters and the whole business of the sec
rotary is to affix his signature. He may
take the trouble TO read them if he likes.
1t doesn't make any difference. Or if he
chooses to designate some one to sign the
mail for him-his chief clerk or private
secretary, for instance--it is all the same.
In such case the secretary may go away
and have good time, and the department
goes on just as well without him. About
every other secretary of war we have IL
willing enough to do this. Mr.. Lamont
was not one of that kind. He insisted upon
running the machine himself In his
short sharp, cunning way he brought the
chiefs up standing AS soon as it was un
derstood there was no further trouble, fol
the bureau men are all fine gentlemen and
know their places.
rraa.urv and state Departments.
u.....,r, c.co 90 tho tre.surv denart.
80 u,otost tronblo bo bns l.
MI 80. 10Y t,;n, soa,.a.s he wants time f.
s.,' .n VIZ liz, an,,art,nant and when tba soma
S OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and tbeir frond.
We "nu - 80 ~, bic limo by the
Voine 'oouo an "a ~ -. NJ CO..