The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-04
SECRETARY OFSTATE
AN OFFICE MoNoPoLIzEo sy CERTAIN
oFTAE STATES.


Had . Representative In That Positior
Tho Only High State Once an Ohioa,
Has Never FILLED.
The Office Of secretary of state, estab
lished in 1889, Of which Thomas Jeffer
son was the first incumbent, is as old a
the government itself; but, unlike Other
cabinet posts, it has not been equitably
allotted among the several states, bu,
has been monopolized in fact by few,
or, rather, the presidents in seeking
their constitutional advisers have not
deemed it prudent, or perhaps desirable,
to go outside Of limited number of
states for the officer whose guidance is
sought in matters relating to federal re.
lations with other countries.
II may surprise a good many persons
ordinarily familiar with American poll
tics to know that there has never been a
secretary of state from Ohio. This is in,
fact, the only Office of great honor OF
emolument, it might almost be said,
that no Ohio man has ever felt himself
called upon TO fill. There has never been
a man from any of the states of the Pa.
cific coast who has been secretary OF
state, either, though very large share
of the foreign business of the country is
done through the medium Of the Pacific
states and relates to matters in which
they have the closest interest, such a.
our relations with China, Japan, Hawaii
and other Pacific islands.
In the early days of the republic
American diplomacy had much to do
with Spain and France, and in the
period of the nations history preceding
the civil war there were many negotia.
tions; but, though southern men have
been freely recongized under all admin
istrations in appointments in the foreign
service Of the United States, with sin.
gle unimportant exception, the south.
western and gulf states have been wholly
unrecognized in appointments to the
head Of the state deartment.
The following states have never been
called upon to furnish secretaries of
state: Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Ar
kansas, Tennessee and Missouri. The
one exception is the state Of Louisiana,
which for a brief time, two years, had
in Edward Livingston an secretary of
state under the administration of An
drew jackson. Mr.. Livingston was,
however, III no true sense a Louisiana |
man, for he was born in Columbia coun-
ty, N. Y. (the same county as Mr.. Til.
den), and he was elected congressman |
from New York not long after the close !
of the Revolutionary war and became
mayor Of New York city at the begin,
ming OF the century. He moved tenn
porarily to New Orleans where he en-
gagged in business, and while there was
appointed to succeed Martin Van Buren, |
as secretary of state. He retired, after |
the close Of his official service, to his |
home in Rhinebeck, where he died three |
years after the expiration of his term of
office as secretary of state.
Florida, which is more nearly con-
ccrned in Cuban complications than any
other American state, perhaps, has never
had secretary of state. Neither ha.
any OF the new western or northwestern
states beyond the Mississippi river
In the early history of the country
and Virginia usually fur.
nished the cabinet with its secretary Of
state, and New York, Pennsylvania and
Delaware (there have been three secre.
taries of state from Delaware) have done
so since. Illinois has been twice called
upon, Pennsylvania twice, Maine and
Maryland once each, Indiana once, New
Jersey once and Kentucky and Michigan
once each, but usually the post has been
kept either in the eastern, seaboard O,
middle western states, and such claims
as the others might have had have here
tofore been disrcgarded. New York
Sun