The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-03-06
THE CABINET
CONFIRMED !
But There was Some objection to
Secretary Bliss.
BECAUSE HE IS NOT A LAWYER
There Were Some Mut.er1ngs, Too, Against
Secretary Cage Because of His Views
on silver, But There was no
Formal Protest in the SEN
ate Meeting.

because he is q banker, but there was
more Of this among senators in the
cloak rooms than in the senate.
The senate went into executive ses-
sion promptly upon the receipt Of the
nominations, and as soon as the an
nouncement was made of the appoint
ment of Senator Sherman, whose name
headed the list, he was confirmed It
is the practice to refer all nominations
to committee, but 1t was the desire Of
Mr.. Sherman's friends to signalize
their regard for him by immediate ac-
tion. No opposition was made and the
nomination went through without
comment.
There was more form than reality
in the reference Of the other nomina-
tions to committee Not one Of the
committees had q formal meeting
they being polled on the floor of the
senate in every instance. No objection
was made in the committee to con-
firmation. The senate was in recess
while the polling was in progress, and
only little more than half an hours
time was spent in discussing the nomi-
nations.
Most of this time was devoted to the
appointment as secretary Of the in
terror, which called for attention from
Senators Teller and Stewart, who stat
ed that while they had no intention to
make any effort to ballt the president
in his selection Of his cabinet minis
ters they still felt constrained to point
out the inadvisabllity of selecting a
man who was not a lawyer for a po-
sition which requires the exercise Of so
much legal ability as does the place at
the head of the interior department.
Mr.. Teller said that Mr.. Bliss was an
estimable man. and one who would
have filled other positions with credit,
but because he was not a lawyer he did
not consider him qualified in all re-
spects for the place at the head of the
interior department. This, he said, was
a position which was of vast import
ance, as cases We're decided involving
greater property rights in the course
of a year, by the secretary of the in
terror, than were decided by the United
States supreme court. They involved
for the most part legal questions and
Mr. Bliss was not a lawyer, but a
banker and a business man. Natural
ly he knew nothing of the many legal
questions which were to come before
him as secretary of the interior.
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, pre-
sented a high tribute to Mr.. Bliss. He
pointed out that many Of the questions
decided by the secretary were prepared
by law clerks, and argued that, no
matter how good a lawyer a man might
be, he could not investigate all the
matters that came before him as the
head of a department of this govern
ment. For that reason a law force
had been provided to assist the secre-
70 IN, hi
business ability Of Mr. Bliss was un-
questioned
Senators Lodge and Chandler follow
ed in much the same strain, calling at
tention to the fact that Zachary
Taylor had made an acceptable sec
retary of this department, notwith-
standing he was not a member Of the
bar. Mr.. Lodge suggested that pos
sibly there was some feeling that this
office should go to the west.
Senators Teller and Stewart both de-
clared they entertained no feeling on
this score The location of the mans
residence would not count with them
provided he was familiar with the
questions which would require his at
tention. They instanced Senators Platt,
of Connecticut, and Chandler, of New
Hampshire, as eastern men who could
fill the place acceptably to the west.
Senator Stewart added that with a
man like Mr.. Bliss at the head of the
interior department he would not feel
easy until he heard the most compe-
tent man had been chosen for the Of
fees of assistant secretary and of at
torney general for the interior de-
partment
The reference to Mr.. Gage were
mainly on account Of what was termed
his gold standard Views, and it was in
timated that as secretary Of the treas
ury he would support the gold stand
ard, knowing the promise Of the ad-
/ ministration to promote bimetallism.
One objection would have been suf-
| ficient to send any of the nominations
| over a day, but the senators who had
made their points against Mr.. Bliss
said they had no desire in any way
to hamper the president I'm the selec-
tion Of his confidential advisers. Hence
they would content themselves with
pointing out this defect IN one of the
selections. When the list had been con
frmed in the order of appointment tn,
! senate adjourned until Monday
Secretary Gage took the oath Of Of
flee at IL o'clock today in the secre
tarys office, Chief Justice Fuller ad
minlstered it in the presence Of the Of
fioials of the department and a mum
Der of Mr.. Cages personal friends VIII,
are now in the city. 1t is expected tha
several Of the other cabinet officials
win be sworn in today, though Pre-
mier Sherman has decided not to TAX
control of his department until Mon
day. Meantime Secretary Olney re
mains at the head of the department
Severed of the new cabinet official
spent part of yesterday with their pre-
decessors, going over the work Of tn
departments Mr.. Bliss spent severa
hours at the interior department will
Secretary Francis. and Postmaste
General Wilson explained matters Il
Mr. Gary, calling the latter's attention
especially TO the postmastershi
changes, and TO cases like that a
Caldwell, Kan, where a postomce in
spector Is now IN charge owing TO fail
ure to confirm a nomination.
Mr.. James Wilson, the new secre
tary of agriculture has met Mr.. Nor
ton. whom he succeeds, before nov