The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-05-10
SECRETARY DAYS RISE FROM
COUNTRY LAWYER TO HAD
OF THE CABINET.

OF THE CABINET.
Few Americans make as big q leap
forward in a short time as Judge Day
Of Canton, O., has made in the last
wear. Thought new man in public
life. unheard Of outside his own i'm
mediate neighborhood q year or two
ago. he is now at the head OF the cabi
net. He is the ranking member OF the
government council, occupying a post
which has been the aim and ambition
of many veterans in the public service
| It isa big jump from being a country
lawyer in Ohio to rank with Salisbury,
Won Bulow, Sagasta and the great men
of the worlds governments. But just
such leaps forward are characteristic
of American public life.
It does not follow that because an
American has had little training for
high Office he is going to fail IN it Ger
tainly il does not follow in the case OF
Judge Day. AS Secretary of State he
is likely to gain a very high reputation.
Nor can it be said that he lacks exper-
fence. For a year or more he he's viz
tualIy been Secretary of State. He has
had full management of the difficult
Cuban question for the President, and
surely that has bcan a hard enough
school.
This is not by any means the first
time that an American clElzen compar
atively unknown has leaped to the
highest ranks of public service. Abra-
ham Lincoln was little known and had
almc9t no experience at all when he
was chosen President of the United
States. Later Mr.. Olney of Massa
chnsetts was appointed Secretary OF
State by Mr.. Cleveland without any
previous experience in the State De
partment or with diplomatic affairs.
Yet he made one of the sblest Score
tarie3 of State this country has ever
had, and in q tilt of brains and courage
with the great premier of England
came off fret lest IN the Venezuela af-
fair. There have be3n many other
such instances.
The new Secretary of State is a slen.
der man of dorid complexion, very
quiet in his manners, given but little
TO talk about anything and then speak
ing in a low tone, never demOnstrative,
but always alert and quick. His train
ing is that OF lawyer, and es q law
yer he had the reputation out in Ohio
of being the quietest and most success
ful man in the business. He was known
as q wise counselor, and it did not much
matter what the case in hand was. He
was said to have q long head, to be not
only shreWd, but farseeing, and his ad
vice was valued far bayond that OF
many men who were more SNOWY in
court or public.
The new Secretary Of State is a poor
man, comparatively speaking. Prob
ably his whole fortune and that of his
wife could be called only a modest
compel nce in Canton, O, while in
Washington it Is OF cOurse avery small
sum indeed. Mr.. Day as Assistant Sec
rotary Of State has found iG necessary
TO i've mOdestIy In order to keep with.
IN his income. IL will of course be Inn
possible for him to live within his sal
airy. Not more than one or two cabi
net officers in a dozen are able to DO
that. But the late Judge Gresham
demonstrated that the dignity of the
office of Secretary Of State need not
suffer through failure on the part of
its Incumbent to entertain lavlshIy or
keep up a style of living which meets
foreign ideas in such matters. Mr..
Blaine was the last Secretary of State
we have had who cared much for so
clety, Mr.: Gresham dislked it, MIR.
Olney was much too busy with other
affairs, and Mr.. sherman was never IN
all his long experience at Washington
what might be called a society man.
WALTER WELLMAN