The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-07
ROOSEVELT'S SUCCESSOR.
Charles HI. Allen, Assistant Secretary
of the Navy.
New York Times.

New York Times.
Some time between April 81 and May 10.
while Colonel Roosevelt was busy with af-
fairs of the Navy Department and at the
same time straining several loose ends of
red tape in the War Department to get some
of them so Strengthened out that he might
obtain horses for his regiment of mounted
rif1emen, with whom he was DESTROYS of
getting to the front, Secretary Long called
upon the President to talk with the execu-
tive about a man for the place of assistant
secretary. He had made no choice, but the
time had arrived when he must pick some
one. What sort of man do you want?"
asked the President. The secretarys mind
dwelt quickly upon the men of his acquaint-
ance who seemed to have the qualifications,
and he answered: IT would like to have a
man like Colonel Charles H. Allen. of
Lowell"
To the President this answer at once
seemed to settle the choice. why not
have Colonel Allen?" he suggested. This
had not occurred to Secretary Long as pos
sible, but the telegram was sent, the reply
was favorable and on May 10 Colonel AL
len was nominated and confirmed as assist
ant secretary. Mr.. Long had known his
rev assistant for many years, boy and man.
The President sitting in the front row on
the Republican side in the Forty-nlnth
Congress- with Mr. Long as his near neigh
Dor met Mr. Allen then in his first term,
and sitting row or two behind the mem
bers from Ohio and Massachusetts. Both
men knew the attractive personal qualities
of the younger member, and both regarded
him as fitted by character and business
training to fill a post calling for good
business training in it's occupant.
Mr.. Allen does not look it, but he was
fifty years of age a month before he became
assistant secretary of the navy, His halr
Sc thov1 x1yhn hn last cat in
Congress, but his eyes are as bright and his
manner as alert and cheerful as when he
first appeared here as n member OF . the
April Is, 184S, and getting his first helps to
education in the public schools of his native
town. he entered Amherst College, and in
1869 was graduated with the degree of
Master of Arts. With this preparation for
the work of life he entered into business
with his father, who was engaged in manu-
featuring, and soon. by his methodical and
thorough business habits and intelligence,
became the manager of great milling es-
Business success and interest did not
smother in Mr.. Allen a lively concern about
political affairs. 1t was true sense of OBJ
legation as a citizen, well ambition as
a politician that led him into the Massa-
chusetts House of Representatives in 1881.
and to the Senate in 1888 A larger con-
stituency then chose him for the National
Legislature. and having served in the For
ty-ninth and Iiftieth Congresses he had &C
CURED a popularity that would have con-
tinued him as the representative from his
district if he had not chosen to decline and
devote himself to the management of the
manufacturing interests he had somewhat
neglected to serve the people of his State.
In 1891 he was. drawn into the contest for
the governorship. He accepted the Repub-
lican nomination when the tide was against
his party and when the Democrats had
nominated William e. Russell, a popular
man. answering to the sentiment that con-
trolled at the time Allen was beaten, but
he polled 3O.O0O more votes than were neces-
sary to elect another Republican Governor
Since his unavailing effort to beat Gov.
Russell, Mr. Allen has not sought political
office or honors. His business, a lovely
home, a wife and two daughters, a taste for
music and some skill with the cello, decided
ability in the manipulation of Photographic
materials, an interest in public affairs that
has not slumbered since he quit office, have
fully, congenially and reasonably occupied
his time. To the call of Secretary Long and
the President he responded as a patriotic
citizen should. To Secretary Long the ac-,
ceptance of the office was a boon which he
cordially acknowledges. He has found Mr..
Allen the very man to occupy the place. He
needed business man, careful, methodical
and expeditions and he has found him all
these, and a man of singularly charming
temperament withal, doing much without
effort or confusion, and doing everything
with the careful common sense of the man
When Mr.. Allen became assistant secre-
tary he expressed some qualification at hav-
ing been chosen to fill an office formerly
occupied by former resident of Lowell
Gustavus " Fox, who was assistant secre-
tary under President Lincoln. Mr. Allen
did not know, until some days after he had
taken his place at his desk, that it was
made for Mr.. Fox by a carpenter at the
navy yard in Washington, and that into it
were put remnants of some of the old ships
of war that had been dismantled at the
Washington yard. The builder of the desk
knowing Mr. Fox's interest in monitors
had embellished the desk with rather rudi-
mentary carvings of monitors and guns.
Mr.. Roosevelt. who learned of the desk
soon after he took office, insisted upon hav-
ing it for his use. and so it fell into the pos
session of his successor
The new assistant secretary at once de-
cided when he took office, that his room
and ante-roOm were too much Uttered up,
and that his force of assistants was too
large. In a few days complete reforma-
ton was accomplished. His ante-rcom was
cleared of accommodations furniture, book
cases, typewriters and clerks, and a little
cyclone of reform swept all superfiuous ar
ticles out of his way and into the care of
the housekeeper of the big State War and
Navy building.
Assistant Secretary Allen has never had
any special taste for naval affairs, nor was
he when he accepted the Office he holds ia
miliar with the Navy Department, except
as wel-read citizens ought to be if they
have the information they should have
about the men who hold public trusts and
the trusts they hold. He is a business man,
who brings to the business end of the Navy
Department the training and economical
spirit that must go with political knowl-
edge to achieve success in any public place.