The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-02
OUR CABINET MINISTER'S.
lnY q al HDMARpsD

Oh tl0Se IDltcu SlAtto.
IL is the worst patch work. four-fiusn al
fair ever heard of in all the political an
nails OF this country. And Mckinley mas
been trying to make 81 worse by endaavor-
ing to get the only man OF brains 10 quit
1t and 10 to England as ambassador. lie
has been trying to get Secretary Long TO
aceep. the English amb3ssadorship wnicn
Hay has vacated.
Long won't go. and the probability is
that Congressman X. r. Hit OF Illinois wdli
be the man eent to England. He Is man
OF much experience in diplomatic AFFAIRS,
above the average Intellectually and pos
sesses another qualification in his great
wealth. Long would have made the pest
man, and Mckinley knew 1t. He Is tho
only cabneteer however, who is above the
average In mental quality, and Mckinley
ought to want ID keep something IN tnlt
would leaven the whole loaf.
Long would not 80 TO England, because
the life OF an ambassador would not suit
him. He Is inclined to he quiet in mis-
habits, and has an absolute dislike TOR act
i've social life. Ii was with difficulty that
Mckinley lured him away from his quiet
Massachusetts home to come to Washington
in the navy portfolio. lie is a plain man,
not given to dissipation, and never attends
a night session of the cabinet His regular
hour for going to bed is o'clock sharp.
Correspondents, whose newspapers are ad-
dicted to the signed statement habit, take
advantage of the secretary's early bed
custom and call on him at $50 for the read
ing notice daily demanded by their editors
from the uncrowned soveregns at Wash
ington. Secretary Long would sign any Cd
thing at $50 in order to clear the decks for
his golng-tobed time.
AS I said before Secretary Long is the
only man in this game bluff cabinet who
has political, or any other kind Of, brains
enough TO hit flock of balloons with a
bass fiddle.
The other men In II are, without excep-
ton, men Of no reputation as statesmen,
and of little standing in business way.
Attorney General Griggs might be pass
able exception to this sweeping statement,
but that part of his soul not owned by the
Jersey railway corporations is controlled
by Vice President Hobart--the very embod-
iment of corporations in politics and gov
ernment-so he can rot, be called a very
valuable man to the pubic.
AS the cabinet stands today, 1t is a con-
fession Of weakness on the part of the man
who assembled it.
There is Alger, the unspoaFable. OF him
1t Is unnecessary TO talk Many evil things
have been said OF him, the more evil be-
cause they are true, but the worst is yet
to come.
Poor old John Sherman, who was consid-
cred to be in his dotage, a senile old man,
was kicked out Of the cabinet to make room
for Mr.. Day, and with all his senlity he
can stlll give Day pointers from an intel
lectual standpoint. sherman was put into
the cabinet, In the first place, In order to
make room for Mark Hanna in the senate
and then fired from the cabinet to make
room for Day Now Day has resigned and
gives place TO Hay. Day was. in Ohio a
country lawyer Of limited attachments and
no experience, lie mas not improved IN
Washington, and Will look like thirty cents
when he is stacked up against the Spanish
gold-brick selling diplomats at the Paris
peace conference His successor, Colonel
John Hay, has lived thirtyflve years On
the reputation of having been Lincolns
private secretary. Yes, he did better than
live on It; he married a m,llionalre's daugh
ter. His mental callber is shown clearly
in the fact that he Is now ashamed of hay.
ing written Jim Bludso" and Little
Breaches" They are really the most mar.
hor'ous Of his lies works, and the Last
has been his "loahng around the throne
over In England.
cornelius Bliss, secretary of the interior
has the polish and social graces Of strea,
car conductor and the general intelligenc-
OF cash register He dreams of Jobs by
night and develops his dreams by dav-.-he
and Mark Hanna, who is his room maze at
the Arlington hotel.
Then there Is Gage. secretary of IN.
treasury. He is man who sees ylsIons ana
hears strange voices. He is a theosonbis,
reincaFnationlst, splritu1list. and has
run the whole gamut Of supentitlous TOM
myrot and humbuggery, Gage, it is report
cd on credible Chicago authority. consults
olairvoyant bstore making any extensive
financial play, and is always guided nv The
spirit talker.
Charles Emory Smith is the second most.
master general Of this cabinet OF weak.
linss the first being old man Gary. wbo
mad to quit in order to attend to his cou,o,
clipping Industry over in Maryland. Smith
is human four-flush. He does not ever,
grade with his average townsman Of pb;,..
deiphia' which Is not saying much for tho
edioor-postmaster's mental standing
Good old General Wilson. TIE secretary -,
agriculture is an authority on putting nm
ehsliase' and the dream OF his existence =. |
10 export butter and eggs free of tariff IN
Canadian towns.
Wilson is the Joy forever pf the neusn,.
per men OF Washington, for he can a,u,r. |
De relied on TO give up any cabinet secr., |
that Gage has not already told. On acco,n,
OF the brilliant conversational powers =, |
noth HaSe and Wilson they are barred s,o,,