The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-13

Have "a Portfolio In Case Mckin-
ley Is Reelected, and May Be Ad-
vGnced by the Retirement of Gage
Regarded as the Dan Lamont of
the Mckinley Administration.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Especial. I'm
inside administration circles here 1t is
claimed that the recent elections have
demonstrated that Perry S. Heath,
first assistant postmaster general,
is the ablest campaign manager
in his party This may seem
like an insult in the camp of
his friends upon Senator Hanna, but the
Republicans who hold this opinion about
Mr.. Heath say he fills a field somewhat
apart from that occupied by Mr.. Hanna,
and while Hanna is past master in rails
ing campaign fund, Heath holds the
full rank of admiral in devising means to
make the money do its best work
1t is said without qualification that Mr..
Heath is the originator Of more success
full ideas and plans for reaching and hold
ing the people than any other man in
give him full credit for this, and say it
was equally true in the campaign of 1896,
when Heath was one of the chiefs at the
Republican headquarters In Chicago.
The president regards Heath as the Dan
Lamont of his administration and 1t is
common talk that something higher
awaits Heath in the future, certainly in
the next administration, If Mckinley is
reelected. What it will be is only guess
ed at, but other assistant secretaries
look to see Heath enter the cabinet if
a suitable vacancy comes about.
A shift to make this possible may come
through the resignation of Secretary
Gage, rumors that he contemp,ates retir-
ing being afioat from time to time. 1t is
known that Cages ideas on currency re-
form do not agree in all respects with
those of many other presidential advis
. ers, and it will not surprise some people
here II Gage leaves some time next win
ter to take the position in New York
that is being held for him. The likelihood
of this Is strengthened by certain signs
Of uneasiness among some Of the conf
Dental men in the treasury who will nat
urally have to go when Gage does, as
they came in with him. Tor instance,
one of them has asked some OF the news
pc per correspondents to print the an
nouncenent that he has been offered the
management the leading financial con-
Germ in Chicago, which is taken to mean
that he would entertain a few offers of
that kind
PLACE FOR HEATH.
Whether Heath would be made secre-
tary Of the treasury is not known, but il
is considered more likely that Cages exit
i IL,
as would make him postmaster general.
That Is position in which he could serve
to the best advantage from a political
point of view.
Heath Is the closest to Senator Hanna
of any official of the government, except
ing alone the president. He IS IN con-
slant touch with the national chairman,
and one can always tell when Hanna Is
expected III Washington by the stack of
Hanna mail piled up in Heath's private
Office. When a campaign Is on Heath Is
said-to devise the schemes and Hanna to
WELD the bludgeon IN carrying them out.
The dire threats of bloodshed in Ken
lucky, which are said to have intimidated
the Democrats at the polls in that state,
are credited to Heath, and whether this
is correct or not Heath was certainly in
active management Of the Washington
end Of the campaign In Kentucky and al
the other states.
It was distinctly a Heath idea to use
money In placing broadsides of expansion
and other Republican material In the pat
ent insides of the country newspapers.
Heath also comes in for high approval at
the White house because of the nature
and scope of the work he did in 1896 to
secure the nomination of Mckinley. He
was at that time editor Of the Cincinnati
Commercial-Gazette, and it was through
that position he became intimately con-
nected with the Mckinley boom.
Mr.. Heath Is not only far-seeing and
shrewd, but he IS thrifty. He began life
as a printers devil, and made it a point
from the time he received his first week
pay to the present day to save some of
each fnstallment of fs-salary His fret
$50 was loaned at interest. and he has
never since seen the day when he was
not a little better off than on the day
before. At present he is quoted at not
less than $500,000, and by many at twice
that figure. From printers devil he
became a compositor, and a good cne
and then a writer for the press He
finally brought up in Washington, as a
correspondent, and having no constitu-
tional objection to holding office he al
lowed his frank smile and engaging man
-ners to get him place, which with his
work as a writer netted him a total
of about S. 900 per annum Later he
bought an interest in the Cincinnati pa
per- of which he became editor, and since
that time his career has been largely of
such a public nature as to be we'll known.
NOT LIKE HANNA.
Personally Mr.. Heath IS as different
from Senator Hanna as is god watch
from coal scuttle. His temper runs
even and his door Is always open. While
Hanna, by his domineerfng ways. has Sc
cured the enmity of many leaders Of his
party, and the positive dislike Of some
of the most distinguished Republican
senators, Heath is popular all round the
circle Hanna apparently has lost or
never had, that perception by which one
gentleman can tell when he is approach
ing ground that Is disagreeable to an
other. Heath has that faculty finely
developed. In consequence many men 60
away from Hanna feeling a keen sense
of humiliation and insult, whereas nobody
has yet ever been known to allege Ill
treatment at the hands of Heath, al
though Heath cannot be regarded as in
any sense a weak man.
1t is only natural, therefore, that most
people having business with the Repub-
lican national committee should prefer
submitting 1t to Heath. The friends of
the first assistant postmaster general are
enthusiastic In his support, and insist
that If Ill health should cause Senator
Hanna to drop out Of the national chair
manship, Heath must take his place. In
other words, if the palpable evidence
given In Cleveland on election day Of