The age-herald., 1901-12-31
Washington Dayb Day

Washington, December 29.-(Speeial.)- In the glare of present lights so brightly gleaming the bi-daily reports of pending reslgnations from the Presidents cabinet and the tri-daily deniais are diverting enough for the holidays, for the actual news of a political celoring ootainabie just now in Washington is not of such volume or import ance as to warrant news gatherers In toillng late O nights or rising early O mornings.
 The latest little thing of comedy Is story sent out by some reckless person to the effect that Secretary of Agriculture Wilson. weary of the burdens of state, has intimated his intention of retiring to his Iowan fields to resume the essen- tially rustic occupation of raising wheat and corn. This the amiable and popular secretary feels called upon to promptly deny, though there was no necessity for such 0 declaration from him; nobody be- lieved and nobody will believe he contem- plates vacating his seat at the cabinet table, An admirable man is Secretary Wilson, and admirably attached to his high duties as the big chief of some four teen million American farmers. Truly, 1t is said of him that he is the most alert, visilant and capable secretary of agricul- ture who has filled that very important office since it's creation. This season each member of Congress receives for his con- stituents about fifteen thousand packages of garden seeds. or about double last sea- sons allowance. So if anybody should ask to be kindly informed as to what is the matter with Secretary Wilson, the farmers would most likely answer He's all right
 Smiths gone, Cages gone and Longs going soon-not too soon; hardly soon enough, in all fairness Talk about the whirligig of time! It has played thunder with Secretary of the Navy Long. When he was named by President Mckinley five years ago to be the nominal head of the navy there came to assist him in his great office one Theodore Roosevelt, young man who was then somewhat known to fame as a defeated candidate for Mayor of New York, a police com missioner of New York, and a civil ser wee COnlIn1SSlO1leC Ol the OUlttu Mir. Long did not like this young man, and said so, and caused the young man to discover the fact. MT. Long curbed his assistants strenuousness by rejecting many of his official propositions Once or twice, or maybe three or four times MT. Long found it necessary to be absent from Washington, leaving the young man acting secretary of the navy, and then the young man carried out his own pur- poses in flat defiance of the wishes of his chief MT. Long is said to have complained to President Mckinley. and likely enough he had disagreeable little interviews with the strenuous young man.
 But the times were big with world-trag- ady. America and Spain were hurrylng to war with the roar and fury Of noun tain torrent. The young mans opportuni- ty came quickly. He quilted the navy department for the shctswept heights of San Juan. for power in Albany--foT the vice e-Presidency-for the Presidency itselfi He came with incredible swiftness to be Mir. Longs constitutional master, the commauder-in-chief of all the navy and all lHt dTily Ol lne OHlLeQ On- paralleled tread of destipy
 As MT. Long sits at the council board in the White House under his former subordinate, brought in times whirligig to be his master, man and master both must now and then remember the old days of conflicting views in the navy department.
 Remembering the persecution of Schley and the officially approved methods of the navy department clique, 1t is not dis pleasing to feel that Longs going soon not too soon. hardly soon enough, in all fairness.
 Amongst men of both knowledge and information in Washington there is con viction that Secretary of War Root is the ablest man in the present cabinet. There is a wide difference of opinion regard ing MT. Roots recent rebuke of Gen eral Miles for publicly sharing Admiral Dewey's opinion of Schley's heroic lead ership of the naval battle off Santiago, as there is relative to the Presidents semi public snub of the first soldier of the army; but nobody questions Mr. Roots great ability of mind. or his generally sound judgment and fairness. considering that there is a powerful clique in the war department as we'll as in the de- pertinent which govern the navy. This army clique is as resolutely opposed to