The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-03
NJ KINLEY WILL HAVE
A TRUST ATTORNEY
2. c. Knox to Succeed Griggs in
the Cabinet.
OPPOSITION is STRONG
OTHER CHANGES POSSIBLE IN
OFFICIAL FAMILY.
OPPOSITION is STRONG
lsnecial Correspondanoe.l

Especial Correspondence)
Washington, Feb. 23.-It is now posi-
lively known that President Mckinley
has rendered the attorney generalship
to P. c. Knox of Pittsburg. 1t is known
further that several Republican SEN
ators from the west are opposed to Mr..
Knox for this position. Their reasons
for this opposition are said to be many.
The principal objection they make to
the selection of Mr.. Knox for the head
Of the department of justice is that
he is corporation lawyer and has been
identified for many years with So
called trusts and cOmbina tons. Not
Wlthstanding the fact that they realize
that the selection OF Mr.. Knox by Pres
ident Mckinley is principally because
they are old friends, the western Re
publican politicians, at least, figure
that it Will injure the Republican party
in the future 20 have a CORPORATION
lawyer made attorney general, and
they do not believe that Major McKin-
ley is justified in taking this course
They are willing to admit, and have
so informed the president, that they
cOncede the ability of the Pittsburg at
torney. but oppose him on account Of
his connection with the Carnegie Steel
company and other corporations with
which he has been connected in the
past. They point to the fact too, that
the Democrats made a good deal Of
capital out Of the alleged fact that AT
torney General Griggs iss%a friend of
the trusts, and therefore favored them
whenever it was possible. Whether or
not Mr.. Griggs has favored the trusts
in any way while at the head of the
department of justice is doubted. New
ertheless, the Democrats made a good
Hoo Il
as before stated, Republicans now fear
that it would be a bad move upon the
part Of the president to place a man
at the head of the department of JUS
tice who has had nearly a thirty years
record as attorney for great corpora
tons.
President Mckinley however, is said
TO be determined to send the nominal
ton of MIR. Knox to the senate, antici-
pating that ne viii be easily confirmed
1t is not known at this writing whether
or not Republicans who oppose Mr..
Knox will endeavOr to prevent his con-
firmation. 1t is doubted, however. that
the opposition to the Pittsburg lawyer
viii be carried this far.
Changes in the Cabinet.
The opinion seems to prevail quite
generally among politicians in the cap
ital city that there win be many
changes in McKinley's cabinet during
his last term as president. 1t has been
frequently stated in an unofficial way
however. that in addition to the change
in the department of justice, John
Hay, secretary of state; John -. Long,
secretary OF the navy, and Ethan Allen
Hitchcock, secretary of the interior,
would not remain members of the
Mckinley cabinet more than a few
months longer. The indications today
point to the retirement OF the three
cabinet officials mentioned above.
The opinion also prevails that Secre-
tary Root of the war department will
be offered Mr.. Hays place at the head
Of the state department. 1t is also be-
HeVeG that Former Governor Merriam
Of Minnesota and present director Of
the census VIII succeed Mr.. Hitchcock
as secretary of the interior. Up to the
present time It has been impossible
for those interested in making up a
new cabinet for President Mckinley to
determine who is likely 20 be the sue
cessOr of Mr.. Long 81 the navy depart
ment. For more than g year. it viii be
recalled, rumOrs have been cir
culated in Washington, New York.
Chicago and elsewhere that Ly-
man J. Gage secretary of the
jOr McKinley's second Inauguration. 1t
has been maintained that Secretary
Gage had been offered the presidency
of a great trust company to be formed
III New 4Ofh, ana tDdl ne WOulQ dCtepl
the offer just as soon as the president
would consent to relieve him of the
position he now occupies as the head
of the great finance department of the
United States government.
Within the past few weeks very HIT
tie. however has been said regarding
the alleged intention of Mr. Gage to
give up his position as secretary of
the treasury. In view of the fact.
however. that his salary in his present
no il &c Nf0 a and his
salary at the head of the trust com
pany would equal or exceed that Of
the president of the United States, it
can readily be seen that this change
would naturally be a gratifying one to
Mr. Gage.
It will probably be some weeks or
months before the changes likely to be
brought about in Major Mckinley s
cabinet win all be made. That it is
known by the president that other men
in addition to Griggs intend TO retire
from his official family was made evi-
dent by the prociamatiO last week in
assembling the United States senate in
extraordinary session March 4. His
reasons for doing this, of course, were
to submit nominations for cabinet
places and other high Offices to the
senate for early confirmation
The Only Opposition.
About the only opposition the presi-
dent is likely to have at the hands of
the senate is in the nomination of Mr.
Knox for attorney general. At the
present time, however, it Is believed
that the presidents influence viii ac-
complish considerable, and the oppOsi-
ton prevailing now against Mr.. Knox,
if he is nominated for attorney gen
eral, viii melt away.
There is every indication that there
win be a change made in the Office of
commissioner of pensions very shortly.
IL is a well known fact that Governor
Evans, tie present commissioner. has
not been satisfactory to the members
Of the Grand Army OF the Republic.
His rulings on pension cases have dis
satisfied the old veterans. though men