The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-15
CABINEF CHANGES.

CABINfg CHANGES.
The king never dies, expresses the
immortality of the English government.
Edward may pass away, the house of
Guelph may. surrender the throne to a
new dynasty, but the king is immortal.
Translated to this side of the Atlantic
this aphorism of governmental continuity
becomes, 1.-The president never dies" TN
til the republic ceases to exist, the presi-
dent is immortal Five times within our
constitutional history OF 112 years, five
presidents have passed away during their
term of office, surrendering the sceptre
Of power to the vice presidents. Once
only did the foundations of the republic
seem to tremble in sympathy with the
awful shock When the life of the Great
Emancipator was blotted out, ana at
the same time rnurderous assault was
made upon the secretary of state; coming
as this did at the close of the awful
struggle for the supremacy of the nag,
the people for moment lost faith in
the stability Of the government and in
the Righteousness of their cherished con-
victions. 1t was then that the youthful
Garfield faced the distracted spopulace
with the words that have become his
tcrical, God reigns and the government
az Washington still lives This sentence
today is on the lips and in the minds
of millions. One president is taken away,
but another fills his place. The pres-
Gent is dead; long live the president.
In our sorrow over the untinlely taking
off of President Mckinley, we must needs
rejoice that his place is to be so ably
filled For none but the rankest partisan
will deny to Theodore Roosevelt the pcs.
session of civic and personal virtues sec
ond only to those of the late president.
1t is without serious concern therefore,
that the nation looks upon the change
Of administration made necessary by the
hand of an assassin. ~ e.tI vyor
Changes there will be, but no. material
ones in the essentiaEpolicy of the execu-
tive branch~of the government. From the
intense personality and native vigor
of the man we shall expect Mr.. Roose-e
velt to be president in the fullest sense
of the word. Although not necessarily
radical in the language of the street,
the president VIII be it,
- -
the cabinet viii at once. hand in their
designations, That the president is
more in accord with the administration
policy of President Mckinley than he is
with the policy OF the leaders of the
party, can admit of no doubt A ma
jority of the cabinet could, we think,
work in perfect harmony with the new
president, but the experience of Presi-
dent Johnson with the Lincoln cabinet
is to be avoided at all hazards. The
president has right to choose his per-
sonal advisers from among those in
whom he has personal confidence
The retention Of Secretary Hay would
Will the same puDlc approval as
would the retirement of Secretaries
Long. Gage and Knox. Whether the
imperative natures of Roosevelt and
Root could abide each other in the coun-
Gil is a question. Root will perhaps
wish to retire.
The changes in the cabinet are of the
utmost interest to the public on account
of the law of presidential succession We
must acknowledge the fact that the life
of President Roosevelt is in as much
danger as was that of President McKin-
ley. Should he be taken off. then the
secretary of state becomes president In
the choice of secretary Of state and sec
rotary of war, the possibility of their
succession should be kept in mind. Here
in the president should bend his personal
Preferences to the desire of the general
public, The law of succession gives Mr..
Roosevelt the power to appoint his sue
cessor-it is heavy obligation and it
should be discharged with an eye single
to the country's good.