The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-22
NO CABINET CRISIS
THE RECENT REsIGNATIoNs DIS
CUSSED.
NO POLITICS IN CHANGES.
PRESIDENT WOULD LIKE ALL TO
REMAIN.


Is Bad and Would Like to Resign.
Gage Is to Get Out and Long and
Knox Would Like to Follow His
Example-ROOt Would Have No
Objections to Transferring From
the War to the State Department.
ton of Postmaster General Smith
came at a time when no cabinet
changes were expected. 1t had been
very emphatically stated only a day
before the announcement that the pres
ent cabinet would hold together until
the end of President Roosevelt's term,
but as is so often the case with politi-
cal prophesies this one went wrong,
although it came from a pretty relia-
BILE source.
There seems to be no politics back of
the change, and no Interior influences
are believed to have had a hand in
promoting it. OF course, there was talk
of Smith being forced out through the
influence of the Quay machine in his
own state, but his reasons for resign
ing are exactly as he put them in his
letter-his desire to get back to his
personal business and private inter-
ests His business associates in the
ownership and control of the Philadel-
phia Press have for some time been
urging him to return to Philadelphia,
and it has been represented to him
that his presence there was very essen
tial in the fight for better conditions
in Republican politics-a fight in which
he is deeply interested. So he is to re-
sumo his editorial management of the
Press and will devote himSlf to other
interest more to his taste than those
connected with a cabinet position. He
has been very successful in the ad-
ministration of his department, and
has been regarded by President Roose-
welt, as he was by President Mckinley.
as one of the safest cabinet advisers.
He has not been kicked out or forced
out, as some of the yellow journals
have endeavored to make it appear.
There is no lack of friendliness toward
the President. The reasons for his re-
signing are as stated above. AS has
already been stated in the Morning
News, this change will be followed by
others. Secretary Gage will resign as
soon as his successor is chosen and
Secretary Long will be the next to re-
resign if rumors are to be relied on. 1t
was not expected that Postmaster
General Smith would be the first to
resign. The State Department was
looked upon as that in which there
would be the first change, for it has
been known that for a long time, even
before President McKinley's death,
Secretary Hay had talked with his
friends about resigning. There has
for some time been an undercurrent of
gossip which stated with more or less
positiveness, that when the treaty had
been ratified by the Senate, Mr.. Hay
would step down and out. This ru-
NOR was varied at times by making
81 Hay exchange places with Ambassa-
dor Choate.
Hays Health Is Bad.
The fact about Hay is this: For two
or three years he has not been in very
good health. At least he has imagined
this, which of course amounts to the
same thing. There have been times
during that period when he expressed
the desire to get out of public life,
but President Mckinley urged him TO
remain, and for a number of reasons
his friends have urged him in the same
way. The failure of the first Hay
Pauncefote treaty and the criticisms
which that document provoked from
unfriendly organs naturally Influenced
him toward remaining in office, for he
is not the man to retire under fire.
The death of his son last spring was
a deep blow to him and his friends
have urged him to remain in public
life, thinking it better that he should
do so, that he may have his mind kept
busy by the consideration of public
matters. There was a time when it
was a pretty safe prediction to say
that as soon as the new treaty was
ratified he would step down and out,
but in addition to the consideration
have mentioned other influences con-
tributed to the decision of himself and
other members of the cabinet.
Roosevelt Means 1t.
President Roosevelt is honest in his
desire that they all remain. Party
leaders who have as yet not acquired
very great faith in Roosevelt's politi-
cal wisdom have urged the leading
cabinet officers to remain throughout
President Roosevelt's term, and it has
been represented to them that loyalty
to the memory of Mckinley should in
fiuence them in contributing in so far
as they can to the success of Roose-
Velt's administration.
If they were to consult their per-
sonal wishes solely, Secretary Gage,
Secretary Long, Secretary Hay, and
probably Attorney General Knox would
follow the example set by Mr.. Smith
at once. Secretary Root is the closest
man, personally, to President Roose>
welt, and is very much interested in
the work the War Department has
in hand-principally In the solution Of
the Philippines problem. He would re-
main in the cabinet, but would like to