The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-02
BUN FOl Bill MERRIAM
RUMoRs THAT HE MAY GET A CAB
MET PORTFOLIO ARE
PERSISTENT
REcoL.D IN CENSUS OFFICE
Has Been Excellent, and He Has
Hanna's Powerful Backing
Difficulty Is in Find
ing a Place.

WASHINGTON, Jan. lit is ditticult to
determine whether there Is anything
Rnngible behind the talk regarding
cabinet portfolio for w. R. Merr am,
superintendent of the census. The talk,
however, continues, and one may herr
it wherever one goes among the Wasa-
ington politicians. Merriam has made one
of the most efficient census directors In
the country's history. His marked eX-
ecutive talent, his skill in organization
and in readily handling large hod.e5 of
people, and in dispatching great volumes
of business accurately and with lightning
speed were all brought out in plain
sight during the census work of the
summer and fall and the wisdom of h
selection has been everywhere Endorsed.
He is undoubtedly just such a man as
would make a splendid record in a cabinet
position. He would be especially valuable
in organizing any new cabinet ONCE
which congress might provide for-sly
the position of secretary of commerce and
Industries which Senator Nelson has in
view in his bill now before the senate
on favorable report-and would also he a
fitting man for the interior portfolio,
which is in trying need OF somebody
possessing Mr.. Merriams peculiar abil-
ity. But the Nelson bill will probably
not become a law at this sess on of con-
gress, and Secretary Hitchcock, of the
interior department, announces that there
is no truth in the report that he con-
templates resigning.
There would seem to be, therefore. no
opening for Merriam, unless the postmas-
ter general should step down and out-not
an improbable thng-and thus pave the
way to shifting of portfolios so a to
provide the proper place for Merriam.
Attorney General Griggs is to leave, but
of course that vacancy would not interest
Merriam, who is not a lawyer
There are several things which unite to
give some weight to the Merriam rumors.
In the first place, it is everywhere known
now that the former governor Of Mime
sofa Is very anxious for a cabinet assign
ment, and has permitted his ambition TO
voice itself on a number Of occasions. 1t
is also known that he would not have
been so bold had he not been sure of
The firm friendship Of the president and
senator Hanna. But for the stubborn op>
position of Senator Davis, Merriam would
have gone into the cabinet four years
ago, or would have got an important for
elsn mission Davis finally yielded to the
extent of permitting Merriam to be nam.
ed as superintendent of the census.
AS a reward for his work with the
census, 1t is said that Hanna is very
anxious to promote him, and the presi-
dent is understood to he willing. But
where is there any vacancy? There
w Unwilling al the CdDln6I, unless
somebody, not now thought of, should re-
sign. In all probability the willingness
OF the president and Senator Hanna to
advance Merriam is the cause for the
present talk. And where there is a will
there is almost always a way. Should
postmaster General Smith quit, the way
would be open, or should Secretary Root
quit.
1t would be a good idea for Northwest
ern people to keep their eyes on Merriam
Tor a few months. for if there should
be vacancy in the cabinet it is al
most the unanimous feeling down here
mat he will be asked to fill it. Davis
is now out of the way, and 1T Is hardly
thought that the gentlemen who will
represent Minnesota in the senate will
follow his policy of opposition which
was based almost entirely upon personal
grounds.
RETIRING OFFICERS.
The first year of the new century win
be marked by many retirements in the
army and navy FOR statutory reasons
mainly on account of age. The retire
ments IN the army include the heads of
EtaH departments, viz: Judge Advocate
General Lieber, Gen. Wilson. chief of
engineers, and Gen. burlington, chief of
ordnance, each of whom holds the rank
or pr1gadler general. One brigadier gen.
eral OF the line, Gen. Fl. G.. Merriam COM
manding the department of the Colorado.
and elk colonies of the line will retire
during the year
In the navy two rear admirals of the
line, kautz and Scl1ley, and one chief OF
bureau, Rear Admiral Hichborn, Will
be transferred from the active to the
retired list during the present year.
COSTA RIGA AND THE CANAL.
The Costa Rican minister, Senior Calvo.
Bald today in the course of a general
% " on hTfrae,y~
one of the most satisfactory features of
the extended negotiations so far as Costa
I9ica was concerned, was the universal
acceptance of that country's substantial
rights and interests in the Isthmian
waterway. There never has been any
doubt OF these rights upon the part of
Costa Rica, but for many years thew
were brought into controversy, It being
claimed that Costa RIGA had no sovereign
territorial rights over any portion OF the
route and that at most her interests
could be satisfied by compensation. This
ibrought about the use of the name
i''Nicaraguan Canal" which seems to
ileave out of account the rights which
Costa Rica has in the water way The
minister points out that the period of
controversy now has been satisfactorily
closed and that there appears to be no
disposition in any quarter to question
Costa Rica's rights in the canal route
LII biilS QutSllOI MI. CdIVO recalled the
long efforts toward building the canal.
dating back to 1883, in all Of which Costa
F1ica had been strongly favorable to the
project and invariably had been recog-
nized as a necessary party to the under
taking. After the treaty of limits was
signed, fixing the boundary between
Nicaragua and Costa Rica, a gifted
Frenchman named Felix Bailey made
his appearance in Central America and
negotiated for a canal concession Tt
was not known at the time, but has since
become well-established, that NJ Bailey
was executing part of the plans OF Ma
poleen Ill to gain foothold in Mexico
and Central America, and to control the
great commercial waterway across the
1sthmus. A concession was granted
three parties signing it jointly, NJ. Bail
ley and the governments of Nicaragua
and Costa Rica. This clearly indicated
the recognized interest of Cost Rica in
the canal. No work was done on the
concession, however, and it lapsed. Later