Evening star., 1901-09-14
firmation by simply calling the Senate to-
gether. IA

The consensus OF opinion, however. is
That he win ask the present members of
the Cabinet to eant{nue m office, certainly
unta December, when Congress VIII as
senbae. Some nieqlsjers OF the cabinet later
may wish to be relieved. as several are not
In the best OF health and the new Presf-
dent may decide himself later on that he
wouid prefer tofpn4ke some changes. but
this 1s matter oilfk2 in the future. and not
one that would cali necessarily for an extra
session The members of the Mckinley
cn cabinet and their assistants, as well as the
neads OF important bureaus and the foreign
representatives. doubtless will tender their
designations, as Is usual In change of
administration, in order to relieve the new
Fresldent or embarrassment. but undoubt-
edIy not Tor some time at least.
Secretaries Hay and Gage held confer
ence this morning; at the conclusion of
wnlcn II was stated that In all probability
tne members OF the cabinet would not ten
Mcklnley's funeral They have not been In
consultation with the members of the cabi-
net now at Buffalo, but the view was ex-
pressed that there would be no difference
OF opinion on that point.
While some OF the cabinet officers, It is
known, sincerely desire to relinquish their
posts, they are all patriotic and sufficiently
devoted to the interests OF their party to
dent 80 to do. Ff.ts. It -ss believed. is what
Will occur SheuId- any. cabinet change be-
come absolutely necessary, the law gives
the PRESIDENT authority to make temporary
ercfsed ON previous occasions without mach
embarrassment IN the administration Of
public affairs
Changes In the Cabsnet.
OF the eight men who entered President
Mckinleys cabinet at the beginning Of his
nfst administration only three remain.
These are Secretary Of the Treasury Gage,
Secretary Of the Navy Lea1g and Secretary
OF Agriculture WHson- The greatest num-
ber Of changes have taken place tn the
state Department and the Department of
Justice. Three men have served as the
head OF the State Department since the 9Th
OF March, 1907. The first Of these was the
late John Sherman. who surrendered his
place IN the Senate to become the premier
OF MI. Mckinley s. first cabinet At the
outbreak of the Spanish war he retired
ana was succeeded by Judge VIM. Day OF
the Presidents own. city OF Canton. who,
when the war had closed, gave place to the
present Incumbent. John Hay, who had
been MT. McKinley's ambassador to Great
Britain.
The first Attorney General under Presi-
dent Mckinley was the present Supreme
Court justice. Joseph McKenna- When he
became a member OF the Supreme Court ha
was succeeded by Mr. GrigEs Of New Jer-
sey, and the latter vas, at his own request,
relieved at the beginning Of the present
term. r C. Knox, the incumbent, assuming
the Onfce.
In each OF the Post onace, War and In
terror Departments there has, been one
change. Mr.. Smith succeeded Mr.. Gary in
the Post Office Department. Mr. Root Gen.
AIger IN the War Department and MIR.
hitchcock Mr.. Bliss In the Interior Depart
ment.
De.ire to Re.isn.
It Is believed that several members Of
the cabinet will take this opportunity of
retiring from public life. something they
have desired to do all along. but have re-
framed from doing because it was the
personal desire OF Nj" Mckinley that they
should stay with him. Among these men
Attorney General Knox. Practically the
same thing may be said of the other men,
bers of the cabinet. but the views of the
four mentioned are so well known as to
leaVe no doubts Postmaster General
Smith has also been expected to retire from
ms position at convenient time
As to Mr.. Hay, he has had all the honors
within the power Of an appointfye power
TO bestoW, and does not care for the social
prestige bestowed by a cabinet position.
1t is believed that when matters have re-
sumed their regular run he will quietly ask
the new President to- relieve him of his
duties. In this case the general belief is
that Senator Lodge would be invited by
President Roosevelt to become the premier
of the administration. They are the closest
friends. sC2
Mr.. Roosevelt, when assistant secretary
OF the navy, was closely associated with
Secretary Long and IS known to have the
greatest esteem forihim. He could person
ally urge. the Secretary to remain at his
post, and might possibly induce him to do
so, but 1t has been understood for several
years that Mr.. Long was desirous Of leav-
Ing the Ga bfnet, and that he remained
solely at the personal solicitation Of the
President.
Secretary Gage has held much the same
kind of a position in the administra ton
circles. He has held his position as long
as he wishes.
Attorney General Knox reluctantly left
his law practice to enter the cabinet He
did so because he and Mr.. Mckinley had
been lifelong personal friends. and Mr.
Mckinley went out of his way to induce
Mr.. Knox to come here. Mr. Knox is de-
voted to the law, has no political ambi-
tions and will doubtless seek the first op-
portunity to return to Pittsburg
The opinion has been expressed within
the last few hours that by the time the
administration Of Mr.. Roosevelt Is well
under way there will not be over one men,
Der OF the present cabinet with the new
this member. Politically Mr. Roosevelt
and Mr.. Root have trained together for
years.
Secretary Cortelyou will no doubt tender
his resignation about the same time as
members of the cabinet. II he should be
invited to continue In his position with
Mr.. Roosevelt he might do so unless per-
S0na1 plans have been formed that would
take him away from public life II Mr.
Mckinley had lived he would have given
Mr.. Corteyou a place in the cabinet
where his usefulness would have been ex-
tended to broader fields.
Receiving the News
When the blow fell and official announce
ment came that President Mckinley had
passed away at 2:15 o'clock all the govern
ment officials save few clerks at the
State, War and Navy departments, had
retired for the night. Secretary Hay had
given directions what should be done, and
Acting Chief Clerk Morton and other en-
ployes, as soon as they received official
confirmation of the news, Immediately
wrote cablegrams to every United States
ambassador and minister, notifying them
that President Mckinley died at 2:15 O'Clock
this morning in Buffalo, and instructfne
them to inform the governments to which
they were accredited. There were no de-
tails in the messages; nothing but this
brief announcement. and they were identi-
cal in language, except In the names of
the persons addressed. The amba assaiors
and ministers were expected to communt-
cate the information In turn to the United
States consular offices within the limits of
their posts. In case of countries like Aus
tralfa and Canada, where the United States
60 not ronrosontod - a,-1a