Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-26
ROOFING THEM OUT
ROOSEVELTS INCONSISTENCIES
HAVING ITS EFFECT.
CABINET REORGANIZATION
Other Members, It Is Thought, VIII
Smiths Lead-President Ambi-
tious to Fully Dominate Every De-
partment.

Washington, Dec. 22.-The air IS
filed with rumors of general cabi-
net reorganization. Whether any of
them is reliable only the future can
tell, but Washington is accepting
them as true, and gossiping according
ly. 1t is pointed out that President
Roosevelt's vigorous personality and
his manifest intention to minimize
the authority of his cabinet officers,
himself assuming a larger share Of
the work of directing the entire af-
fairs of the government than any of
his later predecessors, do not please
the men now making up his official
famny These are men of ripe years
and s<perience and they do not fancy
the idea of being reduced to the posi-
ton of clerks. That is the word their
friends are using.
Roosevelt Las decided every import
ant question coming up in the several
departments since his succession TO
the presidency. Under Mckinley all
these questions were decided by the
cabinet officers and reported to the
president Tor his formal approval,
which was always forthcoming This
increase Of the presidential control of
department fairs is given as one rea-
son for Secretary Cages probable re-
tirement. For simila reasons it is
believed that Secretaries Long and
Hitchcock are to retire. The former
has earned the i'll will of the country
and been out of touch with the white
house through its attitude towards
Admiral Schley The latter is not in
accord with the president on questions
of interior department policy. ROose-
welt is said to be too vigorous and
pushing for Mr.. Hitchcock and to be
carrying the department forward along
advanced lines regardless of the sec
rotary.
Three members of the present cab
met are westerners-Gage Hitchcock
and Wilson. The last named will re-
main. The president thoroughly ap-
proves his policy. 1t is understood
that Hitchcock's place will be filled by
westerner, and here is where Gov
ernOr Merriam of Minnesota comes in.
No fastener could make an ideal in
terror official and of the westerners
mentioned Merriam is given the lead
in the gossip. Should Secretary Hay
resign and Secretary Root take his
place, there might be an opening for
Judge Taft.
II 1t is true that the president in
tends to go west for a new secretary
OF state in the person of Taft and also
for a new secretary of the interior, in
addition to the post of postmaster gen
eral just given Henry c. Payne of Wis
consln, he may want to take Cages
successor from the east.
In justice to Roosevelt, it should be
remembered that Secretaries Hay,
Long, Smith, Gage and Hitchcock have
been on the books to retire for more
than a year. Perhaps they all would
have gone had Mckinley lived. Surely
some of them would. 1t is therefore
not fair to assume that the preser+ re-
yival of talk of cabinet reorganization
grows entirely out of RoOseveIts ag-
gressive and assertive personality. The
personal equation, however, undoubt-
edly has had something to do with it,
and may be slightly fastening events