New-York tribune., 1901-12-28
THE WEST IN THE CABINET.
APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNOR SHAW
WILL NOT CAUSE SECRETARY
WILSON'S RETIREMENT
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE ]

Washington. Dec. 27.-On authority that Is
absolutely trustworthy. it be said that the
acceptance py Governor Shaw of Iowa of the
Secretaryship of the Treasury. soon to be made
vacant by the resignation of Lyman j. Gage.
will in no way affect the position of James
Wilson as a member of the Cabinet The fact
that Mr.. Wilson also is an Iowa man has been
generally believed to indicate his retirement
from the Secretaryship of Agriculture soon after
Governor Shaw assumes the duties of the Treas
ury PORTFOLIO in order not to embarraSS the
President with the unusual circumstance of
having in the Cabinet two from the same
Western State Heretofore the West has been
content with it's regular quota of representa-
tion the Presidents official table. and this
representation was distributed ostensibly with
some regard for geographical considerations.
Never were the States west of the Mississippi so
numerously represented in Cabinet as they
will be when the changes now pending
made. When Governor Shaw takes the place of
Mr.. Gage. President Roosevelt will have three
Cabinet officers from that section-Mr. Hitch
cock. of Missouri and Messrs. Shaw and Will
son, of Iowa. Then the West will be still
further strengthened in the Cabinet by Henry
c. Payne, of Wisconsin, taking the Postmaster
Cieneralship in place of Charles Emory Smith, of
Pennsylvania
1t is suggested that this evidence of President
RooSevelt'S preference for the West bears out
speech at the Philadelphia convention last year
in nominating Mr.. Roosevelt for the second place
on the ticket That declaration was that the
convention could show higher wisdom than
to nominate as its standard bearers "a Western
with Eastern ideas and Eastern man
with Western ideas" 1t is perfectly we'll under
stood that, even If Secretary Hitchcock should
leave the Cabinet. President Roosevelt would
select his successor from the West, probably
Minnesota, where there are already two or three
conspicuous candidates for the place, chief
among them being National Committeeman
Thomas H. Shevlin and Tams Bixby. now chair
man of the Dawes Indian Commission.
SECRETARY LONG MAY RETIRE LATER.
The only other Cabinet change thought to be
pending in the office of Secretary of the Navy.
1t is known that Secretary Long for more than
year has wanted to quit public life. and he
would have done so several months ago had
President Mckinley lived. 1t is further known
that he would be ready to insist that Presi-
dent Roosevelt relieve him Immediately if it were
not for the unfortunate and apparently ire
pressible Sampson-Schley controversy. Mr..
Long feels that if he were to leave the Cabinet
this juncture he might be accused by his
critics of having been run out of public life by
them AS soon the public temper over the
Sampson-S -Schley affair becomes somewhat cooled
it is expected that Mr. Long will step out. Who
his successor will be is not known, but that the
President Will put some other Eastern man at
the head Of the Navy Department is generally
believed, If for no other reason than desire to
continue New-EnSland's representation in the
Cabinet.
Secretary Wilson's desire to remain in the
Cabinet is quite strong the Presidents
wish for him to continue at the head OF the
Agricultural Department Mr.. Wilson is in per-
feet harmony with the President every i'm
portant question except that of tariff conces-
siOnS for Cuba, but their difference on this issue
has not led to anything like estrangement be-
tween them. Mr.. Wilson believes that the beet
sugar industry would suffer should concessions
be made to Cuban sugar. and the President does
not. Otherwise they are in absolute accord. and
it is not thought that the Secretary of Agri-
culture will attempt to use his influence on Con-
Cuba by opening up the markets of this country
to the islands principal products-sugar and to-
bacco. The Secretary is such a stanch and in
telligent advocate of the establishment OF
comprehensive system for reclamation Of the
arid lands of the West through irrigation that
the President wants to keep him in the Cabinet,
if for no other reason than TO assist in getting
this great work of internal Improvement started.
President Roosevelt strongly recommended this
proposition in his first message to Congress.
and he is anxious to promote IL at this session
by every practicable means at his command.
With Secretary Wilson secondng his efforts
probable that Congress will make the neces-
sary provision for the beginning of the work on
a broad and lasting scale. Except for this situ-
alton, il is regarded not unlikely that Mr..
Wilson would .etire from the Cabinet within a
wear. now that the new Secretary of the Treas
ury is to come from his State, which already
has the Speaker of the House and the chairman
of the great Appropriations Committee of the
Senate Mr.. Allison. II is thus shown that Iowa
will soon he more strongly represented in the
government than any other State.