Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-26
MORE CABINET CHANGES,
Seems Certain That Root, Knox
and Wilson Will Continue.
Gage Waiting for a Hint-Attack of
the Schley Press May Compel
Long to Stick to
His Place.

President Roosevelts appointment of
Henry C. Payne of Milwaukee to be post
master general to succeed Charles Emory
Smith of Philadelphia. is generally ac-
cepted as the beginning of the breakup
of the Mckinley cabinet, says a Wash
ington special to the Albany Journal
This may or may not be a correct as
sumption. No definite information as to
the Presidents plan is obtainable, at
least not for publication. He keeps his
official secrets well, notwithstanding the
general belief that he tells every visitor
to the White House everything he knows
Mr.. Paynes appointment was decided up
on more than 10 days ago, but we'll
was the secret guarded that the news did
not get out until officially promulgated.
Now statesmen and politicians pop up
from every quarter, saying: "Ges. |
knew about II, but the resident did not
, desire a premature announcement. So l
kept still" The fact is, however. that
not half n dozen men in Washington knew
} of the impending change and more than
one member of the cabinet was wholly
ignorant of it,
Mr.. Payne has been mentioned for
postmastergeneral n thousand times dur
ing the past five years, but the number
, who knew that this time the mention"
who profess to have the confidence Of the
administration are now predicting that
there will be general recast of the cab
met, one change following close upon an
other until but a few of the old guard
remain
The men who really do receive the Pres
identS closest confidence, however, and
APPARENTLY they are very few, seem IN
willing to make statements as to further
cabinet changes. That some of the pres
ent cabinet members will retire In the
near future seems to be taken for grant
ed and it is the popular belief that when
the President finally gets matters ar
ranged to suit himself and those directly
Interested Secretary of War Elihu Root
will be secretary of state, Philander c.
Knox attorney general, James Wilson sec
rotary of agriculture, Henry c. Payne
, acknowledgement and that Secretary of
State Hay Secretary of the Treasury
Gage, Secretary of the Navy Long and
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock will
have retired to private life. Mr. Hay will
go il he goes at all, entirely at his own
=, Volition and with the Presidents sincere
regrets In fact all will retire voluntarily
If they retire at all, but Mr.. Roosevelt
will view their retirement with varying
degrees of emotion. Mr.. Hay has long
desired to return TO privata life and may
go back to London as ambassador or rest
altogether on the laurels he has won in
the state department, the browning work
being the negotiation of the HaY-Paunc e.
fote canal treaty ratified by the Senate
on Monday
Secretary of the Treasury Gage is not
entirely persona grata to the President if
general report is to he relied upon. When
Mr.. Roosevelt was assistant secretary Of
the navy Mr., Gage was one of those cab
met members who regarded him as alto
gether too "bumptious'' and strenuous.
md &c hat hai vol iGr1
were not cordial at that time whatever
they may have become since. The Prcsi-
dent may be entirely satisfied with Nj
Cages conduct of the treasury depart
. ment. but the secretary is on the alert
for the slightest hint that the cabinet
family would be happier with him out g.
. it and there is slight doubt that wh,n
|, matters settle down little more the hint
, will come.
, Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock Z. Il
the President are on very good terms aud
, at present the secretary is MAXIM 4
fight for supremacy in Missouri republi-
; can politics as against the claims of
"Ross' Richard c. Kerens, and apparent
, ~ the President is preparing to take sides
with Hitchcock. But the pressure fog the
latter's retirement Is very strong from all
! quarters. He Is Il man almost entirely IN
known to the rank and file of the repup-
lican party The leaders appear to know
4 "
West wants recognition for some strong,
, repro sentative man interested in the de-
vclopment of the Far West and capable
of exertinF influence with the admins ra-
ton. Hitchcock they don't regard as such
man and are dissatisfied to have him
. remain in the cabinet.
AS to Secretary of the Navy Long the
situation is most delicate and Interesting
, When Theodore Roosevelt was his assist
: ant III the momentous days of 1895 thoir
policies as to the question of war be-
tween Spain and the United States We're
antagnostiC. Roosevelt saw the war com
: ing. appreciated the necessity for it and
. was active in taking steps to meet it
Long, however. as a member of the Mas
sdchusetts Peace society, resisted the tide
: and tried to hold the ardent assistant
. secretary in check. This was impossible
/, and the struggle almost resulted in al
open break which. however, was avoid
, ed by Roosevclts resignation to enter
: the army. Neither can have forgotten
these strenuous days and as neither ha,
, changed his character or disposition since
1t seems impossible that they can con
tinue to pull together in harness al
Though, of course, their personal rela
-. tons are most cordial. Each has a hgi
: regard for the others nobility OF charac
ter and high minded sense of public duty
> But one is radical, the other conservative
and inevitably they must part. one i'm
. portant fact just developed may postpon,
| the parting. becoming impatient at Sec
: rotary Longs failure to resign the SChley
partisans have opened a campaign /,
2 drive him out. The Washington Post
Schley organ that has for Two years beei
attacking Long as the chief of the anti
Schley conspiracy comes out in an odi
torial demand for his resignation.
d, Perhaps Secretary Longs good natur,
=, and patience will disappear in the fac
. of such attacks as this and that he ma,