The Washington times., 1901-11-04
CABINET MAY Be RECAST.
No Change Likely for Several
Months Yet However.


a Republican from Western State
who has long been a warm personal
| friend OF President Roosevelt, after
spending an hour with him the other day.
said to a Times reporter: do you know
believe that the President meant to be
| taken literally when he announced to the
! country Immediately after Mckinley
/ death that he should in addition to carry
| ing out his policy on public questions, re-
| tain each member of the Cabinet He
| meant to retain their services not tempor-
arily, but pef manently, for the entire
| term for which Mckinley was elected. and
believe he will do it, In my opinion no
changes whateN er in the Cabinet are con-
tempIated. "
This is not by any means the view
taken by other Republicans who think
they are pretty well posted on what is
going on in the Presidents mind these
days The more general opinion is that
no matter how sincerely Mr.. Roosevelt's
announcement was made, circumstances
will SO shape themselves after election
and after Congress has been made ac-
quainted with the new Presidents plans
and purposes, through his first annual
message, that Cabinet changes will be in
evitable
Mr.. Roosevelt personally asked all the
members except Secretary Hay and Secre-
ta-y Gage to remain when they were with
him at the bedside of the dead President
at Buffalo. He afterward telegraphed
like request to Messrs Hay and Gage
who had stayed behind to represent the
Government in Washington All. of
course, agreed to stay, but it is not likely
that any of them really think that the
cabinet will remain intact until the end
ff
know that no matter how the matter
stands at present, it is not to be expected
that President of the United States
should have as members of his official
family during his entire term men not of
his own choosing.
In the case of the present Cabinet the |
circumstances are somewhat exceptional, |
1t Is true, in that nearly all of the mem |
bers were so well known to Mr. Roosevelt |
through having been in office when he
was Assistant Secretary of the NAVY |
ofter representing Secretary Long at the
council table on Cabinet DAYS
1t is also a fact, however that when in
the Navy Department Mr.. Roosevelt was
not on the most cordial terms with one
OF more OF the Cabinet and that on occa-
slons they treated him and his opinions |
with scant courtesy. The President Drob-
ably does not now feel any i'll will toward
those men. but there must of necessity
elnnHrTdSSTnenr |
minds when they recall the early days
of the trouble with Spain, when the eager
agressiveness of some Administration
officials was so severely rebuked nv the
more conservative ones
All things-past and present-consid-
cred, therefore, the conclusion is most
natural that along about the beginning
OF the year the Cabinet will be recast to
some extent, at least. 1t is too early yet
perhaps, to talk about who will 60 but
1t Is no disparagement to other members
or the Cabinet to say that two who are
sure to remain if they can be prevailed
upon to do so are Secretary Root and
Attorney General Knox. Secretary Hay,
Secretary Gage, and Secretary Long may |
each desire, for personal reasons, to be
relieved when pending matters in their
respective Departments are settled as it |
IS understood that all of them have more
than once expressed a strong desire to
retire to private life.
Secretary Root and Attorney General
Knox are known to be held in especially
nigh regard by the President as men OF I
he greatest legal and executive ability {
Ind in whose judgment the President ! :
places the utmost faith. Mr.. Root is pop !
Il2riy slated for the premiership of the
should Mr.. Hay determine c
o retire, and Mr.. Knox will remain at a
he head of the Department of Justice. as .
he character of his legal training has
'een of just the kind needed in the office
II Attorney General. I
Should changes not already mentioned
'ccur there Is wide field to select from
II tilpbolilE liIelT SlCGtSSOTSr almost every
Republican politician from Maine to Cali !
ornla having been already mentioned V
y furnishing in his makeup the most ex-l r
client kind of Cabinet timber. There is :
ne Republican of national reputation in !
about whom little has been said F
n connection with a Cabinet place. but | T
gho is more than likely to be holding a =
ortfolio before the expiration of Mr. ;
sooseveits term. This is ex-senator L
ldward o. Wolcott, of Colorado. Last
iarch, as his twelve years service in the I
enate was about to expire, he resigned n
is membership of the Republican Ma =
onal Committee to make way for one a
'ho haf ben loyal worker in the ranks, =
nd went TO Europe for a rest. I
He returned recently, and last Tuesday +
e took luncheon with the President at
le White House, and had a long chat on W
)itical affairs Saturday. Mr. Wolcott u
ime to Washington again and saw the h
resident by appointment. He has now f(
1ne back to Colorado to resume the law Il
-actice which he practicaii. he ,,rirr-rr>l CT
hen elected to the Senate in 1883. But it | h
the opinion of well-posted Republicans tC
7rs that he viii soon return. If he does /
scome member of the Cabinet 1t will |
a change in line with the plan of Mt |
ooseveit to carry out as nearly as NAV | n,
the plans of his predecessor for it is
ell known that Wolcott held a place
Ose to the heart of President Mckinley
I'd that he would not have been satisfied |
let him go back to Colorado to remain It
r. Roosevelt has as good an opinion of IN
olcott as Mr.. Mckinley had. and per- A
nally they are even more closely is
avn together by ties of personal friend -
ip. pc