Evening star., 1901-03-13
Question Of His Appointment as
Assistant Secretary Of War.
new YORK SENATOR'S OPPOSED
interesting Opinions on the Now
Prominent Issue.
S E n A TIE Sc n T I M E n T

Senator Platt of New York is expected
to arrive in Washington this afternoon
late. his visit relating. it is supposed, to
the question of the appointment Of Col.
Sanger to be assistant secretary of war,
which he is not in favor of. Col Sanger
is here ahead of Senator Platt. 1t is un-
derstood in administration circles that,
while neither the President nor Secretary
Root has changed his mind with regard to
the appointment of Col. Sanger, it is the
plan to wait awhile. at least, before max
ing the appointment. Assistant Secretary
Meiklejohn has not resigned, nor has the
legislature of Nebraska elected a senator,
and as that legislature has a week or more
in which to elect, the administration has
decided not to do anything to prejudice the
chances of Mr.. Meiklejohn in any way.
Col. Sanger is now in the city, and spent
some time today at the War Department
looking about and making himself ac-
quainted with the duties of assistant secre-
tary of war and the officials who will be
under him after he Is appointed Senator
Depew is still in Washington and seems
as determined as ever to assist Senator
Platt in his opposition to the appointment
of Col Sanger.
Not a Political Appointment.
A senator who is on the Senate commit
tee which will report on Col. Sanger's
nomination said today that if Senator Platt
carried out his determination to oppose
the confirmation of Col. Sanger he will
find very few senators willing to join him.
II should think the senator would remem-
Der his experience of some twenty years
ago in trying to fight the administration
on an appointment and his defeat at that
time, and consider well before he starts on
similar course
His contention that he has right to be
consulted in this nomination is not well
taken. This Is not state appointment,
but a national one. In fact, virtually
cabinet appointment. No senator would
dare to oppose the Presidents selection of
a cabinet officer, and 1 do not think any
one has right to oppose the selection of
an assistant secretary, an official, who in
the absence of the cabinet officer, has to
perform his duties and perchance take his
seat in the cabinet meetings. The Presi-
dent has to go to the states to get the
proper man, but that is no reason why
he should ask senator's permission to
select a man from his state. If the Off
cial was to fill state office the senator
would have perfect right to object, but
as the place Is national one, no such
petty objection as that raised by Senator
Platt can be sustained. The senator does
not make the point that Colonel Sanger is
unfit for the place, but only that he is
Objectionable to him personally"
MIR. Allies Selection Similar.
Another senator recalled the fact that
only a few days ago Secretary Gage Sc
lected an Ohio man for assistant secretary
of the Treasury and the President appoint
ed him without consulting either Senators
Hanna or Foraker, and that neither Of
them made objection. AS Secretary Gage
considered the appointment a personal one
he named his man and he was confirmed.
Secretary Root is holding to the same view,
that the appointment is personal one,
and that he has right to name his assist
ants and select man whom he can rely
upon to assist him in carrying out the
policy of the administration and the work
of the department.
Secretary Root was with the President
for several hours last night, and while the
conference was mainly on the army ap-
pointments, he also took occasion to forti-
fy the President with his arguments for
the appointment of Col. Sanger, so that
when Senator Platt calls upon the Presi-
dent to talk over the matter he will find
the President fully conversant with the
Secretary's reasons for wanting Col. San
ger, and the senator will have to give
some Weightier objections to the New
Yorker than those already announced.
Seems to BE Getting Initiated.
The fact that Colonel Sanger is in the
city and is spending a good deal Of time
at the War Department is looked upon by
officials here as a sure Indication that he
is getting ready to take charge. An opin-
ion is growing. despite the statements by
Senator Platt and Senator Depew, that the
New York senators will in time gracefully
submit and that the appointment of
Colonel Sanger will be made at the Presi-
dents pleasure, and that there will be
no opposition in the Senate to his confirma-
tion when his name is sent to that body.
Senator Platt is not due in Washington un-
til late this afternoon. Senator Depew ex-
poets to leave in a few days, accompanied
by his niece, Miss Paulding, for a trip to
Aiken, s. c..