Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-26
Will HITCHCOCK QUN!
1t Is Said Secretary Of Interior
Will Resign Within
Ninety Days.
Hitchcock Alleged to Have An.
tagonized Congressman. Sen.
ators and Public Men.
Persistency in Blocking Games
Responsible for Some Of
His Unpopularity.

Washington, March 26.-The presi-
dent has no present intention OF max
ing change in the Office of secretary
o. the interior. This is a statement Oh
fact vouched for by high authority.
There will be change in the head OF
the interior department within the next
sixty or ninety days. This is an e&-
preston of opinion voiced by promi-
nent members of the senate and house
and reflected from the associates OF the
president.
Combinations of circumstances have
brought about the present SITUATION IN
relation to Mr.. e. A. Hitchcock, present
secretary of the interior. In his reia-
tons with members of the senate ana
house he has undoubtedly antagonized
a large and influential element of them.
Some of the antagonism has grown out
Of the successful efforts of the secre-
tary of the interior in blocking the
games" which they have tried to pay
and which have at some stage involved
connivance or approval by the head OF
the department or some of its subordl-
nate officers. Others oppose the pres
ent secretary because he lacks tact or
diplomacy. OF an inquiring mind, OF
frigid disposition, and at times show
ing an inclination to be suspicious OF
every one who has business to transact
before his department, the secretary
has run afoul Of many public men who
object to the reception which they have
received from him. They believe, either
justly or unjustly, their conclusions
having the same ultimate effect, that
their opinions have not been given
proper weight or that the secretary has
knowingly ignored them or overridden
their wishes. Few practical politicians
have come in contact with the secre ;
tary without having an unfavorable
impression of him.
A coterie of western men have put
forward the candidacy of Mccormick
OF Utah. The candidacy got no; further
in any stage of it's management than
to be considered by the two senators
and one member of the house, who
found the. wish father to the thought
that Mr.. Hitchcock be succeeded. Other
western influence has brought out
Judge Willis Van Devanter now assist!
ant district attorney for the interior
department, as candidate. Judge Van
Devanter, it is believed. was not a
party to the boom" he received. Sen
ator Warren, of the judges own state
is credited with the suggestion of his
name, and former Secretary of the In
terror Bliss is reported to have strongly
endorsed the suggestion.
The latest rumor in connection with
the place involves the name of Con-
gresham Metcalf, of California. This
president asked Mr.. Metcalf to call up
on him at the white house to talk over
the prospect of Cuban legislation by
the house. Mr.. Metcalf has been iden-
titled with the opposition to the adj
ministration's program. The fact that
he had been asked to come to the white
house was known Monday. A state
ment credited to the president by one
of his callers, to the effect that when a
change was made in the Office Of the
secretary of the interior he would look
far to the west for a man who UNDER
stood conditions in that portion Of the
country, was coupled with the Metcalf
visit, and a new candidate for appoint
ment to the cabinet was created. Mr..
Metcalf denied that there was founda-
ton for the story. So did the white
house. 1t can be said with certainty
that no one has presented seriously to
the president candidate as successor
for Mr.. Hitchcock. 1t is possible the
president may have talked over
friends. The matter has gone no fur.
ther
Reasons given for the opinion that
the president will make a change
shortly are several. Prominent among
these Is the fact that the pressure for
Mr.. Hitchcock's place grows constantly
stronger. 1t comes from political adj
visers of the president, from men in
public life who are antagonistic to Mr..
Hitchcock, because of real or fancied
wrongs. and from another class of in
dividuals who wish to see a change, so
that a friend may be rewarded or some
enterprise worked thru the department.
The surface indications of an impend-
ing change are the repeated runors of
change and the open expressions of
belief on the part of friends of the adj
miniStratiOn that change is impend-
ing.
A strong reason for believing that
the president contemplateS a change is
to be found in his recent attitude to-
ward the secretary. A number of mat
tiers disposed of by the secretary have
been reopened by the president, and
have been reviewd, and in some cases
the decision Of the secretary reversed
and the presidents action either an
nounced or given general circulation by
those Interested Further indication of
the drift in this direction is found in
the fact that, instead of comforting
with the secretary in a full and free
manner, as 1t is presumed the president
would do and has done in the past, SUI
bordinates have been sent for from the
department and matters taken up with
them direct instead of thru the secre-
tary. Action of this kind was what led
to the resignation of Mr. Gage, former
secretary of the treasury. 1t was ac-
ton which Mr.. Gage had not been ac-
customed during the Mckinley admin
istration, and was SO foreign to what he
thought should be the course on the
part of the president that he rendered
his resignation. 1t is action which it is