The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-12
RICH MEN SERVE UNCLE SAM
IN GOVERNMENT OFFICE BE-
CAUSE THEY LOVE THE WORK.
Members OF the Cabinet and Others VINO
Keep Their Posts Mt Pecunlary
Sacrifloe-Hn Public life Because
They Arc Interested I'm Their Duties.

!
that body alone that men OF wealth are
seeking Office nowadays In every branch
Of the Government service, in the depart
nents in Washington, as we'll az In the Fed
eral Offices Of the various cities, rich men
are found working faithfully and hard
because Of the interest they feel in their
duties.
John Hay, Secretary OF State. is perhaps
In his present place because Of a patriotic
sense Of duty. There are many reasons
why he should want to retire from the cares
of state. He Ii rich and has one Of the
finest homes In the national capital, just
across Lafayette Square from the White
House.
His social station could easily be main
tanned were he out Of Office, and he could
continue to lead in the set which has been
led by him for so long. But he remains in
the public service because he is told that
no one knows the foreign relations Of our
Government so we'll as he, or Ia qualified
! 20 fill his place just az he has filed 1t. He
serves because Of a patriotic sense Of duty
| and because some Of the ambitions which
he has had for the nation have not been
entirely worked out
Secretary of War Root also Is rich 1t is
said that his income at the time when no
went into the Cabinet was in excess Of
| $4,000 year from his profession.
Attorney-General Knox. too. Is rich
One incident lis cited to show just how some
Of his wealth came to him.
He had planned trip to Egypt with his
family one winter and made every prepare
ton for 1t. Two days before his departure
he was approached by the representative
OF one OF the big west Pennsylvania COM
| panies and asked to take charge of a suit
| which would require about month Of his
| time.
Mr.. Knox explained that he would be
unable to do 30 because Of his plans for a
foreign tour. Pleadings were In vain
until he was asked how much 1t would be
worth to him to postpone his trip and take
| the suit.
Promptly enough the future Attorney
General said: at would be worth at least
| $500 600 to me"-not wanting to remain and
believing that the sum would be sufficient
TO end the matter He was retained. and
that was his fee for the next months work.
Mr.. Knox lives in one of the finest houses
here and INDUCES his fancy for fast horses.
Every day that the sun shines he may be
seen driving about the capital behind
one OF his horses. which cost thousands of
dollars
Secretary OF the Interior Hitchcock was
| rich from the time of his BIRTH and has been
associated with big business enterprises in
the West, which makes his wealth grow
with each day. The salaries of any of the
Cabinet officers named would hardly pay
their house rent. All their other expenses
for entertaining, for horses, for the diver
sions which they seek in summer and for
their households during the social season
must come from their private fortunes.
They are necessarily losing large sums
Of money by remaining in the public SER
Iice. But each Of them has some good ex-
cuse for remaining.
Mr.. Root stays In Office at a sacrifice
because he has yet TO work out some Of
the army reforms which the legislation
OF the last session of Congress provided
for. A year ago he was telling his friends
that he would remain only until he had
secured the legislation.
Mr. Hitchcock stays IN the Cabinet be-
cause he wants to put the entire Interior
Department on business basis before
giving way to successor. Mr., Knox
stays, not because he wants TO, but be-
cause he is interested in the great legal
fight over the Interstate Commerce law.
So each man can give a special reason
why he retains his Government place at
the sacrifice OF his personal interests.
But there are many more places outside
the Cabinet circle In which the honor AZ
proportionately less and which are sought
and held with persistence by rich men.
There Is the place OF Assistant Secretary
Of the Treasury, held by II. A. Taylor of
Wisconsin.
uncle Hold" as they call him out In
his State. has long been very rich He
has great lumber interests In the North
west, mines In the Carolinas, In Mexico
and Alaska, and hotels, newspapers and com
mercial enterprises But IN each of these
he has competent men who look after his
interests and render him regular and ade-
quate returns.
Mr. Taylor has been urged to leave the
Government service His family and his
friends and his physician have. within
the last few weeks, Joined In insisting
that he take long foreign tour for his
health. He has just completed a model
home In the fashionable part Of the city,
and 1t would seem that he has everything
that heart could desire
But Mr.. Taylor olings tenaciously to this
place and each day looks after the affairs
OF the Government as they come before
him with the same enthusiasm and care
that he would If tho interest was his own
Only the personal friends of Mr. Taylor
know why he likes the place. 1t brings
him small emolument, sum by the year
which hardly represents the market varia-
tions of his possessions in each twenty
four hours.
But idleness and inactivity are bugaboos
TO Mr.. Taylor. From his early boyhood
he has found oeaseless activity TO be his
portion. Through his never ending in
dustry he arnassed his present wealth and
made sure Of hs own future, Now he
clings to his Government place because he
believes that in idleness he would quickly
rust out.
Charles Hnllam Keep, tho recently APP
pointed Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury,
is said TO view his annual salary Of 81, 500
merely as money which he can use in keep
ing up with the automobile fad or meeting
the minor expenses Of his life in the capital
He has secured such a measure OF success
in commercial pursuits that doubtless he