The San Francisco call., 1904-06-16
CALIFORNIA IN THE CABINET.

T HE news from Washington seems to make it
tain that California will have the Secretaryship Of
Commerce and Labor provided Hon. Victor Met
CALI Representative from the Third District will con-
cude to leave his in Congress the Cabinet
While his district and the State will regret to be de-
prived of his services i'll the House. the whole State will
be gatifed by repres in the Cabinet and espe
cialy if he be the representative.
California has Jared we'll in Cabinet representation
1t expected that would have member OF Pres
ident Harrsons Cabinet but unfortunate divisions arose
between the friends, respectively of Hon. NJ NJ Estee
and Hon. John F. Swift and neither was chosen.
Either of those gentlemen would have made cred
liable and useful adviser to the President but tend
ency divide and oppose, which then at its height
kept the State in the background
When Mr. Cleveland elected the second time it
confidently expected that he would choose Cabi-
net officer from this State So strong was this feeling
that Oregon and other Western States formally sup
ported the appointment of from California.
But the Democracy of the State riven its whole
length by the feud and factions that originated in the
famous Stockton convention of 1884, and found
impossible to unite any Mr.. Cleveland got
farther West than Nebraska in making his Cabinet
lecons and the State again seated on the stool of
repentance with dull thud. When President Mckinley
elected he took the reins in his hands and ap
pointed his old personal friend and fellow member of
the Ways and Means Committee Mr.. McKenna, to the
Attorney Generalship and afterward in the face of
energetic opposition transferred him the Supreme
bench
The Republican party of-Californa has learned much
since 1880 and present distinguished by stronger
unity and sense of cohesion and common purpose
than before in its history 1t has learned that the
OF power the popular branch of Congress is
in getting good Representatives and keeping them there
while they are willing and stay. If they be-
long the majority of the House, of their in
huence is progressive, and each is able to do for his
Immediate constituency the things needful, and when
each constituency is we'll served the whole State is
cared for, far it needs in national legislation.
San Francisco dropped of line the last election
by defeating experienced Republican members and
sending two members of the minority These failed
attend the great interests of this city, and lost
much. Not With inattenton to their dis
tricts of the minority members went outside and
defeated, by obecting, the of his Democratic
colleague in the Napa district, that had the
asperating experience of three districts losing their
rights through sending three members of the mi
nority who put in their time fighting each other.
Fortunately the Republicans learned wisdom They
put McKenna into Congress and kept him there until
his contacts and influence strong enough to make
him Circuit Judge transfer him the Cabinet and thence
to the Supreme Bench His old district took up
Mr.. Metcaf and has kept him in the House since his.
entry in the Fifty-sixh Congress. He has achieved
place the Committee of Ways and Means, position
in which the and commerce of the country
cared for in legislation. To be active member of
that committee is to be in the important of para-
mentary relations the Government and the interests
of the people To be member OF that committee is
honor equal the craftsmanship of any other committee
of the House. Men chosen it their merit,
Judged by the leaders of the two parties the floor.
The minority leader who is the candidate of his party
for the Speakership selects the minority members of
the Ways and Means Committee and his successful
opponent, the Speaker appoints them. The Speaker,
in turn selects the members of his own party for the
majority of that great committee These selections
being upon merit and capacity solely it is the highest
evidence that be given that Mr.. Metcaf is in the
first class in the House.
If he the Cabinet his power to benefit California
without abating anything due the of the country
will be vastly enlarged 1t is greatly honorable the
Third District that it has made such excellent selections
for its Representatives that they chosen the only
Cabinet officers the State has had selected by the
iden If called upon select Representative
the wisdom will be shown by the
party there AS any nominee be elected the party
shows great intelligence in putting aside the temptation
to nominate any below the high grade of McKenna
and Metcaf Republicans of the of the State do
look with envy upon the good fortune of the Third
District, but rather inclined to keep following the
good example set by the party there.
Several people that plead ignorance of the
city and ways have found it convenient sleep in