Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-13
Mr.. Platt's Suggestion Not
to Be Acted On.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
SECRETARY TAFT CONSULTS
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
Gossip as to Coming Cabinet Changes
in the Departments of Justice,
Navy and Post nea--'

''Your Uncle" T. Platt of New York con-
tnues to give The Odel people some uneasi-
ness about control of the party machinery
in New York and he has been working one
OF his little schemes to such an extent that
a representative of the Odell people came
on here to- talk with the President today
This was Representative Littauer of the
twenty-iifth district. one of the ablest and
brainiest of tue New York republican poll
tiCians.
George Sheldon. personal friend and polit
iCal supporter of the senior senator from
New York. is the present republican nation
al committeeman of the empire state. Sem
ator Plat would like to see him continued
as national committeeman. and has been
working in that direction. He has now
learned that there is no chance for Sheldon
to succeed himself. and that the delegation
to Chicago. a majority of which Is COM
posed of fri nnds of Gov. Odell. Will eject
some other man-one friendly to Gov Odeii
and his organization. Senator Piatt then
set about on new scheme. This was to
intimate that Secretary Cortelyou ought 10
be republican national committeeman IL he
is to be chairman of the national commit
tee Secretary Cortelyou was entitled to
this, St nator Platt thought. He just couion
see how the republicans or New ork coulu
pass over such good man as Mr.; Cortei-
III.
ton of such great Importance as chairman
of the national committee.
After making this little insinuation Sena-
tor Platt watched developments. Somebody
GOT i'm communication with President Roose-
Welt either directly or indirectly, ana they
ascertaincd that the President qua not at
all regard it necessary that Mr. Corteiyou
should be on the national committee from
New York To be more certain. however,
Mr. Iittauer dropped down to Washington
He is an astute, discreet man. and he 1aiis
to talk but it is well understood tnat ne
cam here to find out II the PRESIDENT
really thought ii would be .he proper thing
for Mr.. Cortelyou to represent New YORK
on the national committee. The President
expressed no such views and felt that tne
representative of New York on this COM
rnittee should be left to the republicans of
the state to settle. Neither in this matter
nor in any other local affair would he med
die or int tere. That is Lel.eved to DE what
he told the New York representative. At
any rate Mr.. Cortelyou will not be the ma
tional committeeman from New YORK Sen
ator Hanna was not national committeeman
from Ohio when he was placed In charge
of the republican national committee in
1896; he was never member of the ma
tional committee. Mr.. CortelyOu himself
feels that there is no good reason calling
for his being the national committeeman
from New York and 1t is understood that
he has not had any desire I'm that direction,
certainly rot if his becoming such men,
Der would precipitate a renewal OF the
Platt-Odell war.
The next national committeeman from the
state will be either w. l.. Ward of West
chester or William Warren of Buffalo. Both
are close personal friends of Governor
Oden. Mr.. Warren is probably the closest
of the two. but he is from the wrong part
OF the state for national committeeman. it
is declared, and the chances are favorable
To Mr.. Ward.
Judgeships in the Philippines.
Secretary Taft spent good while with
the President today discussing Philippine
affairs. among them being some vacancies
on the supreme court of the islands. Judge
McDonough of New York and Judge Will
lard of Minnesota, both members of the
supreme court of the islands, have re-
signed and the vacancies are to be filled
No Successors were decided upon this
morning.
Capt. John G. Capers. republican
tional committeeman of South Carolina,
called on the President. Capt. Capers is
on his way to Chicago to attend the meet
ing of the national committee and the
convention. to which he has been elected
delegate. He wanted to talk with the
President on some political matters. He
is confident the President will be elected
in November by large majority.
Mr.. Moody to Be Attorney General.
Secretary Moody will become Attorney
General to succeed Philander Knox when
the latter retires from the cabinet and
VIII serve short time and then retire.
THIS, 1t is understood today, has been de-
termined on almost specifically. 1t is not
expected that the change will take place
until some time in the fall, possibly until
december. but Mr.. Moody will then leave
the Navy Department. After a short term
as Attorney General he will carry into
erect his announced purpose of resuminp
his law practice How long he will stay
In the cabinet as Attorney General is a
hot h.
later. The vacancy in the Department of
justice that Will be created by Mr.. Moody
taxing up private practice will be filled
ny some one not yet under consideration.
out II is limited that strong possibility
VIII be Henry NJ Hoyt solicitor general
OF the department.. and the close personal
friend OF Attorney General Knox.
Inc retirement of Secretary Cortelyou
VINO mad conference with the President
TO-DAY, VIII be the first of number OF
changes that will occur In the cabinet OF
the President. If he is elected to succeed
himself. The change in Mr. Cortelyou's de-
partment will be made before long Some
one has been selected as the successor to
Mr. Cortelyou, but the name is carefully
withheld The shrewdest guessers fix him
as western man, and some of them say
that lie VIII be man from the west of the
Mississippi. There has long been gossip
favorable to Representative Victor H. Met
car OF the third California district for cab
met membership, and his name is among
those talked of for this position. Next to
Senator Perkins, he is said to be the most
influential man in Congress from California
lie Is a graduate of Yale and q man of
polish and ability.
After the Department of Commerce va
cancy Will come that in the Navy Depart
ment. made by the change of Mr.. Moody to
the Department OF Justice. and along about
the same time will be the unprotected
retirement of Postmaster General Payne,
the Presidents political adviser and close
friend. But for the wealth of error and
harmful speculation that would have been
involved in an earlier retirement Mr.. Payne
would have retired from the cabinet before
this. As successor to Mr.. Payne there
seems little doubt that Mr.. Cortelyou will
be named by the President AS Secretary
OF the Navy the man most talked about is
Representative Foss. chairman of the naval
affairs committee OF the House.
Two Highly Priced Gifts.
President Roosevelt has received two gifts
which he prizes highly. They were pre-
tented to him by Dan a. Brown of Chicago
president of the Original Roosevelt Club of
Illinois. the organization of which was eff