Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-12
Possibility Of His Being invited
to Place In Roosevelt's Cabi-
net, Freely Discussed
INFORMATION NOT DEFINITE
cummins' ideas Arc Known TO corres-
pond so WclI With Those Of the
President, However, and His So
lection Would be immensely Popu-
lar Thruout the West - Capital
Gossip.
special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Dcs Moines. Nov 1.-THE possible
ity OF Gov. Albert B. Cummins being
invited TO q place in the cabinet which
President Roosevelt will make UP when
he begins his own term as president
next March, is being discussed here
with some freeness in political circles.
Nobody pretends that any definite in
as to how that cabinet will be made
up but the wise ones are able to read
/ lily figure out how 1t would not be very
strange IL the chief executive of Iowa
should receive call to the place which
will be vacated by Attorney General
Moody In the next few months. The
line OF reasoning runs like this: Pres
ident Roosevelt will begin with his own
administration an aggressive move
ment against the trusts and combines
and illegal organizations, he will fol-
low up the lead taken in the famous
merger cases, he will desire in his cab
met at the head OF the legal depart
he will want one whose position on the
trust question Is az emphatic and un-
questioned as his own, and that man
must be lawyer of highest ability.
MI this fits Gov. Cummins of Iowa,
who is regarded as a leader among
those who advocate on aggressive poll
ICY ON the trust question and who is
one Of the greatest lawyers OF the
country. His selection for this post On
would clinch the sentiments expressed
In the letter which the president issued
20 few days before election. The sejec-
ton of Governor Cummins would be
in., c,.sely popular all thru tn, west.
1t would 60 far toward meat t'ps the ex-
pectations of the active republicans IN
tie middle west. II would he pleasing
to men like Gov. Van SAINT. Gov. La
Eri'ette. Gov. Deneen. Senator p",s
aud the men IN Missouri. Kansas. Ne
hraska and Colorado who are most ag-
gressive In their republicanism. ..a.Je
from this 1t Is Known that President
Roosevelt has warm spot In h;s hear:
for the governor OF Iowa, anl ns is
emphatically the same type of man
that the president is. Whether Gov.
Cummins would consent to be thus
drafted for national use Is another
question, for he now has more than
two years ahead Of him as governor of
the state. His friends do not doubt,
however. that IL he would be called to
take charge of the legal machinery of
the Roosevelt administration and the
president would start him after the
trust question with tan authority to act
he would soon convince all the world
that the Roosevelt administration ~
on the side of the people.
The gossip about the possibility Of
Gov. Cummins being called to cabi-
net position has been aroused largely
because Of persistent rurnors which
come from the east that one or both
OF the present Iowa members Of the
cabinet will retire at the end Of the
present term. Opinion differs widely
as to whether or not there is any foun
dation for these rumors. In regard to
Secretary James Wilson 1t will be re-
called that last year when the trustees
OF the state college were looking about
for a president they were urged to
choose Secretary Wilson. This was
partly because Of his high national
standing, and some Of the trustees be-
lieved also that 1t was because of
belief that Mr.. Wilson would not re-
main long In the cabinet. Now it is
stated that Secretary Wilson, while he
had admirably managed the depart
ment, is regarded ns getting too old
for the active work of a cabinet Off
Ger and because Of this might retire
from the cabinet.
In regard to Secretary Leslie M.
Shaw, the argument runs about like
this: He is not the Roosevelt typo
of man at all, and in his sentiments
is diametrcally opposed TO all that
the president represents In public life:
he brought criticism on the adminis-
tration in his early speeches In which
he practically defended the trusts for
their high prices and for having adopt
ed the policy OF selling abroad cheaper
than they do at home: he has subjected
the administration to criticism because
OF his connection with the parole OF
the Pollock diamond robber and the
subsequent disclosure of political inf1u-
ences entering into the case; he has
the business men and bank
ers OF Boston and other eastern cities
on numerous occasions; and above all
else he is recognized now as an act
ual candidate for the presidency in
1908 and President Roosevelt Roosevelt
does not desire that his cabinet shall
be nursery for presidential booms.
If Secretary Shaw should drop out Of
the cabinet there would be nothing
then to hinder the president inviting
Cummins to place in the same off,
cial family with Secretary Wilson even
should the latter remain. Secretary
Wilson and Governor Cummins are the
closest of personal and political
friends, and there could be no antagon-
ism between them. It 10 known, also
that Secretary Wilson has no ambition