Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-17
NRTELYOU TO SUCCEED?
Eumor Says Former Secretary of Com
iaameree and Labor Department May
Step Into secretaryship of Treas.
ury Department Wynne Good
Postmaster General.
IBY H. j. MAHIN.1

'3'''SsSiiy ~. ", NOV. 10.
The most important cabinet change
IN the coming new administration of
PRESIDENT Roosevelt is the possible re-
tirement of Leslie, NJ Shaw, secretary
OF the treasury. Rumors of this
change have been rife in Washington
throughout the day but it must be said
that no announcement that bears any
stamp OF authority whatever has been
Forthcoming. Secretary Shaw returned
from the west tonight but would not
discuss the question.
Absence of Announcement.
There have been two White House
announcements, both very prominent,
that Secretary Hay will continue to
remain in the cabinet until the end of
Mr.. Roosevelt's term as president. One
came by way of Chicago and was made
byby Benjamin |. Wheeler during the
campaign Immediately after his visit
to the President. The other came from
Mr. Roosevelt himself after HIS cleo
ton. But there has been no announce
ment of any kind that Mr.. Shaw will
continue as secretary of the treasury,
the Office next in Importance to that of
secretary of state. The absence of
such an announcement while not at all
conclusive. is pointed out here as hav-
ing considerable significance.
y Shaw's Candidacy in 1908.
It is believed now that Secretary
Shaw is an open candidate for the
presidency in 1908 and whether or not
President Roosevelt desires a cam
paign to be made for this high office
by. man occupying such an important
] position as head of the great treasury
department remains to be seen. Mr.
Shaw in 1900 told his friends in Iowa
that he might be candidate for the
presidency in 1904 and asked their
Support. Some of President Roose-
velt's critics insisted that his selec-
ton of the Iowa governor as cabinet
member had it's political aspect and
that the motive was to eliminate an
other candidate this year. The fact
remains that Mr.. Shaw decided not to
make. the contest this year, but. that he
| has practically decided to enter it for
91908 is firmly believed by his friends.
! u was said that his extensive trip
to- the far west. even to the Pacific
coast early in this fall campaign had
for one of it's objects the advancement
OF his own position as presidential
candidate, although he worked with
all his might and main for the cleo
stion of Mr. Roosevelt.
ShaW's Good Campaign Work.
On the othr hand it is known that
President Roosevelt values Mr. Shaw's
services as secretary of the treasury
very highly and he, is not unmindful
that he. has campaigned in behalf of
the republican ticket this year longer
and more arduously than any other
cabinet officer
cortelyou May Succeed Shaw.
| "A very indefinite rrllnor has con-
nected Geo. B. Gortelyou's name with
the treasury portfolio in case of Mr..
Shaw s retirement Mr.. Cortelyou's re.
lations with the present administration
are altogether too well known to re-
quire reiteration, with the statement
that he can have almost any position
In the gift of the President for which
his talents qualify him. 1t has all
along been the understanding that he
, was to be postmaster general either
at the beginning of the year or after
March 4. When Robert J. Wynne ac-
cepted the Office he did so with this
understanding and there has been no
announcem ent of any change of plans.
The President, however, looks upon
Mr.. Wynne as most efficient post
master general and is eminently
sIpleased with the reforms which he
has already inagurated in the depart
ment and his desire and efforts for an
absolutely clean administration The
rumors of Mr.. Cortelyou's accepting
some other cabinet position largely
arise from the knowledge that it would
relieve the President of very con-
siderable embarrassment in regard to
the Office of postmaster general.