Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
Men Responsible for Shaping
Them.
PRESIDENTS ADVISERS
CABINET OFFICERS AND SENA-
TORS ON WHOM HE RELIED.
Speaker Cannon Also Frequently Called
in Consultation-Mr. Rooseveits
Tact and Diplomacy.

the Senate one of the House and three or
the cabinet have been primarily responsible
along with President Roosevelt in shaping
the policies of the republican party during
the last two or three years. If PRESIDENT
Roosevelt Is elected in November 1T Is per-
fectly safe to presume that these same men
will WELD a powerful influence during the
next four years of governmental admins
tration, although one of them has retired
aitoeethe. from the cabinet and another
has been sent to the United States Senate
The five men If the Senate who have been
close to President Roosevelt, and VINO nave
done more than any others In the national
Congress to shape legislation and policy. as
advisors and friends of the President. nave
beer Aldrich of Rhode Island. Spooner of
Wisconsin Plat of Connecticut Beverage
of Indian and Lodge of Massachusetts, Of
the five Lodge is the warm. bosom TREND OF
years standing: Beveridge the ardent 1rlehu,
adntirer and adviser; Platt, the pracucai
pointed, astute student or puDnc ana ponti-
cal affairs. Spooner, the able de1enuer, WIS.,
and alert debater; Aldrfch. the iesisia'Ne
general and skjllful handler OF statesmen
OF both parties. Each in his sphere mas
been a source of strength and satisfaction
to the President in the conduct OF natiohal
questions.
The CHIEF man in the House upon whom
the President has uniformly relied lot gooo
advice has been Speaker Cannon COMBINING
hard, common sense with Keen ponucdi
judgment. Cannon has been great help
and his cooperation was always sought at
times when important questions were press
ing upon the country for solution
Elihu Root Chief Adviser.
Foremost among the men who have sat
as advisers in the cabinet was Elihu Root,
whose consent to become the republican
candidate for governor of New York was
Vainly sought by both the warning factions
of Plat and OdeT Next to him has been
Secretary Hay, and the third cabinet officer
whose brains and Judgment have meant
much to the administration was Philander
Knox. former Attorney General, now oc-
cupying the Senate seat of Matthew Quay
of Pennsylvania.
OF the nine men who have composed to
large extent the coterie of leaders whose
opinions have guided the President on many
occasions where his interests and those of
the party were at stake, Elihu Root IS uni
versally admitted to have stood at the head
Openly praised 10y the President himself as
the greatest cabinet officer he had ever
known and as fit to occupy any office in the
gift of the nation, Mr.. Root undoubtedly
left an impress upon the history of the ma
ton. Discreet, silent. but able to say things
in a convincing. brilliant manner when he
did talk. Mr.. Roots immense influence at
the White House welded in q quiet,
transformations and undemonstrative way.
For months after the advent of the Roose-
Welt administration obServant newspaper
men at the White House did not realize how
much the President appreciated the saga
cious advice and able services of his Secre-
tary of War. 1t has been known for long
time that Senator Lodge was about the
closest man in Washington to the chief
executive, and Elihu Root was so modest
in his WORK at the White House that no one
could at once gather how close a position
he was taking in what is commonly spoken
OF as the Kitchen cabinet of the White
House" Carefully screening himself from
anything that would tend to indicate that
he felt his power at the White House, Mr..
Root went on his judcious way. saying
nothing, but every day proving himself
more valuable to the occupant of the presi- I
Dental chair. Roosevelt and Root had
known each other well in New York before
the former entered the White House, but
Root had been invited into the cabinet of
President Mckinley because the Ohio man
knew the New Yorker to be a brainy, big
man. Upon having the responsibilities of
the presidency suddenly put upon him. Mr.
Roosevelt was naturally awake to the men
who would aid him most in his disposition
or the great problems constantly arising for
settlement Quickly he learned the worth
of Root, whose final departure from the
cabinet was regarded a personal loss
MI Root was somewhat as he is now in his
legal practice, a general counselor at the
White House. Few important questions
arose that he did not discuss with the
President. and his advice was always SO
nttng and in such perfect accord with that
VI WISE men OF the party that he came to
ne permanently engaged-not paid a big re-
talner. as he Is now, but the President had
INST call on his services" and his intellect
Secretary Hays Mark.
Secretary Hays mark upon the history of
the Roosevelt administration has been made
In connection with the State Department
IN the foreign questions arising there. In a
dozen momentous International questions
the PRESIDENT has implicitly trusted Mr.
nay and followed his advice. He has felt
that Mr.. Hays sound judgment would
carry the ship of state into a safe port
without encountering rocks or storms. To
the Presidents mind Mr.. Hay has demon
strated himself the peer of any of the great
international pilots. Cautious, thoughtful
Oh national honor and interests, and careful
OF the interests of his chief and party Mr..
Hay has been and is yet trusted TO an nm
usual degree by the President
II has been in the legal field that Phil
ander Knox has occupied such close reIa-
lions to the President. Personally and So
claiiy they are close to each other but il is
the man who can do something and do IL
wei that gains the regard of the President
IN tHe coal strike situation in PENNSYLVANIA
Mr. Knox constantly advised with the
President as to his legal rights to interfere
ana took part In all the conferences held
prior TO the action that was finally taken
Ihen followed the determination of the
president to institute legal proceedings in
the Northern Securities case and the many
conferences held with Mr. Knox prior to
the last steps before the hand of the gov
eminent was revealed Knox proved MINI
self a master In his field besides possessing
pretty good ideas OF politics. He had no
trouble In proving himself the mental equal
OF other men upon whose Judgment and
tact The President relied in government
problems. whether legislative or diplomatic
Late Postmaster General PAYNE.
In cabinet circles the next man to the
President in point OF political usefulness
has been Postmaster General Payne. His
political opinion has been asked for often.
and he and Secretary Root were the two
men who remained with the President for
long hours after other cabinet officers had
departed on cabinet days. Mr. Payne's
management OF the postal scandals was an
that the President could have asked. This
uehcate situation was handled with the nj
most caution by the Postmaster General.
VINO at the same time gave his political ad-
wee on many questions in various states
Appointments of postmasters, with due re-
gard TO the desires of the people and the
political bosses, have been made after
recommendations by the President In these
matters Mr.. Payne was wholly responsible
lie took each and ,,,,a