The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-10-22
Deep Rooted Prejudice Against Irish Cath
olics For Cabinet Positions Grad
ually Dying Out.
When Justice McKenna Was Made Attorney
General by Mckinley the Selection
Cam, as Surprise. =

President Roosevelt has appointed to
his cabinet a man who is the product
of the Irish race and the Catholic
church. Robert ]. Wynne, the new
postmaster general, is an Irish Cath
olic, proud Of the race from which he
sprung and faithful to the church that
his family for generati tions back have
been devoutly loyal to, says the Re-
public. The name Wynne does not
strike the average American as Celtic,
and comparatively few persons, other
than intimate friends and associates at
Washington, were aware when Wynne
was first taken into the administration
circle that he was descended from
Irish stock. But brief acquaintance
would convince the casual observer
that the man who has jumped into ma
tional prominence in the brief space of
two years is of Celtic blood. The traits
of the successful Irish-American domi-
nate his character and they are the
traits which won for him seat in the
American cabinet.
The cabinets of our presidents have
not admitted more than handful Of
men Of the Irish race. When Joseph
McKenna, now justice of the United
States supreme court, was made attor-
ney general by President Mckinley,
the selection came as surprise. "Why,
he is a Catholic and Irish," said the
bigots and the under-current of official
and private gossip showed how deep
rooted was the feeling that the Irish
and Catholic should have no place in
the cabinet of eight men who act as
advisors to the president and direct the
eight executive departments. Postmas.
ter General Wynne succeeds Attorney
General McKenna as the representa-
tive of the many millions of Irish Cath
olics in the United States. Justice Nc
Kenna was unknown to the country
when he entered the cabinet; Wynne
takes his place with an established
national reputation for fearless integ-
rity, proved in a trying manner by
exposing and roofing out corruption
that pervaded the post Office depart
ment and gave rise to public scandal
that no one had dared to tackle.
Wynne was the exception and the
work he did in behalf of the country's
honor has now brought it's reward.
Robert ]. Wynne was born in New
York city in November, 1852, and was
ther educated in the public schools. He
moved to Philadelphia and learned tel
egraphy, working in the gold and stock
board, eventually becoming chief ope-
rator of the Pacific & Atlantic Tele-
graph company. After residence Of
eight years in Philadelphia Mr.. Wynne
came to Washington. His first news
paper work was on the Cincinnati Ga
zette under General H. V. Boynton,
who trained him as Washington cor
respondent. He wrote for the old Ga
zette and the Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette until 1901, when he was ap
pointed private secretary to the secre-
tary of the treasury, Charles Foster of
Ohio. On the election of Mr.. Cleve-
land Mr.. Wynne returned to journal
ism as correspondent Of the Cincinnati
Tribune and Philadelphia Inquirer.
His letters and dispatches on national
politics, tariff and finance obtained for
him recognition and an exclusive en-
gagement on the New York Press, an
ultra protection and gold standard pa
per, from which he resigned to be-
come Postmaster General Payne's first
assistant. The new postmaster general
has been one of President Roosevelt's
intimate friends for many years, and
his appointment as first assistant was
largely a personal appointment. At the
same time every Republican senator
with whom the president discussed the
wisdom Of the selection before con-
sulting Mr.. Wynne earnestly advocat-
ed it. Mr.. Wynne's relations with
Postmaster General Payne were equal
ly cordial at the start. Everybody in
Washington knows Wynne. He has
lived there 25 or 80 years. He is
compactly built man Of 100 pounds