The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-07-22
AMERICAN PREMIER
choice5 Of Various Presidents of Men
TO Flu First PLACED Cabinet.
Few Eminent Names.

1otf4Vt W tnt otuhtt tntFe Ii no
body but Root, in whose pre-eminent
competence to discharge the functions
Of Secretary IF State Mr.. Roosevelt
Is known to have expressed public
ity entire. and hearty confidence,
says Harper's Weekly. For traditions
the President processes no undue rev.
erence-he would rather make them
than follow them--and, for that mat
Ter, there has been no lack in recent
times Of precedents for seeking a
head Of the Foreign once outside
the narrow circle OF distinguished
politicians.
It is more than t~hree-qnarters Of a
century since the once OF Secretary
Of State was regarded as a yestibule
10 the White House. The custom Of
50 regarding 1t began with Thomas
Jeferson-though in his case seven
interviewed between his resig.
nation Of the premiership and his as.
eession to the Presidency. and, hay.
ing been followed In the cases OF
James Madison. James Monroe and
John Quincy Adams. came to an end
10 1926. SO far as the direct transfer
Of the occupant OF the State Depart.
nent to the Executive Mansion is con-
cerned.
It is true that President Martin
Van Buren, had once been Secretary
Of State, but six years had elapsed be-
tween his exercise Of the one office
and his assumption OF the other. So,
too, James Buchanan administered
the State Department under Polk.
but he left 1t eight years before he
became Chief Magistrate. Two ex.
secretaries OF State, Henry Clay and
James G. Blaine, were eventually
nominated for the Presidency. but
each failed to be elected. Only four
times since 1863 has a President con-
formed to the traditions that the
headship Of the Cabinet should be re-
served for one of the most eminent
among the active politicians of the
preponderant party. Garfield and
BENJAMIN Harrison followed the old
or presidents when they made James
G. Blaine Secretary Of State; SO did
Mr.. Cleveland when in his first ad.
ministration, he appointed Thomas
+. Bayard. and Mr.. Mckinley, when
he designated John Sherman. Grant,
on the other hand. selected first Elihu
b. Washburn, whom few Senators
considered qualified for the headship
of the State Department; and then
Hamilton Fish, who for some time
had retired from active politics.
Hayes chose for his premier William
M Everets, who, we believe, had
never held an elective Office except
thar OF delegate TO a State constitu-
tionaI convention; and Arthur assign.
ed the place to Frederick T. Frellng.
huysen, who, although a man of some
Importance in New Jersey, had never
possessed much weight or influence
IN the country at large.
Blaine's successor in the Harrison
administration was Mr.. John w. Fos-
ter, who, like John Hay, was a recruit
from the diplomatic service. The pre-
mier in Cleveland's second admins
tratlon was Judge Walter @. Gresh-
am. had been a lifelong Republican
up TO the general election of 1892.
uto e,,coassor Al, pt.. o,.o.
was practically unknown to politi-
clans. even In the State of Massachu.
sets, from which he came. Quite as
obscure was Judge William R. Day,
who, after John Sherman's death,
headed the State Department for a
while. John Hay, it is well known,
had been trained for the foreign office
by a long and varied experience in
our diplomatic service, having run
me gamnt from secretary of legation
and charge d~,affaires to First Assist.
an Secretary of State and Ambassa-
Q at London. Mr.. Elihu Root, like
his predecessor, and like William NJ.
Eyerets has eve been elected to
an Office fexcept that of delegate to
Q New York State constitutional con.
yention); but, as the director for
some five years of the War Depart.
rnent at a critical conjuncture, when
II Included the administration of
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines,
lie has had an experience singularly
adapted to prepare him for the con-
duct Of our foreign relations. wheth-
err in his case the office of Secretary
y Of State will nroye a stenninr stnno