The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-11

(Continued from First Page.)
 whether political in the narrow or in
 the largest sense I cannot, I shall tell you so frankly. Personal reasons can
 never exist when I do not do anything
 you say. Bellamy was right about it
 being needless to write me in order to
 keep him in mind. think of both of
 you all the time, and have gone over several times possible plans, First as
 to the cabinet. It is very unlikely now that shall change any member of the
 present cabinet. You have probably
 seen that have asked them all to stay.
 The secretary of war, Root, is one of the very strongest men before the peo- ple in our whole party. His Canton
 speech was the most effective delivered in the campaign last year. His advice is invaluable, not merely in reference
 to his department, but in reference to
 all branches of the service. AS for his department, it is at the present time the most important in the entire gov ernment. It would be a public calamity to have him leave the cabient now, and use the words public calamity ad-
 visedly. He is a sick man, a condition
 that gives me great uneasiness, not be-
 cause there is the fear of his death, but lest he may have to give up his work here. If he went out I should have to consider nothing whatever but the question of getting the best man the entire country afforded to do the work necessary to be done. It may be ! that after carefully looking over the matter l should conclude that Bellamy was the man for the purpose. It may be that I should have to conclude that some one else, of whom I have no thought at present would be the best . man, and if so I should be in honor bound to take him and not to consult any personal preference of mine in a matter so vital to the country I do not believe that Secretary Long intends to leave the navy, In this department am sure without further thought that { Bellamy would be admirable; but in 4illing any vacancy in the cabinet I would have to take note of all kinds of considerations. l should count Bella mys religion in his favor for cabinet place. Other things being equal I : should like to have a Catholic in the , cabinet. I am sure that in the navy de- pertinent he would do exceedingly well < as secretary. I do not know whether geographically he would be the right ] man. For instance, I should like much to get a Pacific slope man in the cab inet, and particularly in the navy de- partment, and I do not wish to leave New England unrepresented. At pres ent I see no Pacific slope man, who would be competent to fill the position
 Moreover, if possible, should like tol get one or more members of the cab inet who are in close touch with the people carrying weight when they ex- plain the policies, purposes and acts of the administration
 'This is the one point in which the present cabinet is not as strong as it should be. I do not believe that finer, abler, more high minded body of pub lie servants was ever got together around a presidents side, but there is no one of them, with the possible ex- ception of Root (who is so busy that he can hardly ever speak,, who can ap- pear before the country with the pres tige of a great political leader to eX- plain and champion my administration. If could at any time fill this want should most ardently desire to do so. In other words, for cabinet place the man should, if possible, be not only em- 1nently fit for the administration of his department, but also, if possible, par ty leader of weight; and, furthermore, it is rarely that one can fill cabinet position with reference only to itself all surrounding conditions must be talk en into account. Now, after foreign af- fairs, my inquiries speedily develop the fact that a Catholic, just at present, would not be a man whom it would be wise to send to Germany. For wholly different reasons it would be wise to send him to Italy. I had not thought of or known either these facts when I