St. Tammany farmer., 1906-08-11
ARE LITTLE KNOWN. |.
NAMES OF CABINET OFFICERS
NOT HOUSEHOLD WORDS.
Ard Really to the Great Mass OF the
People Of the Country It Matters
Little Who Occupy the
Positions.

country who do not know anything
about what in Washington Is tnought
is essential information. Not long
since a delegation from New Jersey
was visiting the capital. They were
well-to-do, intelligent looking people,
and seemed to be a class. that ought 70
know considerable about our govern
ment end its institutions. The party
was gathered In the treasury depart
ment waiting to- sea the secretary.
One who seemed to be somewhat Ia
miliar with the city pointed 70 tne
magnificent shaft that is prominent
from every point of view and said II
was an obel1sk that had been brought
here at great expense. So much Ior
the Washington monument Inquiry
was made az 10 whose statue was 10
Gated in frcnt OF the building, and
when told that 1t was Gen. Sherman 8.
the identity cf the great civil war gen.
eral had to De explained. Then, turn
ing to q gentleman standing near, this
purveyor of information asked who
was secretary of the treasury, and was
informed it was Leslie NJ. Shaw.
We'll, didn't know but what it was
Taft"
When Secretary shaw was told
about this, he related an occurrence
that took place In Iowa. It was at
gathering OF educators, an association
Of some kind where all were supposed
to be we'll informed. A question arose
as to something in current history,
and there was . wrong answer given,
One OF the gentlemen II referring to
the lack OF knowledge. said that It
was really deplorable. but not wholly
inexcusable, as he would venture to
say in the convention OF educators
there was not a person that would un-
dertake to name correctly the presi-
dent and members of his cabinet, and
no one made the attempt.
In this connection It Is said that
Postmaster General Cortelyou recently
received two letters on the same day,
one addressed to Wilson s. Bissell,
Postmaster General" and the other adj
dressed to William l. Wilson. Post.
master General" Both held the POSI-
ton in Cleveland's last administra-
ion.
X 1t is not so strange, however, that
people should not know all these facts
of current history. Probably they
ought to know the names OF the cab
met, hut thousands-yes, millions-do
not care about the names of the pres
ident's cabinet. They say: Why bur-
den our minds with things that do not
concern u.s." And there is great
deal in that. 1t is not often that the
average man has anything whatever
to do with a cabinet officer. II he
wants to transact business with the
government he can do SO by writing
to the department rather than the
cabinet officer. But very few persons
have any such business relations with
the government. II they have a salts
factory postmaster in the smaller
towns, and a satisfactory mail carrier
system in the larger towns, they do
not care who is postmaster general.
You can't make people take vital In
terest in things that do not come un-
der their observation or are not
part Of their daily life. The business
man has something to think about be-
sides politics. We laugh at the man.
who cannot tell who represents him In
congress, but many people have no
relations with their congressman
whatever. It is simply case OF en-
viruhment. A good road overseer IN
the country is of more Importance to
the average farmer than either a cab
met officer or congressman. It is
more to him to have a fair and COM
petent assessor than to have the best
man in the country for his senator IN
congress. To the city man good al
derman and intelligent school oficials
are far more to him than the supreme
court and the methods OF the United
States government. It is not at all
surprising, therefore, that there are
great many people IN this great ma
ton Of ours that are not at all ia
miliaT with the names of officials OF
o,,r ,,,c~+