Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-02-01

York to assume his new duties. Upon
his arrival at New York the depart
ment was formally turned over to him
and started on its larger career. The
first secretary of state brought to the
office ripe experience and rare gifts
He had been minister. to France, had
had executive experience as governor
OF Virginia during the revolution, had
gained legislative experience when he
sat in congress in 1875, and was the
author of the Declaration of Independ-
ence.
From the very beginning the de-
partment of state was more closely
connected with the president than any
other executive department. In fact
IT has not infrequently been said of
our presidents that they were run"
by their secretaries of state. though
for many years this has not been true
In early days it was regarded as the
stepping stone to the presidency, not
by right of succession in case of death
but by regular election. Thus Jeffer-
son, Madison, Monroe and John
Quincy Adams had each, at the time
he was elected president, served as
secretary of state under a preceding
president. Illustrating further the
close relationship, Washington not
only referred to the state department
all official letters relating to it's bust
ness, but made it the repository of
drafts of his own letters The foreign
ministers to the United States were
net permitted to correspond directly
with the president, but were required
to address the secretary Of state. This
rule was laid down before Jefferson's
domination, when Washington de-
clined direct correspondence with
Monster the French minister, and
Moustier's successor, the notorious
Genet, received forcible reminder of
it in 1898.
number of duties which fell to the
department soon after its organiza-
ton have since passed out of it's juris-
d,ction. In 1893 the secretary of state
was placed at the head of the patent
, office. When in 1S49 the department
of the interior was formed the patent
Office was merged into it and taken
from state department control. In
| 1890 the department of state was made
| the repository of maps, charts and
books for which copyright might be
granted by the United States district
courts. IL does not appear, however
that the secretary of state was given
or exercised the power of granting
copyrights. In 1859 these records
We're turned over to the department
of the interior and latte passed to the
! library of congress, which now con
ducts the copyright business. For a
time also the department of state con
Quoted the census, but was relieved oil
ii in 1850 when The business was
! transferred to the department of the
interior. After the war with the
south the pardons under the presi
dents amnesty proclamation were is
sued by the state department where
the records were kept. Warrants fol
the pardons were issued by the de
partment of state continuously unit
1898, when this duty was transferred
to the department of justice.
Present Functions.
The regular routine duties performed
by the state department are pros
ably supposed by many to be Unite,
to the management of the diplomatic
and consular service and the issuance
of passports 10 Americans travelling
iabroad. The department was, o
lcourse, primarily created to talk
charge of our diplomatic relations, bu
its other duties are considerable. Thu
law creating the department prescribed
that the secretary should keep thu
great seal of the United States. TIL,
law reads that he;-
Shall affix the said SELL to all civi
commissions, to officers of the Unitet
States to be appointed by the presi
dent. by and with the advice and con
sent of the senate. or by the presidea
alone: Provided that the said sea
shall net be affixed to any com mis-
sion before the same shall have bee
signed by the president of the Unite
States, nor to any other instrument o
act, without the special warrant of tn
president therefor.
Il The seal thus. as the supreme cour