The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-05
The Presidents Cabinet,

The Presidents Cabinet.
There is disposition in criticizine
the presidents cabinet appointments
to bark back to the Mckinley cabinet
as the state Of perfection in such ar.
rangements and to exaggerate the de-
partures Of President Roosevelt from
that model.
Such criticisms leave out Of account
the fact that the Mckinley cabinet
which the country remembers with
pleasure and pride, was not the origi-
nal draft. It was only after Alger.
who was monumental failure In the
war office, had been replaced by Root,
and Sherman, who was taken from his
natural bent toward finance and thrust
Into the state department., had been
thrust out again to make room for Hay
that the great cabinet Of Mckinley
came into being. .'.' s''1" ., ',--a r
Two other changes about the same
time were effected, which, while not 50
spectacular, were of real consequence
to the country. These were the substi
tuition Of Charles Emory Smith fol-
Mr.. Gary at the postoffice and P. G.
Knox for John W. Griggs in the chief
law office. The latter led, to the most
remarkable series Of lawsuits in which
the government has ever found itself in
terested. It is doubtful whether Mr.
Griggs would have advised any presi
dent that the Northern Securities com
pany was a conspiracy in restraint Of
trade. But Mr.. Knox did and his ad
vice thereon was the starting point Of
the campaign for law enforcement
against the trusts. j..
So it appears that President McKin
ley did not find his cabinet all at once
No president ever has. They have all
experimental. President Roosevelt has
been experimenting, too. He has thrust
nobody out Of his cabinet for the sake
of experimenting, however, and his 10y
atty to the men Of the Mckinley cabi
net who showed they had work tt
perform has been most notable. Sec
rotary Hitchcock has been the most
severely attacked cabinet officer Of re
cent years. His every act in the di
rection Of protecting the public lands
has been blocked by senators, repre-
sentatives, big and little politicians
and great and small lumber barons
The president has supported him al
all times, and but for that complete
confidence between him and his chief
his work would long ago have faller
to the ground 49, ....,. s,- 49,.
The president held Root at the wal
office as long as he could, and whe1
opportunity offered, brought him. back
into the cabinet in a higher relation
AS to John Hay. nothing but his death
could have, separated him, from the
president or the portfolio Of state dur
ing Mr.. Roosevelt s terms. It is EN-
phatically not true that the president
does not want big men or that big
men cannot work with him. Taft
Root, Knox, Hay, Bonaparte, Long were
all big men, and the president has
worked with all Of them.
The present cabinet doubtless look.
more family-ike to Roosevelt than any
Of it's predecessors. It also looks stran
ger to the country, but none the less i
looks like a working cabinet. Root
Taft, Bonaparte and Garfield personify
the ambitions Of the Roosevelt admin
istration in the direction of law en-
forcement, the square deal, the estab
lishment Of justice between rich ane
poor, great and small. If the othe1
members have had less distinctive worl
to do to, it Is because their opportunity
has not come. But there is as mucl
chance to improve the condition Of tn,
country in the agricultural, postoffic,
and commerce departments as any
where else. The president has give1
certain men in whom he has confdenc,
an opening to work for the country, L
is theirs to improve it.