The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-11-18
Taft IS UNPlEDeED.
III n CLAIMED THAT HE GOES IN.
10 OFFICE UNFTyrrERED.

nWdcd CNi,inee Positions and Fa
OAcos Cor votcs Nor Committed tn,
Party ~ Certain Policies In Rcturr
Fer Financial Support.
washington. Nov. fs.-Politicai re.
formers and much encouragement In
ehs assurances given President-elect
Tan ~ National Chairman Hitchcock
that the next presiient will 60 into
ONCE uncacumbered by any pledges
made during the cssapaisn other than
those outlined In the national platform
'-rd ensacsatcd by the candidate him.
<en Tn his public speeches. With the
possible exception OF sfr. Roosevelt. Mr..
Tsrt wit 60 into Office freer than any
OF his predecessors.
There have been presid snts so heav-
tiy mortgsged. both In the matter of
appointments and an to policy. that
they had left scarcely arr opportunity
20 exercise Judgment OF their own
st-used TO be the common thing In ma
siosai conventions to trade cabinet
Diplomatic and other important Offices
Tor votes and later on. when Il came
10 raising campaign funds. promises
were made that II would have been
disastrous TO have made public. Even
Abraham Lincoln found. after the
election. chat his friends had pledged
him 70 things Of which he did not ap-
prove. but tho ethics OF politics at that
sime were such that Lincoln felt obn-
gated TO redeem the pledges. When
mckinley became president In 1897 ne
found that his campaign managers
had committed him to the appoint
ment OF hundreds OF men of whom ne
had scarcely heard. Most of these
pledges he redeemed. but In two or
'three cases he refused TO do so and all
tho urging Of Mark Hanna was In
yain.
Mr.. Roosevelt. while serving as as
sistsnt secretary Of the navy. became
acquainted with some OF the embar-
rsssments Mr. Mckinley had exper-
isnced ~ reason Of campaign pledges
and whe~ he became himself a candi-
dsse for the presidency he instructed
hs managers to make no promises In
his name. The result has shown In Mr..
Hoooevett's cabinet More than ever
before II has been board of personal
advisers TO the president rather than
an advisory board OF the party In pow
ei..
Mr.. RooseveIt's administration has
been notable also for the number OF
changes In II. The list is somewhat of
an amazing one.
Secretaries OF state---John Hay. Eli
fu Root.
Secretaries Of the Treasury--Lyman
J. Gage. Leslie M. Shaw. George b.
Corfeiyou.
Secretaries OF war-Ellhu Root
William II. Taft. Luke Wright.
Secretaries Of the Interior-Ethan
A Hitchcock. James II. Garfield.
secretaries OF the Navy-John ID.
Long. William III. Moody. Paul Nor
ton. Charles j. Eonaparte. Victor H..
Metcai:.
Secretary OF Agriculture-Jamss
Wilson.
fostm,sers General--Charies f.
Smith. tsrnry G. Payne. Robert J..
wynne. George q. cortelyou. George
Won L. Eryer.
Attorneys Generai--PhilAnder -.
Knox. William III. Moody Charles j..
Bonaparte.
secretaries Of Commerce and La
oor-George ID. Cortelyou. Victor III.
Metcaif Oscar straus.
should Nr Root be elected senator
from New York u Is likely the presi T..
dent would have opportunity to ap-
point another secretary OF state, al
though there Is no legal reason why nc
could not continue at the head OF the
cabinet until time for him To take the
oath "a senator.
The administration u going To make
a determined effort this winter to have
congress make n real beginning to-
wnri the purchase or erection of en-
baAsies and legation houses In the
principal capitals OF the world. We
now own legation properties In Tuc-
hey. japan. Slam and China. they
having been acquired because OF tn,
peculiar es-territorial conditions exist
Ina In those countries. but elsewhere
our Diplomatic representatives are In
rented quarters.
Congress makcsan annual allowance
for rent At each most hut only I'm n