The National tribune., 1908-11-19
GOOD JoBs.yWAiTING.
Fully One.HaIf OF the Present Cabinet Can
Step Out Into Profitable, Employment.
Possibilities and Probabilities of Each.

/ Fully a half of President Roosevelt,
Cabinet are now casting about for en-
ployment after March 4, 1909. Mos
of them are pretty well-to-do, as fal
as this worlds goods are concerned. ant
yet would want something with which
to occupy themselves should the for
tunes of politics leave them, after ;
few months, out in the cold, cold world
None of them, with the exec ption o.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson. car
be classed as an old man. He is 73
Hardly one of the nine would care tc
lead an idle life.
Probably not one of them, unless Il
be Secretary of State Root, is likely t.
remain big political leader in his owr
State after he leaves. the Cabinet. Ir
the old days men were invited into
the Presidents official family generally
after they had achieved party distinc.
lion at home Mr.. Roosevelt. however
has disregarded that practice in select
ing his Cabinet officials. .tttorney-Gen.
rral Bonaparte is now the leader of the
Republican Party in Maryland, but he
won that leadership only by virtue OF
his nomination as Secretary of the
Navy, and afterlrard to the portfolio
he now holds. Every other member
OF the present Cabinet is overshadowed
in his home State by chieftains whose
political shoulder straps indicate high
er grade of command.
A Scnutorship for Root.
Secretary of State Root, of course. is
not worrying about his future. When
he resigned as Secretary OF War some
years ago he felt that he was compare
lively poor man. and must resume
the profession of law to earn compe-
tence for his declining years. He was
out of the Cabinet only about Is
months, but in that time retainers and
fees of magnificent proportions flowed
in upon him. The rewards of his prac-
tice in that brief time are understood
to have been of phenomenal size. so
that he has no fear of feeling the pinch
of poverty. He is no'v almost "a years
old, and 1t Is in the cards for him to
become Senator from New York after
March 4. If he wants to practice law
between sessions of Congress hereafter
he will be able undoubtedly to make
many times his annual salary of $500
year as Senator.
Secretary of the Treasury George B.
Cortelyou was never before earning as
much as the $4,000 that his Cabinet
place yields him annually. He has been
and holding office for nearly 90 years,
having risen by rapid strides from a
position as clerk in the classified ser
vice. He is comparatively a young
man. being just past 46, has very little
property, and will welcome the oppor-
tunity which viii surely come TO him as
an ex-Secretary of the Treasury of
earning large salary for the remain
der of his productive years. Banking
II, ,,z.rs ~. .
dence in him, and would like to see
him succeed himself as Secretary of
the Treasury in the Taft Administra-
tion. He is not worrying about his fu-
ture, for he has had many good offers,
and some of these are still open to
him In all probability he will become
the President of some large financial
institution, likely as not in New York,
at salary quite as large as the Presi-
dent of the United States receives.
If Luke Wright, Gold Democrat and
Secretary of War. retires lin March, he
will simply resume hts law practice at
Memphis. Tenn which he had taken
up in the interval after his return from
the Philippines. He is wealthy man,
and does not have to worry about his
occupation IL he has TO quit office.
AS much is true of Attorney-General
Bonaparte, the richest man in the Cab
nous realty holdings in his home city
of Baltimore. where his month reEt
list is fully as large as his annual salary
as member Of the Cabinet. He has a
law office there and enjoys lucrative
practice. which he could easily in
crease if he desired
Postmaster-Gen Meyer, should he
retire to private life, would be equally
Independent. and could readily occupy
L. L
terests. He possesses an Independent
fortune. and would not lack for an
ployment in looking after his personal
affairs.
Most Anxious for Health.
is to retire by the terms of his recent
resignation Dec. 1. is also very wealthy
man. He Is more concerned just now
about regaining his health and also :T
seeing his son, Victor N. Metcalf, re.
stored to health, than in any business
or professional activity. He is a mem.
ber of a successful law firm in Oak.
land. Cal, but win spend some of hi.
time with his invalid son in Colorado
This son resigned from the Navy moi
long ago because of III health.
Secretary of the Interior James r
Garfield was practicing lawyer IL
Cleveland before he came to Washing.
ton as Civil Service Commissioner. HI
and his brother Harry, now Presiden
of Williams College, built up a goot
practice there, and made some very
good fees In railroad practice. He ha:
only a small property, perhaps not more
than 100000, and Is one of the mem
bers of the Cabinet who would wan
to earn good income. If he should
cease to hold office. Probably he would
return to the practice of business law il
Cleveland. He is one of the younger
members of the Cabinet, being 43 years
old, and could take up the practice o.
his profession anew with rcasonabl,
assurance of many good working year,
| ahead of him.
Secretary Wilson is one of the pool
men of the Cabinet. and undoubtedly
will be looking iarOund for something
to do. If President Taft decides upor
some new man to head the Department
of Agricultm He has been holdin,
| office most of his mature life. and wa!
Director of thci Agricultural Expert
| ment Station anf Professor Of Agrcul
ture in the Iowa Agricultural Colleg,
at Ames. when President Mckinley in
vited him into the Cabinet Earlier III
was member of the National Hous,
for many years. BY profession he is {
farmer. He might return 10 educa
tional work at Amcs or elsewhere
The only other member of the pres
ent Cabinet is Secretary Oscar S. Straus
of the Department of Commerce ant
Labor. He is a wealthy alnan. and does
- Il h Nt... .4f