The Washington herald., 1909-02-27
Mr.. Tsft's Csbinet.

MT. ats O3DiEeL.
Mr.. Tafrs Cabinet. accepting the be-
stowal Of the Treasury portfolio upon
Franklin Macveagh as final, Is now com
plete. Il stands as follows.
Secretary Of state-PHILANDEE c. KNOX. Of
Pennsylvania
Secretary Of the Tress1ry-FRASKLIN MAO
VEAGH. q Illinois.
secretary Of waT-JAcoB NJ DICKINSON, os
Tennessee.
Assosney Gensral-GEORGE W wICKERsHAd,
Of New York
Pos,sss.er Gsaersl-FRANK H HITCHCOCK.
q Massachusetts,.
secretary q the Nery-GEoRGE voN L
MEYER. q Massachusetts,.
Secretary of The Iuteri07-RICHARD A. BAL
LNGER, q Washington
Secretary Of AgTicllture-JAGkS WILSON. Of
Iowa.
Secretary Of Commerce and Laboz-CHARLEs
NAGEI. os Missouri
Six of the nine are lawyers. four Of
them In active practice, Mr.. Knox in the
Senate. and Mr.. Macveagh retired from
practice and now engaged in banking and
mercantile business. Both Mr. Knox
and Mr. Maeveagh are Ineligible 10 the
positions 10 which they have been as
signed. under their present status By
special act Of Congress. reducing the
salary OF The Secretary Of State after
March 4. Mr.. Knox viii be eligible when
his appointment IS sent TO the Senate.
We presume Mr.. Macyeagh viii become
eligible on or before March by divest-
ing himself Of all connection with the
mercantile and banking interests with
which he Is at present affiliated He VIII
thus not come within the inhibitons OF
the statute prescribing the qualifications
Of the Secretary OF the Treasury In the
somewhat similar case OF Alexander T
stewart. a New York merchant. as the
New York Sun reminds as, e was held
that Mr. stewards proposal 10 withdraw
from all participation in the profits Of
/ his business would not cure his inellgi-
bHlty. Mr.. Stewart, however. was actu-
ally Ineligible when appointed Mr. Mac
veagh. we are pretty sure, viii not be
found in that predicament II there are
no existing disqualifcations al the time
/ Of his appointment. Of course there VIII
/ be no question OF his eligibility II IS.
/ however. a curious commentary on Mr.
Taffs selections that two Of them should
be ineligible. and that the ineligibility Of
one should be removed by compliance
with the terms OF the statute. while that
Of the other was cured By a technical
evasion Of a constitutional provision.
Five members Of the new Cabinet held
/ Office under President Roosevelt. 8Iessrs
I Knox. Never. and Wilson having been n
the Cabinet. Mr.. Hitchcock an Assistant
! Postmaster General and Ar BaIIingel
7 Commissioner Of the General Land Office
/ Of the others. Nj Dickinson alone. We
| believe. has held public Office. Mr.. Mac
Veagh is noted for his activity IN civi'
/ and municipal affairs. and Mr.. Nagel and
Mr. Wickersham are experienced lawyers
/ The unknown quantities in the new Cabi
I net. therefore. are not large. Il VIII have
10 be tried out 10 some extent but th'
majority IS composed OF experienced
hands
What viii probably excite most discus
sion is the unusual circumstance that tw,
Of Mr.. Taft's advisers are Democrats o
the old school Il Is certainly a freak o
politics that brings anu-Bryan Democrat
= into progressive Republican admins
tration. pledged 10 clinch the Rooseveltia'
policies. Nothing could better ulustrat
the breakdown Of party lines and part
traditions and party dogmas than th
appearance Of these men at the counc
table OF an administration that represent
the autthesis Of all that the Democrac
used TO stand for It is a living picJur
Of the fusion Of national sentiment en-
compassed. through the operation Of Va
rious causes. during Mr- Roosevelt's ter
ure Of Office