Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-03-12
THE CABINET,

luOSt Itd1lStlC lued OF "Iu0 IeOplc W
damned" in the shape of cabinet
ever assembled in Washington. W.
| will extract from their published ped
igrees and print herewith some of thu
leading points in the lives Of thos'
whom he has sought to guide him Oh
his way, and let our readers judge wha
show the people have with an admin
| istration having these advisers
First comes PHILANDER q. KNOB
OF Pittsburg, Secretary Of State, wht
kicked hole into the constitution il
the very first round to get into the cab
met. He was Attorney General in Me
Kinley's cabinet, is great corporation
lawyer-resigned as Attorney Genera
to become Senator in place of M. S
Quay who had died. Was selected by
the Pennsylvania Railroad, and has
been known as special guardian Of
trust and railway interests in the Sen
ate ever since. His selection as the
head of the law department by Mr.. Nc
Kinley to prosecute rebaters, was con-
sidered most remarkable. His present
selection and induction through the
constitution is still more remarkable.
He is lawyer, of course, and being
born in Pennsylvania has breathed
nothing but the rankest trust atmos-
,,hara r hoe hooo,,,o HE n hif RI do
fend corporations accused of rebating
and other violations of law. Ee may
continue to do this as cabinet officer
GEO. w. WICKERsHAM, Attorney
General, is the law partner in New
York of Henry w. Taft, brother Of
the president. He graduated at Har-
ward. Published accounts of him say:
''Today he is regarded as one of the
leaders of the New York bar. He has
won many really big legal fights in the
interest of powerful clients. His talents
developed by years of experience in
fighting the battles of corporations will
now be utilized by the government in
suits to dissolve illegal trusts" The
trusts, it is plain, have much to fear in
MI. Wickersham. Both he and Mr..
Knox will be their deadly enemy. 1t
is customary to save the flock by put
ting wolves on guard.
RICHARD H. .BALLINGER, Secretary
of Interior comes next. He is new to
the public. He was born in Iowa we
hear, is Hazard man, is lawyer also.
Went to Kansas, didn't like it there,
then went to Seattle. Was elected
mayor, washed up and secured the
place onthe first Monday, but didn't
want to be mayor bit; codified the
laws of Washington. Roosevelt ap-
pointed him conn. of the land office.
He didn't want that job either, but
yielded. Last year he got busy for
Taft. The newspapers say, "during his
whole career not the slightest scandal
has attached to his NAME" which is
splendid record, seeing that he was
born in Iowa, attended Harvard, lived
in Kansas, and now comes from the
State of Washington, and has had
to do with public lands in
the far west.
GEORGE Won LENaERKE MEYER,
Secretary of the Navy. When our
readers have become able to pronounce
this name, which they may accomplish
if Saur Kraut and Limberger cheese
slip easily over their tongues, we will
say that Mr.. Roosevelt took wonder
fully to Mr.. Meyer during his admin
istration. He must be strenuous, and
he comes from Boston, both of which
are important. When Mr.. Roosevelt
became president he found him as an
appointee of Mr.. Mckinley serving as
Ambassador to Italy. President Roose
welt elevated him by sending him as
Ambassador to st. Petersburg. Then
not able to find any one here in the
United States he brought him home
and made him Postmaster General,
where he has performed wonders, we
are told. He has not been much in the
United States for long time, likes
royalty, etc., but this cuts no figure.
He is now to handle the navy, and
bluff the japanese, and see that we
spend large bulk Of taxes collected by
tariff dues. At the time of his confir-
nation Senator Tillman of South Car
Dina denounced him as liar.
JAMES WILSON, Secretary of Agri-
culture. Mr.. Wilson is simply retain
ed in this position from Roosevelt's
cabinet. He and Won Meyer are the
only relics of the last administration
the storm, and we suppose
were retained as special favor to MI.
Roosevelt. Mr.. Wilson is all right,
and unless he finds himself in bad
and suffers from that mis-
agriculture will be improved.
FRANCIS HARRIS HITCHCOCK, Post
yard man. We have no record that he
ever graduated in any department, but
lie played football and golf and did
,ther stunts. He has the advantage OF
having been born in Ohio, but unfor-
left it when one year old. His
ather was preacher and pulled his
nnocents around just anywhere He,
Mr.. Hitchcock, landed in Boston, and
t course was within easy reach OF
Harvard. But it has been long time |
ince any presidents ever came from
massachusetts,, so that career was barr
d to HIM by reason of locality. He
OF back to New York somehow after
hat. He managed Mr.. Taft's cam
align, whatever that rnay mean, and
ad to be taken care of. There is no
violence that Mr.. Taft wanted him or