The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-07
OLD CABINET MAY BE OUSTED
 -e- Knox Advises a Clean
 Sweep. TO BREAK FROM ROOSEVELT Taft Expected to Give Country a ey "Nsw Deal"
 a@ -----s-- Eve. eessrai wnsAt is Hsiievea seiss Ia. De.st ss Repusiieaas cem- plala .Asaiast HI. iseeerd.
nY ALrRMD ,. sToFMEs.

Washington. Fehs- -(Speciail l---It Is common talk In political and legts- lhtive circles that Senator Knox. who is to be the head Of the Taft cabinet. has been advising the next President that none of the present members of the cabinet ought 60 besretained.
 some Of the most prominent men who have been heard to discuss this mat ter say that Senator kn9x has nothing against any of the well known men who are at present advisers to Presi- dent Roosevelt. sbuts is believed to feel that the coming administration ought to start out with a new deal' entire iy. This does not necessarily mean that tf none of the Roosevelt cabinet members areTetained H would be proof positive that Judge Taft Is going to cut loose from the Roosevelt policies.
 Tn all directions 1t has been claimed that. Judge Taft, while an some respects Inclined to adhere to these policies. will branch out in different lines and have his own way of doing things. Many men of large business affairs who have been In; Washington this winter seem to have the idea that President Taft wfIl be an executive more to their liking than is ENesident Roosevelt, and they do not ,heseate to declare in pub lie places that they will be mighty glad when the change In administra- tfon takes place. They even go fur ther and assert that they do not ex-@ pect Taft to stand by the Roosevelt polIciee, but until he has been actually tried they admit that the wish is fath- CT to the thought
 Doubt Abeuf Wright.
 Tn view of the supposed attitude of Senator Knox much speculation is heard as to who will compose the Taft cabinet. A month ago most public men apneafed to take for, granted that Gem eral Luke E. Wright Of Tennessee would certainly be asked to remain at the head of the War Department. Now there Is much doubt expressed as to whether he will he that lucky. cleae friends ef General Wright are all ~ sea when approached on the snh5ect.i They bay they are unable to get any positive information on the matter. Jizek now they ara 0nly hopinH that Juaae Tagt VIII ask General Wright to remain, S 0F
 A number of sth6ng and influential Repubtlcans are reported to Have ad- vised Judge Taft from party stand point that he ought to give the war portfolio to Republican of national reputation. That, ofiice, in view of the gigantic questions that are to be solved, will be looked upon as one of the most important within the gift of tho coming administration. They are said to have pointed out that if Judge Taft, on account of warm personal friendship for General Wright. wishes to honor him he could easily find an- other position for him that would be all he is entitled @.
 Report has 1t that they are also re- marking that General Wright has claimed all his life to be a Democrat. and that even though he made several speeches in the last campaign In ad- Wocacy of the Taft and sherman ticket he has not publicly announced his con version to ReDublicanisnl. The Repub- licans who talk thiaSway do not see that anything politically win be gained in the South by retaining Secretary Wright at the head of the War De- pertinent.
 Ne Break in South. But in spite of these statements oth- CTS still Insist that General Wright is likely to stay in the cabinet, though they do not all think that he wiH be Secretary of War. Some have an idea he will be transferred to one of the departments of lesser importance.
 Very few old line Republicans. com tend that anything politically can be gained within the next four years by having a Southern man in the cabinet. If e break politically is coming down in that section they argue that 1t will, bo due to local conditions rather than to an action that. might be taken by President Taft. &f
 Friends of Secretary Wilson are man. ifeatIng worry over his prospects,. They are beginning to fear that he will not be selected again for the head of the Department of Agriculture. In- deed. so much are they exercised that they are putting in the hardest sort of ltclxs and telling it around that if he is dropped 1t will be mighty disap- pointing news to the farmers of the United States.-and especially if Clifford Pinchot Is overlooked after Having been favorably mentioned for weeks as probable successor of the Iowa man.