The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-01-07
WAS PRESIDENTS HOBBY
5eekman Winthrop Who Is TO be AS.
sistant Secretary Of state is Youna,
Rich and a University Graduate
Bacon. Pinchot Smith and Others.

rCtary of state Il mlEN. up' br indpt
to say that one OF Oh. m1triculatcs
Of the Rcos, welt Kindprgtrtou of pub.
lie service has been eajuatcd Win.
throp is 81, rich. university man
and can wear lrcss suit without
hlush'ng His name makes 30 unucc Sc
sary to say that he o. 10 Massjchus
Ctts or that his line OF ancestry is
rooted in plymouth Rock. Winthrop
is rcsplcudent example OF those
Young men whom 1t has been MIR
Roosevelt's hobby to get into public
: rvicc. Whereas the ordinary office
holder seeks office as q means Of
livelihood, these extraordinary office
holders have been enlisted by Mr.
Roosevelt on the ground that their
wealth and education made It a patri-
otto duty TO do public service. Some
have suspected Mr.. Roosevelt Of q de-
sire TO build up an official aristOcrlcy
such as they have in England but
whatever his philosophy or wha'eveg
his purpose. he has Tut larger lnav
en- of educated wealth into th' gov
crnment service than did any of those
who were president tefore him.
The case of Winthrop somewh,t
illustrates. Mr.. Roosevelt ran across
Winthrop at banquet In New York
This was toward the fore end Of mis-
first administration. and as Winthrop
was likely material for the expert
ment. Mr. Roosevelt drafted hin Ol
the spot. 1t seemed fine - Winthrop
who had idlcness and th0 money to
support H. Winthrop showed up at
| the white House ready - go - work
early one morning and lftc. cngitat-
ing a moment the president tod him
10 go over TO Manila and help ont
Judge Taft who was assimilating
the Filiplnos. Winthrop bcclms as.
sistant private secretary with an an
nual salary probably one-touh his
annu, income. Winthrop made a hit
with Judge Taft. That wa made man
fest when Judge Taft after modify
| ing IN claw TO fit Wmthrop's youth.
made him a judge Of firs instance.
/ As this is a history rather than a ro-
nance II must be admitted that Win.
| throp d'd not greatly distinguish
himself as a judge or, It would be
! more accurate TO say that WluthrOp
| distinguished himself I'M the wrong
way. II was resolved after a time, al
| though educated for the law. that
Winthrop had more talent for eXccu
! tive than for judicial business, so he
was bundled off to Porto Rico where
the job of governor general was cry,
ing for an occupant
Winthrop did better in Porto Rico
and when Cuba got into condition
that called for our paternal interpCsl
tion, Judge Taft. who had come home
meantime, of course, summoned Win
throp to Washington preparatory Il
sending him to Cuba as p'ovisiona
governor. But when Secretary Root
on hearing Of this plan. protested tina
the job called for more eXperienc,
than Winthrop could bring 10 Il, an,
as "A result MagoOn was called W
from Panama and sent TO Cuba iu
stead. For Winthrop who had throw
up his job In Porto Rico, a place wa
found in the treasury and he has beer
doing his work there very acceptably
Now, at the age OF 81, Winthrop 81
going to be assistant secretary o
state No one doubts that there, TOO
he will be acceptable. The job Is no
very onerous. His discretionary powe
will he limited to details. Mostly n
will be called on TO be nice to thos
whom the secretary don't care to Sc
and to say nothing to the newspaper
with much voluhility and urbanity
Also he will be called on to give celia
TO certain social functions. No on
doubts that Winthrop will be a bligh
light as assistant secretary OF state
However, Winthrop's case I'm III
general aspect Is only one of a larg
number. That Of Robert Bacon, assis
, ant secretary OF state under Seer,
tary Root is another He was pei
haps is-a member Of the firm of ,
7, Morgan & Co. 1t would perhaps b
ineXcusably superfuous TO say tina
Mr. Bacon Is wealthy nor Is it scare
~ more needful TO say that he is
university graduate. Mr. Bacon didn
know very much about statecraft; II
, deed 1T is likely that the possibillt