Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-20
NO OFFER MADE BY TAFT
Bonds to Be Issued for Irrigation in
Porto Rico.
REPLIES FROM THE FARMERS
Communications Sent to the Uplift
Commission-How the State and
City of New York Spend
Their Revenues.
BY WILLIAM f, CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
There is an almost unanimous move
ment here in favor Of the retention Of
Secretary Wilson at the head of the
Agricultural Department, where he has
served for twelve years with unpre-
cedented usefulness. 1t has been as
sumed from the start that he would
remain. He has been considered the
only member of the cabinet who WAS
certain of being retained: hence no one
took any interest in advocating his re-
tention. But the dispatches from Au-
gusta of late have represented that
there would be clean sweep of the
old cabinet. including Mr.. Wilson. and
whether those reports are authorized
or not, they have stirred up a great
deal of feeling. The Iowa delegation.
both committees of agriculture and
both committees of appropriations in
Congress have joined in a recommends
ton to PreSident-elect Taft for his re-
tention, which is an unprecedented act.
1 do not remember that any con-
gressional committee ever before took
the trouble to advise a President-elect
upon the choice of his cabinet, but IN
this case, If a resolution should be pro-
posed in Congress recommending the
retention Of the present head of the Ag-
ricultural Department. 1T would be
unanimously adopted by both houses
without regard to politics.
1t is the universal opinion that he IS
the right man in the right place, and
he has been called ''irremovable" for
that reason. While there are differences
of opinion among the agricultural sci
entists OF the country concerning some
features of his policy; while other agri-
cultural colleges have complained of
his favoritism toward the Iowa Agri-
cultural. College at Ames. with which
he was so long connected; while the
farmers in the belt recently infected
with cattle diseases complain that his
lines of quarantine have been too rigid,
and some of the manufacturers of drugs
and food preparations think he has en-
forced the pure food law with more
vigor than is necessary, nevertheless
every one who has criticised Secretary
Wilson's conduct has qualified the
criticism with the tribute of respect for
his honesty, his patriotism and his in
telligence.
couple of manufacturers came here
not long ago to complain of the man
| ner in which the pure food law had in
terfered with their business, and Sec
| rotary Wilson turned them down with
polite severity. When a friend after
ward asked how they got along with
| him, one of them replied:
| old Cornstalks sat down on us pretty
! hard, but he was all right"
Wilson's Broad Policy
The tributes to Secretary Wilson's
sterling honesty and practical common
| sense are no more numerous, however.
| than the appropriations of his broad and
comprehensive policy, which covers
every section Of the country where the
soil is turned by pillow and every class
| of people from the humble 'one-mule
| farmer in the south to the owner of
| great estates in the mountains or on
| the plains of the west. Since he be-
came the head of the Agricultural De-
partment the employees in that branch
| of the government service have in
creased from a few hundred to many
thousands, and the annual appropr1a-
| tons are twenty times as large. Sec
rotary Wilson is the only cabinet min
| lister for a generation whose estimates
for appropriations are accepted by Con-
greSS without question and whose rec
concentrations are adopted without de-
bate.
1t is the UNIVERSAL opinion that he
has accomplished more practical good
for the country; that he has contrib
uted more to the increase of wealth in
the United States and to the success of
the ten millions of farmers than any
| man who ever held a public office and
| it might safely be added than any man
| in public life.
No Promise of Retention.
| No word has ever passed between the
| next President and the Secretary of Agri-
culture concerning the latterS retention
! in the cabinet, but they have served
| together for five years. and Secretary
| Taft knows his former colleague as we'll
| as any one If he intends to keep him
| in his present position he will doubt
! less make some manifestation in that di-
| rection before long. There are several
| worthy gentlemen on the newspaper list
Mr. Coburn, who has been secretary of
| agriculture for the state of Kansas for
| many years, has been highly recommend
ed; Mr.. Alvin Sanders editor of the
Breeders Gazette. Chicago. and presi-
| dent of the Reciprocity League has also
neG, and many people believe that if
Secretary Wilson retired Mr. Clifford Pin
! chot, the head Of the forestry service in
! the Department of Agriculture. Will be
| promoted. But each OF these gentlemen
! mas declared that he must not be con-
| is any possibility of Mr.. Wilson's reteI-
ton. Mr. Pinchot is not candidate III
any sense whatever. lie prefers to re-
| main i'll his present position. He is
| forester and not "A farmer, and his
! spect and affection for his Chief alone
| Wuulo prevent him from seeking thS po-
! sition even if he wanted il.
1t must be gratifying TO the Secretary
! to know that everybody who is III any
| way concerned in the matter desires his
| reappontment. He is. perhaps. the only
! cabinet officer in history Of whom his
| can he said. If the 10000 employees who
| are attached TO his department We're
| allowed 10 vote he would be their unani-
NOUS choice.