The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-11
MIR. TAFT'S CABINET
SOME INTERESTING GOSSIP GOING
 THE ROUNDS.
Hoyfs Name is H1entiesed ss Attorney General and Richafd A. Ballinger
 as the Secretary ef
 the Interior.

@ HH #
 Washington. Jan. 1g--The decision of President elect Taft to refrain from making public the names of the per- sons he has selected to be members of his cabinet, with the exception of Sem ator Knox and Frank If. Hitchcock. has had the effect to greatly incite Cabinet gossip. ES
 With no possibility of an oficial com tradiction confronting them. would be Cabinet builders are now free to ex- ercise their ingenuity and imagination to the full.
 The most that can be done is to scs cept probabilities as such simply. for any attempt to make positive stare- light of last night's announcement from Augusta. n
 The one possibility of accurateN in- formation regarding the seven vacant Cabinet places lies in the proneness of the friends of some of the selected persons to discuss the matter. For t is hardly conceiyeable that any pub lie man would decide upon the ac- ceptance of Cabinet ofhce without comforting with his personal friends. Yet Senator Knox, who has been aiding the Presidene- elect in this work of Cabinet building, on his return from Augusta yesterday rather grimly hint ed that any candidate who either per- scnaily or through his friends betrayed the confidence of the President-elect. might find that. after all. he was not, on the list when the final Cabinet is announced. This may have some ef- feet in restraining Cabinet taik by people who are really advised ! z M But, following in the line of probas bilities, certain names, by dint of re- iteration in connection with Cabinet vacancies, without developing denials, have come to be regarded as feasible. Such, for instance, is that of George w. Wickersham, the New York law partner of Henry Taft, the President- elects brother. He has been consist ently mentioned in connection with the - torney-Generalshfb. But 1t should be remembered that Senator Knox is a potent influence with the President-elect. and that he has the highest regard for the abilities of Solicitor General Hoyt, with whom he was in intimate relations during his own occupancy of the ofice of Alter ney-General.
 The fact being conceded thag che Pacific coast is to be represenfed i'd the new Cabinet, causes great weight to be given to the suggestion that Richard A. Ballinger is to be the lucky man, and his name has been connect ed with the Secretaryship of the Tn- terior, though it Is we'll known that the, Pacific coast people would much prefer that the naval portfolio come to their section, because of their i'm portant navy yard interests.
 NBecause of the feeling that there should be Jew in the cabinet. friends of Secretary Straus are hopeful of his retentionsas Secretary of Commerce ana Labor. and they point to haa rec0rd ne Accomplishments. But the Ffesidsnts elect Is understood to have saia tfsat lie did not propose, to have regard to1 any mans religion or creed in construrting his cabinet. but rather to the busihesS ability of a man.
 That statement has gone far toward strengthening the candidacy of Charles Nagei. or St. Louis. for the Secretary ship of Commerce and Labor. Personal considerations are strongly urged in his case. 1t being asserted that such an ape pointment would go far towards land lng Missouri safely in the column of Republican States hereafter.
 The discovery that Secretary wilson has already succeeded in establishing a record for longevity of service as q cabinet officer has weakened what ap- peareds to be the strong hold he had upon his present position. Clifford Pin chot. the Chief Forester. Is the only person whose name has been promi- nentIy mentioned in connection with the Department of Agriculture pert folio, in the event that Secretary Wils son Is to leave. But this recent discov. cry will doubtless have the effect of bringing forth other candidates.
 Having been selected as Secretary of War when William H. Taft was the certain choice of the party as President. and consequently presumably by his ad- vice, General Luke E. Wright seems ai- most certain to retain his position in the new cabinet. though it is understood that his incumbency will not be long
 Postmaster General Meyer would like very much to be President Tafts Secretary of the Treasury. but the friends of former Governor Herrick, of Ohio, have placed his claims and abii- ity in such q manner as to make him a formidable candidate for that position. Should he prevail. it would not he sur- prising if MT. Meyer were asked to ae- cept the Naval portfolio. which, indeed, would be gratifyipg to his native State, Massachusetts.