The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-14

WA
Fisher succeeding Ballinger
and Stimson taking the place
of Dickinson, this number is not un-
usual enough to arouse the surprise
which is expressed In some quarters.
The president, indeed, is more fortu-
nate than most of his predecessors
have been in retaining the services of
his political family. In his four years
of service 1t Is to be presumed that he
did not expect to equal the record Of
Pierce, whose council remained un-
broken to the end of the term. In
fact, some presidents have had more
changes In the ranks of their official
advisers In single year than the pres
ent executive has had in two years
and a quarter. On this score Mr..
Taft has Jared well.
While the term cabinet is not men-
toned in the constitution, this has be-
come a very important part Of the ex-
ecutive machinery. Although the fed
eral charter does not mention this
body by name, 1t assumes that such a
council will be created and refers to
it in article 2, section 2, which au-
thorizes the president to require the
opinion in writing Of the principal Of
ficer In each Of the executive depart
ments upon any subject relating to the
duties of their respective Offices"
More than once the first president
called for such opinions. He did this
In a historic exigency, that which was
created by the passage through con-
gress of the bill to create the first
United States bank, that which was
chartered in 1901. Hamilton, the sec
retary of the treasury, was the author
Of that measure, which many of the
state rights advocates opposed as an
unconstitutional stretch of power by
congress. Washington asked the views
In writing of all his advisers. Jeffer-
son, the secretary of state, opposed
the bank, but Hamilton's argument
prevailed with Washington, and he
signed the bill. In later days the Gus
tom for the president has been to have
regular consultations with the cabinet,
before whom all matters of large i'm
pOitdHCe are itlu. lhiS hho pech 'ilS
practice within the recollection of
everybody now alive.
Cabinet Acquires Prestige.
But the cabinet in recent times has
had a dignity and a prestige which it
did not possess at first. In certain
contingencies the presidency may de-
volve upon some of its members.
Along until 1886, If there were no pres
ident or vice president, the presidency
would be obtained by the president pro
tempore of the senate or the speaker
of the house, in this order, but the as
sassination of Garfield in 1881, when
there was no president pro tempore
and no speaker of the house, for con-
gress had not met at that time, i'm
PEELED house and senate to provide for
q crisis of this sort. Thus a bill was
passed, which was signed by Cleve-
land on Jan. 10, 1886, which placed
the members Of the cabinet in the line
of succession, the order being the sec
retary of state, the secretary of the
treasury, and so on. OF course the
cabinet officer In order to be eligible
would have to meet the requirements
of birth and age which are demanded
in presidents. The act Of 1886 gives
the cabinet a certain Importance which
1t lacked up to that time. In the
accidents and miscbances of the fu-
ture it is altogether possible that the
big Office may descend to one of the
presidents appointees.
Only four members were in the cabi-
net in Washington's time These We're
the heads of the state, the treasury and
the war departments and the attorney
general. 1t was said that Washington
selected members from each party i'm
partially in framing his cabinet. In
the sense in which this assertion is
commonly made 1t is not quite correct.
Hamilton and Jefferson, the two most
prominent members of the first presi
dents council, did indeed belong to
different schools of political thought
1t is probable, however, that this cir
cumstance did not have any influence
with Washington in making the Sc
lections. When he entered office par
ty lines had not been drawn. Two
elements were in the convention which
framed the constitution, and Washing
ton presided over that body. The ad-
vOcates of the constitution as framed
were called Federalists, and its oppo-
nents were named Antifederalists.
This division appeared in a much more
decisive form III the state conventions
which were held to ratify or reject that
charter. The Federahsts triumphed.
In the earlier congresses the same
political terms were used. In the
sense, however, of defending the
constitution Jefferson and Hamilton
were Federalists, but soon after 1t
went into operation the term Feder-
alists was restricted to the men who
wanted to give congress large powers.
led by Hamilton, while those who
would conffne its powers to the rigid
letter Of the instrument began under
Jefferson's lead to call themselves Re-
publicans. Most OF the Auttfederafists
were in the Republican party, the pro-
genitor OF the present Democratic par