The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-04
Secretary Wilson.

There Is general demand for the res,pna.
- ~ 'aines "lison or the Office OF secretary
- agriculture That his prestige has suffered
greatly In recent years there can ba M onaa
uoh. Inc secretary Is u small-bore politician
Wits poAties are concerned. capable of IN
cheapest triekery chat is hi. weakness Ua
let Pinehot have his own good wav for xs.rs
ana should receive credit for IT; but he aoas.s
ahu tfuck!eo to influences which he should have
ieiieo when 1t came to the test and ha should
Dear tha blame Of that. He had lodged and
fuckied with reference to the issue in the
Wley incident lie has lasted as secretary
through three administrations Those who saw
that hs official longevity liz the result If his
abiity to change quick as any admtnistrn-
tioh are not without proof OF their assertions
-" mas Always been politician of tho machine
snr'. ever since he appeared In public life as
laIna Jim" He has never once stood for tho
interests OF the farmers against their plum
oerefs. So far a. the present writer can re-
call.
But, for all that. James Wilson will 20 down
70 history as the great secretary OF agriculture.
He took the portfolio. discredited by such in
eompetents as had gone before him. and by the
sneers OF J. Sterling Morton. and made It the
great agency which 1t now Is for the accom-
plfshment of good for the agriculture OF the
world. The work done by Doctor Knapp under
his administration Is alone enough to render It a
triumph In farm management In entomology.
III every branch of scientific farming the de-
partment under Wilson's management has risen
to usefulness and power He has reformed
the crop-reporting system until It commands
The respect OF the best stat!sticians Ha has
raked the world for new plants Along some
lines he has even shown courage. He has al
lowed Milton Whitney to continue his inves-
tisations In soils. even against tho opposition
OF the scientists who have ever had great in
fiuence with him. Whitney may be wrong but
his work should be completed that 1t may be
SO demonstrated shown to be right.
Taking 1t by and large. what reason IL there
to demand Wilson's resignation, while his fellow
cabinet ministers are allowed to retain their
placesF Call the roll-Knox. Wickersham,
Nagel. Simpson, Fisher, Hitchcock and the rest
and where liz there man among them who
has the record for real achievement possessed
has not the strength he had when Mckinley
called him to the cab,net but, the whole,
he is as good q man as he was then. We can
derive no pleasure from the thought OF seeing
him thrown to the wolves which are bowling
on the track Of the Taft Observation-Disclosures
and Fireside
Tho Great Unknown.
The Vice. President of tke United States walk
| ed through the lobby OF the Waldorf and
/ only two persons recognized him. One was 4
| reporter who had his picture In some
| newspaper and the other a Cleveland man,
| who wanted to Introduce his wife. but lad
/ forgotten whether the vice-Pre1idents namo
/ was James s. Fairbanks or Charles W. Sher-
h man. He probably had an idea 1t might he
Adlai Stevenson or John A. Logan, or perhaps
/ Allen G. Morton or Levi Thurman. After the
| campaign, in which his picture appears on the
1 banners and buttons. the Vics-President lapses
| into obscurty only to emerge now and then
| to lay a cornerstone drink buttermilk at a
| Hoosier picnic He IL political wrath, his
| ghostly presence ever near, lowering over the
! White House. but invisible to the public eye.
Yet an accident stroke of disease might
/ In a day raise this negligible official to the
| highest elective office on earth. This IL one OF
| the etrangest things In our political system
| that we devote so much attention to the choice
! of a President and little to the selection of
/ a Vice-President. who stands next in success
| sion.--BaltimOre Sun.