Bisbee daily review., 1912-11-17


 associates tof the Cabinet) among nose whom the fortunes Of party con test have brought into prominence and Influence, but have called their per sonal friends and bussiness colleagues to cabinet positions. and men Rho have given proof of their efficiency in private, not in public life, Woodrow Wilson. in his admirable treatise on Constitutional government in the United States says:
 The Cabinet Is an executive, not a political body The president cannot himself be the actual executive; he must theEefore find, to act in his stead, men of the best legal and bus mess gifts, and depend upon them for the actual administration of the gov ernment in all its daily activities.
 Relies on Cabinet
 If he seek political advice Of his executive colleagues, he seeks ir Oe- cause he relies upon their natural good sense and experienced judgment. upon their knowledge of the country and its business and social conditions, upon their sagacity as representative citizens of more than usual observa- ton and discretion; not because they are supposed to have had any very intimate contact with politics or to have made a profession Of public ai- fairs. He has chosen. not representa- tive politicians, but eminent represent ative citizens, selecting them rather for their special fitness for the great business posts 10 which he has assign ed them than for their political eN- perience. and looking to them for ad- vice in the actual conduct of the gov ernment rather than in shaping oi political policy. They are, in bis view, not necessarily political officers at alt
 Cabinet Executives
 Self reliant man will regard their cabinets as executive councils; men less self-reliant or more prudent will regard them as also political councils, and will wish to c9ll into them men who nave eafned the confidence Of their party. Tlte character Of ,Be cabinet may be made nice index of the theory of the presidential office. as well as of the presidents theory Of party government; but the one view is so far as | can see, as consti- tutionai as the other.
 This very clear exposition Of the presidents cabinet and its place iu our system of government is particu- larly interesting just now in view or the fact that Wilson. writer of history, is shortly to be president, and to ap- ply his theory 10 practice. In a sense. the presidents cabinet has taken the place in our American experiment of the Kings PTiyy Council
 Counsellors Required
 IL was found in the beginning of our government that the president re quired the counsel Of advisers upon whom he could place reliance in the discharge of his duties. It was be- lieyed by many of the most astute statesmen of the periOdt that an executive Touncil was esSkntial to safe and regular government, and val iOus measures were considered look ing to such an establishment The president could not do all the work of his office without competent assist ance, and after much discussion and as necessity compelled. there were created by legislative act the several executive departments of the govern ment. It was found that entire de pendence could not be placed upon groups of informal advisers. and fin ally the cabinet as now constituted was evolved and has become a fix tuTe of our government II was in the time Of Jefferson that the real begin ming of assembled consultation was made and through this inner council the president is placed in intimate and trustworthy touch with all the affairs Of the country and is enabled Co per form one Of the very important fUnc- tions Of keeping the congress advised of the state of the Union
 
 The old theory was that the mem bers of the cabinet should hold the same political tenets as the president and the party that elected him. In the first cabinet such was not the case, as in Washingtons official fam ily Hamilton and Jefferson, who were almost as far apart as the poles in their view of representative govern ment. enliyened the proceedings doubtless oftentimes by their differ euces of opinion. After the retirement of Randolph from the department of state however, Washington himself, V ho deprecated the existence Of party strife. organized cal inet the mem bers Of which agreed with him and and with each other John Adams. the first president who owed his elec- ton to a political party adhered 10 party lines in the selection Of his advisers, and since the presidency be- came a political office political agree ment between president and Cabinet has been recognized as the prime rule to be observed in forming an ad- ministration. It may not be very desirable thing, but it has great deal of human nature in it There have been, in fact, a few notable depart ures from the rule, if such it may he called.