Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-11

| BENJAMIN harrison again called Blame
/ TO head the State Department in 1889
Walter @. Gresham was the premier
of the second Cleveland adminisra
ton, and Mckinley in 1897 placed
John sherman in charge of the State
' Department. Roosevelt had no rivals
for his nomination to the presidency
but Philander c. Knox was one of the
, half dozen allies" who. from a dis
lance, coveted the Republican nomi=
nation when William II. Taft got It.
and he has served President Taft for
: nearly four years. All the Secretaries
of State named had been aspirants to
the presidential nomination. if not al
ways in immediate rivalry with the
men whom they served later; and the
| list is by no means exhausted by these
quotations. In fact. it appears TO
have been the aim of all our Presi-
dents to place in their cabinets men
of presidential size and many cabi-
net officer has found in his position
either a haven of comfort in his dis
appointment or a stepping stone to the
White House.
1t is a striking fact that nowhere IS
found any expectancy that Champ
Clark will enter the Wilson otficiai
family. 1t seems to be an impossible
circumstance. First he could gain
nothing by entering the cabinet. as
his official position is second only to
that of the President. Second his dis
like for his chief has been apparent
from the day Wilson was nominated
at Baltimore. Again the president
elect has not only flouted the Balti-
more platform but has openly eX-
pressed himself as not in sympathy
with the radical tariff slashing pro-
LESSONS of Speaker Clark and Chair
man Underwood Not only was Clark
the leading candidate against Cover
nor Wilson at Baltimore, but he was
the only candidate that ever received
a
convention and then failed to be
nominated. The ungraciousness OF
the Clark men in refusing to withdraw
the Speaker when the managers OF an
other candidates had released their
delegates led to the hasty surmise
that Clark might be punished by re-
tirement from the Speakership but II
is now conceded on all sides that the
Democratic House will re-eleet him.
Bryan, and Bryan only, was the re-
mote and immediate cause OF the
overthrow of Clark unless one chooses
To feel that the political mistake OF
the Clark managers in failing to throw
their strength against Alton B.. Parker
for permanent chairman should rather
he blamed. Mr.. Clark's disappoint-
ment was of the deepest kind and for
A long time the possible detection OF
his friends was feared by the Demo-
Gratis. but the returns indicate that
practically all of them climbed up on
the Wilson band wagon by Nov. 5.
Material for trouble is plenty enough
in both House and Senate, yet the
question of prime concern to the VIII
con administration is not whether III
can get along smoothly with Congress-
but whether, IN the final voting, the
President has votes enough TO carry
his policies through. In the man.
agement of men to this end Mckinley
was a marvel, through his quiet tact
fitness. which never was allowed,
however. to blunt his persisteney.
Roosevelt achieved his ends by more
strenuous methods, but usually won'
and surrendered gracefully when he
was beaten. Taft never has essayed
the arts of personal manipulation nor
with all his geniality, has he ever had
a crowd of rooters who would shout
personally for him either in Congress
or throughout the country. man Oh
larger ability than Mckinley, con-
struetive statesman Talt yet mas pee"
an easy boss" and has failed pollu
caliv partly through lack of driving
power. That history will do him JUS
tice in his aspect as statesmaniike
President is beside the immediate
question. The point just now is that
Wilson is supposed 10 have both the
brains and the temperament to handle
Congress successfully.