The Washington herald., 1913-12-31
POLITICAL PROCESSION.
By r. b. G.


eminent places Of political character in
a fewer number Of years than any other
American citizen in our history, was
! drawn on the grand jury the other day in
New York. Tie result was a shcrt para
graph in the daily papers and his old
admirers in Washington remarked how
quickly man drops out Of print when
he leaves public life unless he is q
not. As president OF the big Consolidated
Gas Company {, New York, backed by
millions Of dollars and a salary equal to
that Of the President OF the United States,
Cortelyou can continue calm and content
in spite OF grand jury service.
His career has heen a marvel, and con-
tinues talked about in political Washing.
ton. which y not generally agitated about
anything. Since 1900 Cortelyou has been
secretary to the President, Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor, chairman of the
! Republican National Committee, Post
master General, and Secretary of the
Treasury. going out with the incoming |
Of the Taft administration. It might |
have been better for the Taft ambition |
had Cortelyou been retained. but that is |
another story. 1t is noe generally known |
that the velvet heeled organization to |
make Cortelyou, insteai OF Taft, the Re-
publican nominee for President in 1905, |
was making tremendous headway when |
stopped by Roosevelt. The confidential !
word was passed by the executive power \
that the Cortelyou Presidential ambition |
should stop short. The one explanation |
was that the President could not quite /
reconcile himself to the idea OF handing |
over his high once to q citizen who had
been his secretary, ant he possibly knew
also that Cortelyou would sit at the head
OF the table and be President from the /
time the parade ended with no outside
domination. It was a hard blow to
true soldier. not forgetting four places
OF high honor given him by the Executive,
who preferred the supposed pliancy of
Taft for the succession in the White
House.
From financial point of view Cortel.
you profted by going into actual business,
but he can never forge. what SO many
other big Republicans know, that he had
the Presidential nomination almost in
hand and would have won II let alone.
AS chairman OF the National Committee
he was in touch with Evefy voting pre-
cinct. and while his nomination would
possibly have been machlpe made. there
was no lack of admiration and loyalty
among the organization people. They
knew him and loved him with confidence
that he would keep the party in power
with diligence and distribution OF re-
wards as Taft never dreamed OF doing,
and was not inclined to do IL II re-
Quired actual work.
James Francis Burke, young in years.
but a veteran in politics and public ser
vice, with five terms to his credit as a
Republican member of Congress from
Pittsburt !, came to Washington this week
with the true zeal OF a Representative. ,
He declined to talk politics or impending .
affairs, declaring his great ,
er ambition Just now to secure one OF the :
regional banks for his beloved home
town. ,
With the pertinacity and perseverance :
Of a trained politician the Hon. James
Francis kept lining up members of Con-
yress from States near Pittsburgh, not
Western New York, West =
Ohio, and Kentucky. While
Ohio would like a regional bank at CIeve-
and and Cincinnati the eastern half OF
he State considers Pittsburgh the metro
polls and the northern half OF West Vir-
yinia is also inclined that way. Burke
was very much encouraged by his days ,
He has kept clear OF all political en-
ang' ments with splendid diplomacy. and
'et continues a real Republican, with no
Progressive trimmings.
He has had a share in the organiza- +
ion of the q. q. +. that has been going
m under the masterful leadership OF
and is confident OF a return to u
he old conditions of Republican rule with
much increased Republican delegation D
loing business at Washington after
March 4, 1915. Z
Big Ben Lefevre. bachelor and proud to
onfess seventy-five years on earth with =,
he vigor OF forty. had a sudden revival
f interest in political appointments this :,
'eek after a long retirement from the
rena.
Years ago Gen. Lefevre served four
erms in Congress after a season as Con- s,
ul at Nuremberg, and in days following II
congressional activity he was alert In
mong Ohio Democrats. The quickenins
( interest in the Lefevre bosom this 10
eek was due to his desire for the ap- m
ointment of Judge Hugh 7. Mather as a in
ember of the Interstate Commerce hf
commission. Mather is a citizen of Sid
ey, Ohio. the old Lefevre home, and was
My a lad when Lefevre was the great in
Olitical power in the Upper Miami region, de
Ut the old statesman has not forgotten re
lie father whom he describes as "a ca
resbyterian lawyer-a lawyer who had Pr
lie fear OF God and the love of his fel- tn
w-man shed abroad in his heart The gr
efevre dictum is that the younger of
ather is also a Presbyterian lawyer no tn
IS controlled by conscience and the love Vi