Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-27
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
Mr.. MeAdoo Was Chosen for His
| Ability and Independence.

Ability and independence.
At the time the Wilson cabinet first
became definitely known and the fact
vouched for that William g. McAdoo
was to be secretary Of the treasury,
the impression went out that this was
the one straight-out political appoint
ment Of the lot Mr.. McAdoo had been
an active Wilson man before the Balti-
more convention. He had been an ac-
tive Wilson man after the convention.
He had been vice chairman Of the ma
tional committee and had been for
time boss of the whole campaign.
Therefore, the all-wise declared that
his nomination was but a reward for
services rendered.
This would have been interesting
IL true. But it was not. He was not
named secretary Of the treasury out
of personal gratitude on the part Of
the president If Mr.. Wilson had
merely wanted to pay a political debt
to McAdoo he would never have nam
ed him secretary Of the treasury. Mr..
McAdoo would have been offered some
thing else, something involving less
responsibility to the party and to the
country.
Mr.. McAdoo was placed at the head
of the treasury department because the
president believed him to be the best
fitted man in the party to meet the ex-
actions Of the place. He believed him
qualified to advise the executive upon
the all-important fiscal questions that
this administration must face.
With some few exceptions secre-
taries of the treasury have been men
of great ability. Such were Alexander
Hamilton, Albert Gallatin, Roger 3.
Taney, Salmon P. Chase. John Sher-
man and Walter G. Gresham, John G.
Carlisle gave up a senatorial career
which promised eminent party leader
ship in order to accept this portfolio
at the hands of Grover Cleveland.
Other great leaders have done as much
in order to serve their country at this
post.
President Wilson knew what was
demanded Of a secretary Of the treas
ury and knew what would be demand
ed of that official just now when the
whole banking and currency system In
the country Is to be overhauled, when
hostile political interests are threaten
ing financial depression and when
grave problems are before the ad-
ministration for solution. Knowing
this, he selected William G. McAdoo
for the treasury portfolio.
Mr.. McAdoos business career has
been singularly interesting. He prac-
ticed law before he began promoting
big enterprises. The law did not hold
him, however, and at an early age he
launched forth as a master builder,
and as a master builder he impressed
himself upon the whole country.
First, Mr.. McAdoo began building
trolley lines This was nearly twenty
years ago, and electricity as motive
power was just becoming widely use
full. In a great franchise battle In
Knoxville, Tenn, he was temporarily
defeated, and his project faltered. He
left the city while the fight was on,
fact which gave rise to the old story
that he had been driven out of the
Tennessee town. A year ago the peo-
pie of Knoxville gave a great dinner
in honor Of Mr. McAdoo in an effort
to prove to the country that the young
financier had not been hustled rudely
from their midst fifteen years before.
They admitted on this occasion that
they had not been quite polite In their
former treatment of the New Yorker,
but they confessed further that they
felt keen pride in his achievements
and in the opportunity he had given
them to do him honor.
In the meantime the present secre-
tary had built the McAdoo tunnels, an
engineering feat that for twenty years
had been pronounced impossible. He
built them and operated them, and
while he used Wall street money to do
it with, he returned to Wall street in
terest on every dollar that banking
community had put into his properties.
Mr.. McAdoo did not sell himself to
these interests because he had made
money for them. He never even ac-
cepted their political views.
He was progressive in his politics
when progressives were only pioneers
and he has remained progressive. He
is uncompromising in his allegiance to
the Wilson policies and in his admin
istration of the treasury department
there will be no yielding to the infiu-