Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-09-25

SACRlFlCEDIN
The CABINET

When a fve-dollar-a-week shopgirl
can not live on her wages, there Is
an inquiry by a committee Of the leg
islafufe: when q dolIar-a-Week
clerk can't live on his, there is an
inquiry from his father: when bank
cashier cant make his cover ex-
penses, general inquiry is sent out
by: the police; when e Cabinet min
lister can't make ends meet. everybody
inquiries why. And surprisingly
large number Of folk seem to think
that the Cabinet man should dig into
his bank account to make up the DIFF
terence folk. too, who would raise 81
howl II it were suggested that the big
Jobs at Washington be barred to Ell
efyhody but the rich Yet no man
OF the plain people" can enter 81
Cabinet where the social require
ments run far ahead Of the pay. How
far ahead they do run Is told In The
Wall Street Journal by sHolland, 2
who recpunts the financial sacrifices
made by many who have figured more
or less conspicucpsly tn the country's
history:
Probably the greatest sacrifice Of q
pecuniary nature made in recent
years By one who accepted 3 Cabinet
Office was that Of Elihn Root. Mr..
Root was offered an annual retainer
By the late william G. whitney Of
100000. Mr.. Whitney specified In
the offer made that IL Mr.. Root were
called upon to 60 into court he should
receive In addition to his retainer the
customary fees he charged for court
attendance. Those who know say
that Mr.. Roots customary charge for
attendance at court was $1,000 for
each appearance He declined what
was probably the most munihcent Of
fer ever made to an American law
yer, and accepted 3 Cabinet post, at
time, too, when the salary Of the
Office was only $4,000.
Daniel Manning estimated that It
cost him as much again as his salary
rs secretary of the Treasury to serve
in that Office. He was Obliged to gike
up remunerative associations in order
to become Cleyelandss secretary OF
the treasury.
Charles Emory Smith resigned the
office Of postmaster general under
Roosevelt because he found that were
he to continue in It for year or two
longer O large slice would have been
cut on from his savings
It cost William M. Evarts about
$4,000 to serve as Attorney general
in the cabinet Of President Andrew
Johnson, for he reiinquished that
much of his legal practise, and had
It not been for his participation in the
earnings Of law firm Of which he
was the head, his four years service
as secretary Of state under President
Hayes would have cut heavily into
his private fortune.
With a single exception, every one
Of the members of Cleyeland's first
cabinet was obliged to draw heavily
upon private means in order to exc
out salary Of 5000 The one excep-
ton was Attorney General Garland Of
Arkansas. Senator Garland stipulat-
ed, when discussing with President |
the offer Of the post Of at |
torney general, that he should not be |
obliged to take part In social enter
tainment, that it would not be looked
upon as an offense If he did not give
and he frankly gave
as his reason his absolute dependence
upon his salary for his support and
his desire to save something out of |
his salary so that he might not be |
obliged to depend upon philanthropy |
Dr. charity in his old age.
The intimate friends Of the late
Thomas F. Bayard, secretary Of
state in Cleveland's hrst administers
tion,. and ambassador to the Court OF
st. James in Cleveland's second adj
have said that these two
public services of Mr.. Bayard cut in
70 his private fortune so heavily that |
when he retired from his post Of am
bassador he had only a little more
than one-half of what he possessed |
when he resigned from the senate to |
become secretary Of state.
One chief justice of the United