Evening journal., 1913-01-20
NEW NEWS NEWS OF OF YESTERDAY YESTERDAY
How Garfield Was Influence
ed by Sentiment
By HOIIsnd.

" James A. Garfield could have had
his way, his secretary of the treasury
would have been William b. Allison,
United States sepator from iowa, and
not William Window, United States
senator from Minnesota So, also, if
James G. Blaine could have had his
way, Senator Allison would have
been his cabinet colleague at the head
Of the treasury department Instead
of Senator Window
The reason why neither President
Garfield nor Secretary of State Blaine
had his way In this appointment was
that only "a hours before the inaugu-
ration of President Garfield Senator
Allison firmly, finally and decisiyely
declined to retire from the Senate to
accept even so important a post as
that Of secretary of the treasury.
From the moment Of Garfeld's cleo
ton as President he was persuaded
that he ought to ask Mr.. Blaine to
become secretary Of state and, fur
thermore, that it would be in tho
highest degree expedient if he were
to consult freely with Mr.. Blaine,
who was then a United States sena-
tor from Maine, about the makeup of
HIS cabinet.
In one Of the conferences Blaine
had with the President-elect he spoke
substantially as follows:
81 am going frankly and earnestly
70 ask you to consider whether il
would not be in the highest degree
advantageous TO your administration
10 call Senator Allison into the cab
met as secretary Of the treasury"
Have you thought" said Garfield
that the appointment of Allison as
secretary of the treasury might be
unfavorably received by the high pro-
tectionists of New England, New
York and Pennsylvania
upon those grounds you need have
no alarm" Mr.. Blaine replied "Alli-
son is a protectionist and that will be
enough for the protection Republicans
to know"
well, there is another point that
I should like to discuss with you"
Garfield said. Allison Is understood
to be not unfriendly to an enlarged
use OF silver In our currency. Would
not that fact disturb the very hard
money men Of the East?"
No /. luluh nOls cdlu Didlht'
know that Allison stands very high
in the esteem of the leading bankers
and financiers Of the great financiai
centers of the East"
''Well, then, Wen pass that over"
Garfield said II should like to hear
other seasons for your suggestion of
Allison for the treasury department
well" said Blaine, there are two
NH / nd oh ff1
! ing One is a statement made by
John Sherman, who is pre-eminently
the greatest administrative financier
the country has Friends we're talk
! ing 10 Sherman I'm his Office Of tho
secretary of the treasury a few days
ago about his successor. He said
There should be no question about
this The three pre-eminently able
fnanciers now in public life are Gar
field, Blaine and Allison; but Gar
field is to be President and Blaine
is to be secretary Of state. Their,
should, therefore. be no hesitation or
the score of ability about calling Al
lison to the treasury department"
"That is splendid endorsement,
Garfield said Are there any othe
recommendations?
eyes, one other s&aine replied
but it Is a sentimental one. You
Allison and | entered Congress a
the same time. We were then youni
men, only a little past 30 years o
age. We are of almost exactly tn
same age. We have stood in all thes
years shoulder TO shoulder stauncl
in our common friendship, each know
ing the others thoroughly and eac
one commanding respect and conf
dence OF the others. That. | know
is a sentimental reason, but | believ
il is a strong one
"It is. indeed sentiment, but cal
met that has no sentiment is not like
~ to be a strong cabinet / am NOR
greatly impressed by the sentiments
reason you give than by any other
When Blaine left Garfield he wa
persuaded that the President-ele'
had decided to offer the post of Sc,
rotary of the treasury to Allison. La
or he did o.er it and most urgenu
pleaded with Allison TO accept, an
at one time almost prevailed on hin
Allison at last decided that the be
ter place for him was In the Senat
and he intimated that Garfield woul
find a competent and satisfactory SCI
rotary of the treasury in Villa
Window.
Copyright 1912. by y. J. Edward
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