The Washington herald., 1914-03-30
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Sound Advice of an Iowa
Statesman.
written Expressly for The Herald)
by DIR. Il. j. EDWARDS.

written Expressly for The Herald)
ny DIR. Il. }. EDWARDS.
"As / recall the many friends and the
pheasant acquaIntances whom 1t was my
good fortune to know while / was in
public life at Washington in the Cabinets
iof Presidents Garfield and Arthur. il
seems to me that on the whole the one
whose memory cherish most is Samuel
J. Kirkwood." said ex-Postmaster Gen.
eral Thomas L. James to me recently
when recalling some Of the incidents Of
his public life.
| Il had some experience with Kirkwood
while / was Postmaster Of New York
ICity, he at that time being United States
Senator from Iowa" continued Mr..
James. There was something about the
man that made me think of Abraham
Lincoln. IL was not anything in his per-
sonal appearance. Kirkwood was a man
Of rugged personality. His speech was
as plain as were his features and fur
nished the same sense Of strong in
Idividuality. He had a great mass of
Iiron-gray hair, heavy eyebrows and
large and at times luminous eyes. His
mouth revealed a sensitiveness and re-
fnement Of character such as was char
acteristic of Lincoln. and there PLAYED
expression
which made it clear that he had a very
strong sense Of humor
'Kirkwocd could compact more COM
mon sense and more soundness Of judg-
ment into a single sentence than could
any other man OF whom ever had
knowledge excepting Lincoln. They were
both sons Of the prairies and of the
pioneers, and both had a profound un-
derstanding and sympathy with the pre-
vailing opinion of those whom Lincoln
called the plain people
Il did not know until the morning Of
the day after GarieId's Inauguration that
he intended to ask Senator Kirkwood 10
enter his Cabinet as Secretary Of the
Interior. And Kirkwood himself did not
know. He was nominated without any
consultation with him. | believe He did
not want to leave the Senate. but he did
not see his way clear to decline the ap-
pointment, and. as he afterward told me.
IL took him at least a month to realize
when he woke up in the morning that he
was not to go TO the Senate chamber.
but. instead. to his Office in the De-
partment of the Interior.
Il often thought at Cabinet meetings
that Kirkwood did not feel entirely at
home, and that he looked Iongingly or
regretfully toward the Senate chamber.
Yet. he was a splendid administrative
officer.
He resigned as Secretary of the In
terior-I never knew why-before he had
been in Office a year
Il called upon him a few hours befor.
he was to take the train from Wash
irgton TO his home in Iowa. He told me
many things which were of a confidential
nature and he told me one thing which
there can be no harm now in repeat
irg
He said to me-: I have been in public
life more than forty years. l have been
governor. Senator. and Secretary of In
terror. Before l became governor / was
elected to minor offices. In all my public
life l have never held any office with
single exception. unless / was elected
TO II by the people. The Secretaryship of
the Interior is the only appointive Office
have ever held. ] wish now | had
made my record complete as that of a
man who was elected to every office
which he held, and il l were going TO
give advice to younger man who con-
templated long public life. l would say.
Never accept any appointive office
Take only such office as the people elect
you to
Copyright. lail
Tomorrow-Dr. Edwards will tell OF
An Ideal Qualification for the White
House"