Evening journal., 1914-03-30
New News Of Yesterday
The Sound Advice of an
Iowa Statesman
pI HenAna.

"As / recall the many friends and
the pleasant acquaintance whom it
was my good. fortune to know while
] was in in public life at Washington in
1.-THE cabinets Of Presidents Garfield
and Arthur, IL seems to me that on
the whole the one whose memory
cherish most is Samuel j. Kirkwood,"
lsaid Postmaster General Thomas L.
James to me recently when recalling
some of the incidents of his public
life.
" had mad some experience with
lkirkwood while / was postmaster Of
New York city, he at that time being
limited States Senator from Iowa." con-
ltinued Mr.. James. *Ihere was some
thing about the man that made me
think Of Abraham Lincoln. II was not
anything in his personal appearance.
lkTkwood was a man ofsrugged person
Iality. His speech was as plain as were
his features and furnished the same
sense OF strong individuality. He had
a great mass Of iron gray hair, heavy
Eyebrows and large and at times lumin-
GUS eyes. His mouth revealed a sensi-
tiyeness OF refinement and character such
Us was characteristic Of Lincoln, and
there played about his lips frequently
Ian expression which made it clear that
he had very strong sense Of humor.
'kirkwood could compact more COM
lmon sense and more soundness of judg-
nent into single sentence than could
any other man Of whom ! ever had
knowledge excepting Lincoln. They were
both SONS Of the prairies and of the
lpioneers and both had a profound under
standing and sympathy with the pre-
yailing opinion OF those whom Lincoln
icalled the plain people,
Il did not know until the morning
lof the day after Garfeld's Inauguration
that he intended to ask Senator Kirk
wood to enter his cabinet as secretary
of the interior. And Kirkwood himself
ibid not know. He was nominated with
Tout any consultation with him, / be-
lieve. He did not want to leave the
Senate, but he did not see his way clear
to decline the appointment, and. as he
afterward told me, it 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 go
TO his Office in the department OF the
interior.
II often thought at cabinet meetings
that Kirkwood did not feel entirely at
home, and that he looked longingly or
lregretfully toward the Senate chamber.
Yet he was splendid administrative
offlcer
"He resigned as secretary of the in
lterior-I never knew Why-before he
load been in Office year.
II called upon him few hours be-
fore he was to take the train from
Washington to his home in Iowa. lie
told me many things which were OF a
lconfidential nature and he told me one
thing which there can be no harm now
in repeating.
. ''He said to me: I lave been in pub
lie life more than forty years. / have
been governor, senator and secretary Of
1.-THE interior. Before l became governor
/ was elected to minor offices. In all
lmy public life l have never held any
lffice, with a single exception, unless /
WAS elected to it by the people. The
secretaryship of the interior is the only
lappointive Office j have ever held.
wish now l had made my record com
plete as that of a man who was elected
TO every office which he held, and if ]
were going TO give advice to a younger
man who contemplated a long public
life, would say, "Never accept any ap-
jpointive office. Take only such Office as
the people elect you to-"
Copyright, 1914. by Z. J. Edwards. All
rights reserved.l
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell OF
lean Ideal Qualification for the White