The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-10
HAYS LIKELY
POSSIBILITY
FOR CABINET
Says Mark Sullivan-Hoosier
Leader Has Great Organiz-
ing Ability, Energy and
Character-Well Qualified.
IS AN ABLE EXECUTIVE
BY MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 10. -
There is much talk of Will Hays as a
cabinet possibility. He is due to con-
fer with Senator Harding in Marion
today. If the cabinet officers were
distributed on the basis OF party serv-
ice. Will Hays would be entitled to be
offered one.
OF course, Will Hays himself would
be the first to recognize that there is
no such thing as a claim on a cabinet
office. The cabinet is the presidents
family, and he is entitled to choose it
on whatever basis of personal judg-
ment or personal comfort he may wish.
That is the reason why all this dis
cussion of cabinet possibilities is a
little distasteful and is undertaken a
little relunctantly. But Will Hays is
so obvious in this kind of discussion
that there is less hesitancy about
mentioning him.
Even If there we're any such thing
as claim on a cabinet office which
there is mott could not be said that
to have filled the office of national
chairman of the party give the holder
an right to expect an cabinet office.
Two chairmen Chosen.
In the past 90 years of American
politics I can recall only two national
chairmen who became a member of
the cabinet. These were George B.
Courtelyou and Frank Hitchcock. The
latter managed Taft's campaign in
1908 and Taft offered him the office
of postmaster general. There was
peculiar approiatnes in this. Hitchcock
was already assistant postmaster gen
eral, Hitchcock did not want to take
the office, but Taft insisted. In the
end I imagine they both regretted it..
Hitchcock, as national chairman,
has had command of all the party
workers throughout the country, and.
in a sense, has put himself under OBJ
legations to them. They in turn, when
they wanted patronage for themselves
or for their. friends, looked to Hitch
cock to get it. Hitchcock became a
kind OF resident ambassador at Wash
ington for all the office seekers in the
country. The result, Of course, was
that every other cabinet member rath-
er set himself up against Hitchcock.
Hitchcock Embarrassed.
Hitchcock as Postmaster General
could take care of a good deal of
patronage, hut when there was
vacancy in any other department and
one of Hitchcock's party workers
wanted it, the party worker suffered
rather than benefited by Hitchcock's
presence in the cabinet. 1t was pain
full situation to Hitchcock, to Taft, to
the other cabinet members and most
of all the party workers.
The experience of Hitchcock and
Taft, is of course, no reason why
Hays should decline cabinet Office
If 1t should be offered to him. Condi-
tions in this case are different in sew
eral particulars from what they were
in the Hitchcock case. But there
are other reasons why Hays might or
might not wish to have Harding offer
him a cabinet position, on the other
hand. Hays is entirely capable to hll-
ing any one of several cabinet offices,
not merely with success, but with dis
tinction; to cay Hays has ability is
rather too obvious in view Of the
recent election but even if the Repub-
licans had lost TN eelection, no one
who had any contact with Hays would
have altered the opinion that in his
line he is an extremely able person.
EnereetIs Organizer.
His ability obviously is chiefly in
the line Of organization and energy.
He has an excellent sense of organiza-
ton, and his capacity to supply that
organization with driving power was
always the marvel Of those who looked
upon his frail physique and pallid
countenance. If anything, Hays is
almost over-energetic. He is active to
a degree that leaves him no time for
that kind OF ability which lies in the
field of reflection
If Hays has a problem that involves
thought and reflection, his way OF
solving is to run over a line of
prominent Republicans, pick. the one
that has the best capacity FOR thought
in that particular line. turn the prob
lem over to him, and tell him that
judgment and decision will be called
for at 5:45 p. m. the following night
Hays functions along the line of or
ganization exclusively. He does not
attempt much else / have sometimes
thought he did himself an injustice in
this, for he has the capacity for re-
Election. if he choose to rely on it,
and decidedly marked capacity for
aphoristic expression of common sense