Evening star., 1920-11-23
PUBLIC DESTROYS
|0F STRONG CABINET
President Harding Has
Not Selected Men or
Promised Posts.
BY N. O. MESSENGER

'1f he will only appoint strong
cabinet of big men, commanding the
respect and confidence of the coutry.
President Harding will make a hit
with the people at the outset"
How often do you hear this ex-
preston in the gossip about the COM
ing administration? 1t is heard con.
stantly and everywhere. 1t is para.
mount in everybody's discussion OF the
personnel of the cabinet; apparently
it is the type, rather that the ind;-
vidual over which citizens are con-
cerned.
only two facts are established in
-copnection with cabinet selections;
first, that Presfdent-e1ectH Harding is
sensible of this public solicitude and
second, that he has not selected any
ofi6 nor promised any one. Beyod thar
no deponent speaketh.
Even Dauxherty In Dark.
Even Harry NJ, Daugherty. Senator
Harding's closest confidant. who was
in town last night, told his friends
that he was as much in the dark
about the cabiet as any one. He did
not know whether he himself would
be offered a place or not. He confirm
ed the statements previously made
that there are no promises out
There is one other suggestion con-
cerning cabinet appointments Whlcc
is broached from time to time, this.
to wit, that while there are men ac-
tive in the management of the recent
campaign who are considered as cab
met timber" the President-elect is
under no obligations to appoint them
merely by way of reward for political!
services rendered.
Obligation In to Country.
It is contended that the country
elected Harding and Coolidge. and no
eruup Of political managers, conSe.
ouently the first obligation of the new
administration is to the country and
not to Individuals. The charge cannot
be sustained. either, that any in
an underhold on the new administra-
ton through campaign contributions.
Chairman Hays of the national COM
mittee, in a letter sent this week APP
pealing for contributions to make up
the deficit in the republican campaign
fund. laws special stress upon the as
sertion that "more important in politi-
cal value, however, both to the party
and the country, is that this year
there were more than $4,000 separate
81, O0O,0 for the presidential cam
paign, while in 1916 the bulk Of the
entire amount collected for the presi-
Dental campaign was subscribed by $50
people, except only for the ten-dollar
drive in the last week of the campaign"
Chairman Hays admits dolefully now
that his plan for limiting contributions
to the upset figure of $1,000 was
failure in practice, however altruistic
its motive These thousand-douar fell
lows are being called upon to dig again,
along with the small fry, to make up the
S1nf pif N1pa nta,iv i<y evks Il
however, to carry out the spirit of the
plan and not permit a few wealthy men
to furnish the quota. The new admin
istration is to ''come clean" of any taint
of subserviency to wealth or class.
Hughes Gossip Grows.
The latest cabinet gossip comes today
from New York and deals with a quiet
movement said to be on foot in that
city for the selection of Charles E.
Hughes for Secretary of State. in event
that Elihu Root is not appointed or
does not care to serve. The Hughes
boomers assert that Mr. Roots age may
be a bar to his selection. People who
conversed with Mr.. Root during his
visit here last week saw no indications
of undue encroachments of the years
in his physical or mental de-
meanor. In balancing the respective
qualifications of these two men for the
Office the politicians say that while Mr..
Hughes would Dr1ng to 1t possibly
greater physical vigor, with larger pow
er for sustained arduous effort, he is
not the world figure that Mr.. Root is
to be, nor has he had
the training in diplomatic service.
Harry NJ Daugherty, before leaving
for New York last night, gave the news
paper men the names of some of the
public men with whom Senator Harding
will confer, commencing December 10.
In addition to the names heretofore pub
lished, Mr.. Root. Mr.. Taft. Senator
Senator Borah. Senator Lodge,
Senator Hitchcock, Senator Knox and
Senator New, he mentioned Senator
Pomerene. Senator Lenroot and Senator
Reed.