Evening star., 1921-02-27
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

TIME Wilson cabinet passes into
history March 4. Perhaps no
cabinet of any President has
been SO bitterly criticised in
the past-as a whole-as the Wilson
cabinet. Individuals in other cabinets
have been assailed vigorously-as in
the case of William w. Belknap, Secre-
tary of War under Grant.
But the Wilson cabinet has been one
Of the points of attack upon the Will
son administration. In fact. this was
a talking point of the supporters of
Mr.. Harding during the last presiden-
tia1 campaign. 1t was insisted that
Mr. Harding would select men of the
highest caliber for his political fam
ily-in contrast to his predecessor.
without attempting defense OF the
outgoing cabinet, it may be said In
justification of it's members that it has
had a tremendous task on it's hands,
both in war and in peace, and the
problems that confronted it have been
met with courage and wisdom in not
few instances.
The smashing Of precedents has been
O favorite pastime of the Wilson ad-
mihistration. Here is another gone
by the boards and a new record es-
tablished. Three members Of the Will
son cabinet served continuously for
the eight years President Wilson was
in Office. This is unprecedented-th
three members of cabinet should serve
so long a time. The three cabinet OFF,
GERS in question are Postmaster General
Albert Sidney Burleson. Secretary Jo-
sephus Daniels of the Navy and Secre-
tary William Bauchop Wilson Of the
Department of Labor. Secretary Will
son is the first Secretary of Labor
the Department of Labor having been
established as separate and distinct
from the Department of Commerce
under an act Of Congress in the close
Of the Taft administration.
In connection with their long serv-
ice in the cabinet, it may be men
toned that Postmaster General Bur-
leson and Secretary Daniels have been
more often under fire during the last
eight years than probably any other
members Of the Presidents official
family But President Wilson has
stood faithfully by them. and they by
him.
An examination of the records es-
tablishes the fact that few, very few,
men have served for eight years in
the cabinet Of any President or Pres
idents. James Wilson. Secretary of
Agriculture under Presidents McKin-
ley. Roosevelt and Taft. holds the
Palm for length Of service. He was
for sixteen years in Office. Next to
him is Albert Gallatin of New York,
who put in nearly thirteen years as Sec
retary of the Treasury under Presidents
Jefferson and Madison.
In the earlier days Of the republic
It was not considered so essential as
today that the entire cabinet be re-
tired upon the incoming OF new
President. In fact, it was not until
about 1925 that the practice of retir-
ing the entire cabinet upon the ac-
cession of new President became
the vogue.
But to get back to the length of
service of cabinet officers. There
have been only the following IN
stances where a man has served for
eight years or more, besides the cases
already mentioned:
Ethan Allen Hitchcock. as Secretary
of the Interior under Mckinley and
Roosevelt, eight years.
Gideon Welles. Secretary Of the
Navy under Lincoln and Johnson,
eight years.
Gideon Granger. Postmaster General
under Jefferson and Madison. twelve and
a half years.
Henry Dearborn. Secretary Of War
under Jefferson, eight years.
William H. Crawford. Secretary Of
the Treasury under Madison and Mon
roe, eight and one-half years.
Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State
under Grant, eight years.
James Madison, Secretary of State
lnder Jefferson. eight years.
William H. Seward, Secretary of
state under Lincoln and Andrew
johnson, eight years.
Elihu Root was Secretary of War
under Mckinley and Roosevelt from