Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-28
KITCHEN CABINETS-By Frederick J. Haskin

dent himself. In the late administration, of
course, this place was long held by Colonel
House. In Tafts time, Brother Charlie was
the man to see, and during the Roosevelt
administration the self-sufficiency of it's chief
incumbent, "See Lodge was advice given
so often that even Archie Roosevelt, as a
small lad, Is said to have given it to watch
man in the White House grounds who was
in need of some favor from on high. Hanna
was the power behind the pcrtico in McKin-
ley's administration, and Daniel S. Lamont
was Cleveland's favorite adviser. So the sue
| cession runs all the way back to Andrew
jackson, who seems to have been the first
to lean heavily on unofficial advisers, and to
have given origin to the term Kitchen cabi-
net"
Mrs. Hardings Part
| All OF these have been men of mystery to
some extent. That is, no one has known Just
what part each has played. One might guess
with some confidence that some of them have
been strong men dominating weak presidents
and others have been instruments employed
by strong presidents.
1t has been suggested that in the present
administration the kitchen cabinet may we'll
be said to include the rightful mistress of
| the kitchen. OF course, other first ladies
have had an acknowledged influence upon
what their husbands did in public matters,
and this was notably true of Mrs. Hay. There
was much contradictory gossip about what
| Mrs. Wilson did during her husbands ILL
ness, some giving her credit for considerable
usefulness in political way.
OF Mrs. Harding's keen interest in her
husbands political life. and of his confidence
in her, there seems to be no doubt. Besides,
she is the first Of the first ladies to have a
vote, and large voting constituency of her
own SEX If 1t becomes known that the pres
ident places large confidence in his wife, and
that the wife is favorable to the legislation
| that women want, those facts would Ger.
ta1nly be worth many feminine votes to the
administration. Certainly a situation has
been created in which a presidents wife
might build herself really formidable po-
| litical power If she was woman of strength
and intelligence.
| Whether such part is to be taken by
Mrs. Harding cannot yet be ascertained, per-
haps. But it Is interesting to note that the
somewhat surprising favor which Mr.. Bryan
enjoys at the White House is said to be in
part due to Mrs. Harding. Bryan spends an
hour at the White House whenever he is in
town. The recent appointment Of a prohi-
bition chief is said to have been in accordance
with his wishes At the same time, it is
known that Mrs. Harding, while presumably
deprecating Mr.. Bryan's political radicalism.
regards him as great religious and moral
| teacher.
Another story they tell is that during the
campaign President Harding showed a lamen-
table tendency for time to depart from the
text Of his speeches. These speeches were
carefully prepared, and represented not only
a great deal of effort on his part but ALSO
it is said, on the part of others. IN fact,
many Of them were probably what the chest
minds" thought he ought to say. But the
president, once on his feet and under full
steam, was frequently seized with desire
for spontaneous self-expression. He would
go off on little rhetorical side trips, for
which, so to speak, he had no official ticket.
and some Of these divagations were consid-
cred indiscreet. Various of his advisers took
him to task for this matter without avail.
and finally it was turned over to Mrs. Har-
ding. 1t has been noted by many that she
hears all of her husbands speeches, and it
| is said that the presidential improvisations
have ceased