Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-08

vi patience with his cabinet ;jl t.
confidence in their respective judg-
ments. He accepted advice whole
heartedly on questions arising in
their own departments but there
were not more than two or three
men in the cabinet whose opinions
he valued on problems outside of
those departments. 1t is unfOrtu-
nately characteristic of the Ameri-
can system of government that cabi-
net officers become absorbed in the
details of their own departments
aud have neither the time nor the
inclinati to anaiyZe other queS-
tons Men like Franklin X. Lane,
secretary of the interior, however,
who always studied the ebb and flow
Of the public opinion, brought to the
cabinet table well defined opinions on
questions relating to Mexico and for
eien affairs. There were others who
did likewise but Mr.. Wilson realized
as he listened to the cabinet discus
sion that none but the secretary Of
state and himself was as familiar
with the details of a foreign question.
For this reason Mr.. Wilson fell into
the Labit of deciding many questions
Of foreign policy in conference with
the secretary Of state alone. lie fol
lowed the same plan with the heads
of other departments. Frequently
after a general cabinet discussion he
4 inC, Of a a
with individual cabinet members in
which more important subject were
discussed than at the cabinet meet
ing itself.
Cabinet Advisory Board
The president would occasionally
bring to the cabinet meeting q dip
lonatic note to a foreign government
and ask for opinions but he did not
enjoy the procedure. Too often hair
splitting arguments resulted and the
clash of opinions left him in guam
Diary and made him wish that he had
not preached the subject at all. On
political questions he would some
Times ask the opinion of the mem
bers of the cabinet because he
thought their contacts and expert
ences in public life would enable
them at least to express individual
viewpoints.
The cabinet did very little legislat-
ing. 1t was an advisory council, not
Il board of directors. Mr.. Wilson was
quick to sense the general opinion
at the table and tactfully terminated
the discussions when he thought they
had gone far enough to bring out
the views of all.
Taken as a whole Mr.. Wilson
never shared the feeling of some
critics that his cabinet was a weak
one. He conceded its ineXperienCe
The Democratic party had not been
in power for sixteen years and there
fore had no opportunity to develop
cabinet timber Mr.. Wilson had in
fact to reconstruct the Democratic
party. He realized in later days that
some of his cabinet selections might
have been better but as historian
he knew that cabinets were never
perfect and that his advisers were
the best that combination of poll
tics and personal trust could bring
together For after all what counted
more with Woodrow Wilson than
y
And in almost all cases that meant
a mind which might suggest differ
ences but which. in the last analysis.
would so along enthusiastically
with his.
Changes in the Wilson cabinet
during eight years of the Democratic
administration were relatively few
IN number. When Mr.. McReynOlds
was elevated 10 the supreme court of
the United States, Colonel House was
instrumental in the selection of
Thomas W. Gregory, of Texas, as
attorney general to succeed him
Mr.. Palmer, who had been offered
the secretaryship of war in 1913, but
who declined it because of his quaker
convictions against war. had not felt
mat he was properly recognized
Mr.. Wilson was aware of this feel
ing and endeaVored to correct it by
appointing Mr.. Palmer to be alien
property custodian in 1917, and later
attorney general when Mr.. Gregory
resigned.
Break With Garrison
Mr.. Wilson was convinced that the
secretary of war ought to be a law
Yer and this was one of the reasons
why he asked Mr.. Palmer to take
The post When ldr. Palmer Gecnned,
Mr.. Wilson turned in perpIeXity to
his private secretary, Mr.. Tumulty.
who recommended Vice Chancellor
Lindley NJ. Garrison, of New Jersey.
Mr.. Garr;SOn'S reputation on the
bench was such as to assure an abSO-
lutely clean administration of the