THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 13 May 1913, Page 8

THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.

THE MEMBERS' OF THE' WILSON

ADMINISTRATION

JOB-CHASERS WARNED WP.

SAN FRANCISCO, (March 1 1

President Taft's initial mistake i.ir.v years ago was the selection of a C:ibinet of unknowns. His succes-T^r, President Woodrow Wilson, who .assumed offico on 4th March, has not fallen into thin error. Indeed, the ': Premier' of" tho Cabinet, William Jenma&s Bryan. Secretary of State, is perhaps alnios1; too well known to augur corn^'ci-i harmony with his fellow admiiisti-ators.. Tho others, almost without .exception, have been prominently before the rpblio.■:"-:-, James iM'ReynoitTH, Atio!i*neyGeneral, set- the climax io. a, brilliant record as Assistant . Attonvf.v-Geiieral under two previous. AdmiuHr.rations hy prosecuting the tobacco triisi;. to the point where the Supreme.'..C-ou'r'S ordei-ed--its dissolution. The Secretary of tho Interior, Mr.: F. K." Lane, a wellknown California!!, has for six' ycai-s been orio of'the most active lnonibers of tho InteifcState Commerce.. Cojji mission. .It is an. odd circumstance tbat until the day of his inaug.'irni jn Mr. ( Wilson had-not personally' mes cidier .;f these geritlemsn._ He chose v:er\ lor Cabinet.; rank upon their public iecorda. ■ '■. -. ■ ■ '.....'

The appointment of Mr. Jlry>an. ihe thrice-defeated candidate for' Prc:;klenV an Secretary of State, Avas,,'n6 surprises-.:' By throwing his influencefrom Cli&nip Clark to Woodrow Wilson :;i the nr •'•nv nating convention , ho un'.-i.ittstiivnaiily"-. brought about tho nomination and election of tho latter. Being •.< ide, ' J'remier" of the. Cabinet is his>e<vai\-v H*uv potent a part ho tvill[ p|ay in the affairs of tho Government is, one of tho"problems of present-day Americaa n_( littcs.. Tho statement has been freely ..repeated that he qbjected..to .'■■': Wilfiam G. iM'Adoo, of. New York,; voiiig nailed Secretary of tho Treasury, and.ilvit he himself would have preferred thai. plum to tho one given Him; but that Irs' wisher; were disregarded in rash instance. As Secretary of •St>at'3 <Mt. ' Efyan in to '■ a great extent, "in c<Jd storage," as: a Chicago, paper oxpie&sen it.l The position is one -of great dignity and honour, but..,has to do almost entirely with foreign n/Tairs. iq the exclusion of domestic/politics, Those who do riot particularly £ra.3t Mr. Bryan express the view—it is .inr>>>». than half £\ hope, however-^-tVit.. ivhetber consciously or not, he, "has c- terea upon tire process of dignified retirement; from active public life." .The subject of these kind remarks may/howevei, havo something to say himself. Tho, new Treasurer, WiilLam G. M'Adoo,;is a youngish ■ business man,, who some ton years ago left Tennessew for New York. His .success in the metropolis was amazing., JDrgianisini; n company,. he proceeded to boro v.Jiat are known as the M'Adoo tunnols ,vn dei-neath Hudson River, conhcHJMn;]; New York city with, the State of \ew Jersey, and to-day these tunrels aro used ?jy Hundreds 'of' tens dftily. M'Adoo managed tho New York campaign for Wilson.' ' '';.

A new department was created nmler , legislation signed -by President ; '.Haft oh the last day of his «dmiais|'.'ntii»ir:: — that of labour.. The Secretary of 3^abour in President Wilson's Cabinet is n. namesake of his, William E. Wilspb.,. oi Pennsylvania. - He has hpen:T'fo~ ■minGnt m union labour, cirolds,- an<l .is, said to have been yirtu^lly" antioiiited' at the instigation of '^ompeis, president of the;, American I'Vderation of Labonr.rv lTiV : bnly mem»)3r of >h;j new -Cabinet "taken from (Tongi-fiss is •Albert Biirleson, a represenbaLiyo from -sTs>ixas,. c .v.'iioir^signed>to■ become • J'oWt--nmKßer^eneral. ... \ ; ■ =

• Newspapers and •ooliticfans -ara u-a+ch-iug tlie members of the Administration" very c ; losely fpr fjigns of ne\y.f! <x;w\ek.-^ '■''J^^Al'g^f^^^pLY^o^c\e^b\oi^^sc, h^is heeffTScarcely^ia^fip^te j^thft sui;-^ face,; so •. far. ;-:.:"one' ,-;,-o.f .• *ho;- ju '?*§ iliing^/ tho President- 4{d^a;nd><>ne ;rtf t|itS-.ri>b&t sensible thirfgs 'fie*- could have, done— was to issue a "stiitement warhina the hordes of job-chasers infesting Wa?hiri^tori not to"lj.other him.-: He'-ii'ptjiiiod. all officerseekers. thAt he f^ljb it,' toy W>. his duty to ;declm«* to *>co them in person except. when ,he himself invjt-ed-tho in tervieWi adding ihat it ia his intention to deal, with appointments through the heads .of...the..'various executive departments, This : matter ~of: satisfying the many thousands «,f Democrats \yho for years past have l)0vn excluded from the "pie-counte:- y " nil),l ..Avhp.-i.nowi feel that they are about to enter the promised land, is tho most immediately troublesome dr. :,y of tho Administration. To dismiss; jttopui.Wicans" regardless of fitness for their .'os-. ,pectiAro positions would create a scandal, and yet nothing short of this Ayholesale method of finding jobs for the expectant Democrats' seems .possible "'■'■ of • satisfyirj; them. ' ' '='• -- . '-■■■■

. ' Just - bdforo ho -went; .out of office, . President Taft, by an Executive order> placed :35 third class and fourth claaa .postmasters under . tho classified civil service rules, thereby confirming, them in their positions for life, subject to good behaviour. Heretofore these offices have been part of the spoils distributed, jamongsf tho political victor* Democrats -criticise;Mr. Taft's order as r, mero trick to keen tho political machine Id order for next election, iand are demanding that' President Wilson rescina s&e order so. that members of his party may fill these 35,----000 positions.

■ ..On-what may bo termed its social sido the new Administration is very sot in its ways. No liquor stronger than water will, bo consumed at any functions given by the President or by Secretary of State Bryan; both ore total abstainers and non-smokers. Contrary to precedent, President Wilaon ■will accept honorai-y membership in no club. Such has been offered him by tho moss "exclusive" Washington club and declined with thanks. Should ho wish to.join *ny social organisation he will tapnjy m the usual manner, and pay his dues as any other member. Thero will be a notable diminution of the. quantity of gold braid around Whito House. The uniformed staff instituted by President Roosevelt and retained by President Taft does not appeal to President Wilson.as necessary or seemly, and .will be either abolished ov cut to the smallest limits. The other night Mr- Wilson attended a Washington theatro. To the astonishment of tho audience the show did not stop a-nd tho orchestra play "The StarSpangled Banner." Upon inquiry it •was learned if.at Tbhis >eons«rated ..Washington custom had been dronned a* tho request of the President himself. -His aversion to display of all kinds is seen on every day of tho week. It .having, been announced that on the first Sunday of his administration the President would worship at a r-articu- . lar churchy the edifice was crowded to tlio doors, and large numbers.of peovplo stood outside waiting to see him. .Mi-'- Wilson disappointed tho •curious -crowd by slipping off to another houso of worship. At the White House, while his position compels him to see many people, he is striving to eliminate.ail who call from the mere wish to see him. Indeed, until 11 o'clock each day tho President refuses to give iaudionco to any caller except Cabinet ntem-, birn. . . .'•■,■