ALTHOUGH WILSON was soon to become an important figure in the new
administration, he remained generally in the background until mid-
summer 1893 when the new Congress met. From the first he seems to
have been marked for House leadership and his friends approved Cleve-
land's decision not to tempt him from it. On the eve of his departure
for Washington, Cleveland told George F. Parker that he would like
to appoint Wilson assistant to the President with a salary of ten thousand
dollars to help with important matters of policy. "Yes I tell you that,
while I should hate to take Wilson out of Congress," he said, "I would
make him my assistant if I could. I have even half a notion to offer him
the place anyhow and pay him out of my own pocket." ¹ He was widely
mentioned for the attorney generalship and there can be little doubt
that Cleveland would have considered the appointment seriously under
favoring circumstances. But in view of Wilson's legislative experience,
his place in the tariff-reform movement, and the apparent wish of Cleve-
land to have a trusted lieutenant in the House, one can easily believe
that the President-elect had no thought of appointing him to a cabinet
position. Cleveland sent for him and he went to Lakewood, New Jersey,
on February 4, 1893, for an interview; but it is doubtful that the cabinet
post was even mentioned there. As an interesting sidelight it may be
noted that Isidor Straus, who occupied a cottage at Lakewood and saw
Cleveland often, thought that Wilson should have been offered some-
thing on the score of courtesy at least, and he criticized Cleveland
sharply for pursuing a tight-lipped, self-willed policy not only with
respect to Wilson but also with Charles S. Fairchild, who had served
as Secretary of the Treasury in Cleveland's first cabinet and whose

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