 Between his election and his inauguration , Garfield was occupied with assembling a cabinet that would establish peace between Conkling 's and Blaine 's warring factions . Blaine 's delegates had provided much of the support for Garfield 's nomination , and the Maine senator received the place of honor : Secretary of State . Blaine was not only the president 's closest advisor , he was obsessed with knowing all that took place in the White House , and was even said to have spies posted there in his absence . Garfield nominated William Windom of Minnesota as Secretary of the Treasury , William H. Hunt of Louisiana as Secretary of the Navy , Robert Todd Lincoln as Secretary of War , and Samuel J. Kirkwood of Iowa as Secretary of the Interior . New York was represented by Thomas Lemuel James as Postmaster General . Garfield appointed Pennsylvania 's Wayne MacVeagh , an adversary of Blaine 's , as Attorney General . Blaine tried to sabotage the appointment by convincing Garfield to name an opponent of MacVeagh , William E. Chandler , as Solicitor General under MacVeagh . Only Chandler 's rejection by the Senate forestalled MacVeagh 's resignation over the matter . 
