He served as the Minister of Agriculture for more than three years in the wartime Cabinet during the Sino-Japanese War, when the replacement of the Cabinet members was frequently made; it was the longest term in the history of the Ministry of Agriculture, so it may be a proof of ENOMOTO's extraordinary abilities, with which he was given important posts to maintain the balance among factions made of former bakufu clans.
閣僚交代が頻繁であった当時、特に日清戦争只中の戦時内内閣時の農相在任期間は3年余に及び、歴代農相の中で最長を記録していることからも藩閥にあってバランサーとして重用された榎本の稀代の才が窺い知れる。