The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-09
The Value Of petitions.

A striking Illustration Of the value OF
numerously signed petitions has recently
been afforded in Washington. The name
of Mr.. Buck. of Kentucky, as Minister TO
Peru. was sent to the Senate by the Presi-
dent. As Mr. Buck had been unknown 10
fame. frequent inq airies were made con-
cernino him. WHO is he and where does
he come from ~ were questions asked on
every side. and no one seemed able to graf
ify the public curiosity. Senator Beck
charged around the capitol and declared
with great emphasis that the appointment
was not acceptable to the good Democrats
of the Blue Grass State, and that the
President had made Il serious mistake IN
not consulting the accredited representa-
tiyes Of that peculiar people before taxing
step so important. He said that he had
never heard of such a man, and rushed OIL
to the Department to enter his solemn pro-
test against the appointment. At the De-
| partment he was shown the recommends
tions which influenced the President III his
action. and among the signatures to Mr..
! Bucks petition was that OF Senator Seek
himself. 1t turned out that Buck was
resident of Maxwell, KY. Mr.. Becks OWN
town. and that when his petition was pre-
scented to the Senator it received his Sig
nature as matter of form. Nor Is there
ANYTHING extraordinary or novel IN TINS !;
it simply shows the utter worthlessness OF
what MI Cleveland styles 'self-sollcited
| petitions. . Signatures can be secured to
almost any paper that will be passed
around and doesn't bind the signer to pay
money. 1t is said that for years it has been
the custom for many Senators and Repre-
/ sentat ives to sign without question. after
| without looking at them, the papers OF ap-
picants for Office. 1t is also alleged that
not few men of influence have an under
standing with the Departments that these
signatures to papers are to count for moth
ing. and that when they really take an in
terest in office-seekers, they will make per-
sonal application for them. That petitions
are taken ut their true value in the White
House and at the departments may be in
4 ferred from the fact that one applicant
for an office which he did not get, had the
names of SIXTEEN Senators and Gne hundred
ANA forty nine Representatives on lis
paper.
: 1t has been offered iii explanation OF the
fact that office-seekers backed by long Pc
lions find very little favor from President
Cleveland. that some years ago, when
| nf n
+ number of his enemies organized con-
spiraey to GUST him. One thing they did
was to draw up a petition requesting him
to resign. Knowing how good natured
business men are i'll the habit OF signing
petitions. never reading them, but signing
whenever asked, they took The petition
around to d Ruisls;er of ClevelanQ's OWL
friends. Sure enough, they all put theil
names down Oh being asked. When the
: petition came to Mayor Cleveland he was
considerably surprised to find the names Of
many of his best friends on the paper. He
suspected that there was mistake. He
| sent for some of his friends whose names
e were Gu the petition, and then he fount
1 that they had been entirely ignorant o.
; what they were doing when they signed
:. the paper. That little incident clearl,
proved to Mr.. Cleveland that numerousl.
signed petitions are of no value. and it i:
alleged that this is the reason why he re
lies less on long lists of hackers than OF
: his personal scrutiny of the claims of al
| applicant for Office.