, 1885-08-29
THE ADMINISTRATION AMI THE
TERRITORIES.

committed itself to the policy Of appoint
ing to government offices in the territories
actual residents thereof. The present
administration, so far as the record shows,
has been very slow to obey this well un-
derstood though unwritten law. Judging
from appointments thus far made, it
would seem bat citizens of a territory
stand but n poor chance, as only a very
few minor offices have been given to
them The judges appointed in Utah,
Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico are nom
residents. The receiver Of public monies
at Evanston, in this territory, is from
Mississippi; while in Now Mexico the
secretary is from Buffalo, n. Y, and the
surveyor general from Indiana. The ap-
p%ointments Of agents for detecting fraud
ulent land claims, Indian inspectors. spe-
e;al agents FOR the inspection Of surveyors
general and district land Offices, timber
agents, Indian agents, etc, etc. have so
far been made with but very few excep-
tons from the states.
The secretary Of the interior ia disposed
TO act as conscientiously as possible in
appointing the man who has the best
recommendations for a place, but these
generally come from the states. Some of
the heads of departments act as if they
feared that an applicant from a territory
was tainted with fraud and corruption
because he halls from the vicinity Of the
office he seeks. Several such applicants
have confessed "A similar experience in
their accounts of how they were received
at the various bureaus of the interior de-
partment, and all of them unite in saying
that they were looked upon as intruders
or suspicious characters who had put in
an appearance at the feast without being
invited.
1t is undoubtedly true that there is but
little sympathy among leading Democrats
in the states for the plank in the party
platform that fayors bona-fide residents OF
territories for positions therein; and the
combined influence Of Democratic politi-
clans from the east and south seems to be
excrted in trying TO frown down any ap-
pllcant from a territory.
One man from Kansas has succeeded
in securing a very large number Of en-
dorsements from senators and representa-
tives for tho position Of surveyor general
of Arizona; a man from Michigan is highly
endorsed by leading Democrats from all
over the union for the surveyor general
ship of Wyoming; both of these persons
will in all probability be appointed. We
are pleased to learn, however, that the
president has expressed a determination
to appoint governors OF territories from
the citizens Of the same; still, even this
determination seems TO bear no fruit, for
the g%overnonship of Idaho has been va
cant for several months, and a pressure
from a host of candidates from the
states has been brought TO bear upon
President Cleveland for that position,
and it appears that the political influence
for one Of the candidates is 30 powerful
that 1t is predicted at the interior depart
ment that he will eventually receive the
appointment
In the matter of appointing special
agents Of the land department and In
dian agents, there are thousands Of APP
plications from every state in the union,
and the powerful influence Of members of
congress in favor OF their personal friends
will doubtless exclude from consideration
sven all applications from territorial resi-
dents.
Ii is an open secret in Washington that
the officials Of the interior department
arc not favorable to an adherence to the
territorial plank, and every territorial
delegation is compelled to leave witha feel
ing Of dissatisfaction over the impossibility
Of pushing their claims to recognition. A
prominent leader Of the party in Mon
tana poiutedly puts it in this manner
ave can't get any results, Secretary
Lamar is either excessively timed or un-
willing IN stand the bruut of recommend
ing appointments that may be distasteful
to his late Republican associates in the
senate, or else he is purposely waiting for
vacancies to occur IN order that he may
tire US ont and then ill the positions by
appointing his own friends. Be this as
1t may, a prolonged protest from the
Democrats Of the territories Is now m or
der.
The plank IN the national Democrat,
platform providing for civil service reform,
J is not and should not be Of any greater eff
feet upon this administration, than tn,
plank which declares for citizens Of terri
tories for positions therein. The on,
should be as religiouslv and sacredly oh
served as the other.
We of the territories can exercise bu
little if any influence in the councils 0
the nation, aud are Of little use to tn
party at large when il comes to an en-
dorseuient Of the principles Of the psrtl
in a national election; yet the rules of nc
ton, adopted by the representatives o
the party at the Chicago convention, me
with the endorsement OF the people OF thi
nation on the lth OF last November, an,
that endorsement vested a right in tn
Democrats Of the territories 10 appoint
ments to every civil position under tn
federal government, where the field o
duty is within the bounds Of the territory
President Cleveland has repeated,
tried To obey 10 the letter the platform o