The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-03-14
THE RUSH OF OFFICE-SEEKERS.


be unprecedented i'm numbers and
voracity. The cabinet had hardly
been confirmed by the Senate before
the pressure for the lesser offices be-
came intense, and every hour adds
to the clamor by which Mr.. Harri-
sons supporters manifest their desire
to serve their country.
MIR. Cleveland had numerous APP
plications for appointment in the
early days of his term. but the num-
Der of such applications bears no
comparison with the number now.
persistent importantly" said Pres
ident Harrison in his inaugural adj
dress, deprecating such rush, "will
not be the best support of an appli-
cation for Office" This has dis
couraging sound, but there is encour-
agement in his declaration that "hon-
orable party service will certainly
not be esteemed by me disquaiti-
cation for public office" Balancing
the one utterance against the other,
the modest worker finds the two of
about equal weight, and accordingly
deems it safe to proceed upon the
time-honored principle that it is the
"early bird that gets the worm"
Members of the cabinet, members of
the Senate and even the President
himself are besieged from early morn
to dewv eve with ''claims," "testi-
monials" and recommendatory "res-
olutions" in every possible variety.
How great the pressure" is may
be gathered from the fact that the
cornmander-in~chief of the Grand
Army of the Republic has found it
necessary, in anticipation of the ex-
listing state of things, to issue "cir-
cular letter" from his headquarters
at Kansas City forbidding the vari-
Gus posts of the Grand Army to re-
commend persons for office "by res
oiution or other official action" A
number of posts he learns, nave
been recommending individuals for
appointment to Office under the pres
ent administration, proceeding
"liable," says the commander-in-
chief Hsto breed discussion in our
ranks" The office-seekers now at
Washington need, however, it APP
pears, no recommendation whatever
from any one to give them the cour-
age to ask for what they want. Their
oply fear is that there are not enough
offices to go round. The Ohioans
alone, it is said, are at the capital in
force sufficient to absorb every place
in the gift of the government, and
they are hard pressed by the New
Workers and Indianians.
The "plums," of course, are the
foreign places, consulates, &c, which
Mr.. Blaine is said to have distrib-
uted already in his minds eye among
the statesmen whose devotion to his
fortunes has been unbroken, or whose
absence from this country for four
years might, for one reason or an
other, be expedient and desirable.
But there are choice pickings at
home, and it is for these places that
competition is keenest. The depart
ments at Washington supply list
Of salaried berths calculated to make
the mouth of the austerest office
seeker watsT. tf#a Ef
There will be host of new assis-
tant secretaries, auditors, heads of
bureaus, commissioners, not to speak
of minor officials with comfortable
incomes. Then there are the custom
houses and postoffices, at the various
large cities throughout the country
which are rich in patronage and
give the incumbents einfuence0 in
local politics. Perhaps President
Harrison will follow his predeces-
sor's example in regard to these
offices, and here and there insist
upon Democrats retaining their
places for the public good.
The inaugural address tells us,
indeed, that it is his purpose "to do
something more to advance the re-
form of the civil service" than mere
ly to execute che letter Of the law
"fully and without evasion" There
il, however, note of self-distrust.
As if aware that in his Civil-Service
Reform League days hsshad exacted
more Of Mr.. Cleveland Enn he had
the right to ask, Mr.. Harrison
warns the country that as respects
the civil service, RETROSPECT, will be
. safer basis of Judgment than prom
ises { 60 In
It is said. that Mr.. HARRISON is
not managing affairs in such way !