The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-11-02
THE CHICAGO OFFICES.

There is evidently big "hen on" at
Washington in regard to filling the
federal offices at Chicago. The terms
| of the Democratic incubents OF these
|offices-U. S. Marshall, Collector of the
Port, Internal Revenue Collector and
Pension Agent-expired in July, and
both the Illinois Senators and the
Cook Representatives in Congress had
sufficiently in advance of that date, a
slate fixed up, since known as the
Senatorial Slate" for filling of all
those offices and the names, with the
proper and supposedly all sufficient
backing, were laid before the President.
But for some most unaccOuntable
reason the President steadily refuses
| to act. Cullom has been to see him,
Farwell has labored with him, and
Billy Mason has danced attendance at
the White House. But all the satisfac-
ton any Of them has been able to get
has been a promise that they should
be taken up soon, that full weight
should be given to the Endorsements of
the candidates, ETC., etc.
This sort of promising has been go
ing on since last June, land yet no action
has been apparent. Lastly, being out
of all patience, Abner Taylor was sent
a week ago to Washington to spur the
president up. The result of chs mis-
sion is outlined in the correspondence
of yesterdays Inter-Ocean. 1t is all
well enough, the President is reported
as saying, to be persistent and urgent
about the appointments of these men
Ton the senatorial slate) hut as the
responsibility of the appointment rests
on the President, he must give the
subjectcarefulc deration-intimat-
ing that, in point of fact, as at present
advised, the names did not meet his
approval.
''But, good gracious" said Taylor,
"are not the Senators and Representa-
tives who make the recommendations
responsible, and are they not as anxious
as you can be to have only suitable
persons appointed"
The President promptly and serious
ly replied that it might be true locally
that the Senators and Congressman
were responsible, but still it was a fact
that the superior responsibility was
with the President, who could not
delegate it to them
Mr. Taylor had no more to say, but
turned his back on Washington, wend-
ing his way homeward, carrying with
him such large quantity of disgust
that his extra baggage was something
appalling.
Now the whole explanation Of this
Presidential inaction is probably here:
The soldiers have taken hand in the
fight. They have been aggrieved, ever
since the death of Logan, that they
have had no soldier in the U. S. Senate
They particularly dislike Farwell, who
was always hostile to Logan. Yet
Farwell, who is practically king in the
North, as Cullom is in the South, Is
conformity with the latter determined
to provide fat places for the members
of the old and powerful senatorial
ring, that practically controlled ILL
nois politics, and the politics of Cook
county, for many years. The ring is
composed Of Senator Farwell, Billy
Mason, Jack Tanner, Bill Campbell,
George Hunt, Hank Evans, LeandeI
Condee, Geo. White, Shelby Cullom,
Dan Hogan and Joe Fifer. The his
tory of Illinois politics for ten years
has been the history Of these men.
All the candidates for the Chicago
offices on the senatorial slate" are
members of this ring. The weak sis
ter in the batch is said to be Chris.