Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-03-25
THEY MEAN NOTHING.
ENDORSEMENTS ARE NOT CONSIDERED IN
MAKING APPOINTMENTS.
Do Not Take Letter" Prom the Mar Of Infusncs-
he Must Look Altar Your Interests in Person
The Bad Indian Who Would Steal if Re
Didn't Get Somsihng.

CINCINNATI, March 24-The CONNER
eiai Ga-ette this morning prints the follow
ing from Washington:
There has been great deal Of writing Of
letters and documents and recOmmenda-
tions nowadays, and g,ing about with
bresst-pOckets bulging with highly intu-
ential papers. There is somewhat Of
fraud and pretense and hypocrisy in this
writing Of recommendation. People in
official position come to know instinciively
what q letter from a prominent official or
influential man means II il means "bus-
iress" that fact will be plainly evident
upon the surface; If it doesa't, the man to
whom il is addressed will know It at once,
and what TIE applicant for Office has
worked long to procure and reioiced in the
possession of, will have no more
effect than water on a ducks back. As q
general thing letters and Endorsements
amount TO very little. They DON bring
appointments. Appointments are deierm-
ined through other means. Letters and
papers are generally an sfter-coDsideration.
They don't influence the appointment, but
they are filed as matter Of defense for the
appointing power should anything 90
wrong with the appointee. In fact they
ore a sort Of ex-post faCtO set Ct document.
They don't bring about the result, but
they remain SO excuses for the appoiutees
and defenders if the appointee dOeeu't turn
out we'll.
There a'e many curious things about
this matter of getting letters and endorse
menis. Il will be a cold day when Cor
greeamsn refuses to give letter or an in-
dOrssment to o constituent who asks fer it,
or to almost any other man, iog that mat
ter. Congreesmen have the old stereo-
tipped form Of letter. II means very much
to the applicant II means nothing. aud
often worse than nothing TO the official 90
whom il IS addressed. There is an unIgr-
star ding and a freemasonary IN this mat
ter among the CoDgresamen and the ap.
pointing officials. II a ConRreesmm or
Senator or any other man OF influence om-
pbatically desires q certain man appointed
to a certain place, he will 90 10 person Co
the appointing power whOmscevel he may
be. Cabinet minister, head Of Bureau, or
division. or what not, and verbally iniiat
upon the appointment, otherwise he VIII
give the applicant letter which tho ap-
pHclnt would be ust as well OIL without,
in fact better, for q letter in such cases
means notification that the writer has no
interest in the case beyond his hsarty
"writlea endorsement"
Let me suggest 10 VOC, gentle and per
tuTbed OF ce-seekers, that when your Sen
ator OF Congressman really wants you ap-
pointed aud il determined 10 bring that
about, be will 20 with you in person and
urge your selection. II he Doesn't, he VIII
give you q letter which will appear very
pleasant to you and full Of suppressed in
huencs that is ready TO burst forth and
overwhelm the powers that be.
But the powers that be smile when they
read it. They do not emile visibly or aud
ibly, bat they smile just the same, and
youf letter IS Just about az effective IA pro
curing an Office as a pewter dollar would
be in buying breakfast.
How many of you have in your posses
sion or have filed letters which run about
as follows:
hNns uAIs nt tHtstNAf A'HAs ~"
and So, IS en- applicant for such and such
au Off ,e. He is an earnest, hard-workirg
Republican, has done good service 10 the
pBrty, and ia an excellent citizen Of high
standing in his home community. II
chosen for The Cfice he seeks he would
make On efficient official, and do credit TO
himself and the party. His appointment
vonld b. plelsirg TO me, and ! most Clrn-
estly recommend IL.
"Yours very truly, .'
Look over your bundles OF documents,
Mr.. Onice-ses ker, and sse how ma1y let
terra you have coming pretty near being
nearly identical with the above, and under
stand that such letters mean nothing eN-
cept to satisfy and escape your imporiuni-
ties
Some Of the letters written in indofse-
meat Of applicants for Office might es well
be couched in the Language once faw usei
in tho letter given by the commardant Of
A frontier lost TO an Indian, recommend
ing him 10 the officer in conmsnd Of an
other post. 1t read thus:
Colonel -, this ia a bad Indian; if
you don't give him something he'll steal 1t.
"Yours, &C., -."
remember once the application made
by an Ohio man for appointment as State
Librarian of Ohio, under Governor Foster.
He filed so many papcrs IN the Office that
it took an hours extra time a day to
docket and arrange them, and he put in,
in all, over three thousand leilers.
lie never had the least chance for the
appointment; in fec. his appointment was
hardly considered at all. and don't think
Governor Foster ever saw ono OF the letters.
The mar who was appointed to the Office
didn't have an application on file, and the
appointment was influenced by confidcra-
tions apart from written letters or indor e.
m5nts.