The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-20
LOOKING FORWARD TO '92
Harrison is Actively Manipulating
Official Patronage to Secure
His Own denomination.
Which Explains His Shabby Treat
ment Of Senator Cullom and G
Speaker Reed.
The Result May Be the Loss of Illinois
if Harrison's Nomination is Forced
by the Machine.

Like all of his predecessors in office, Pres
ident Harrison is laying wires for second
term, says the New York Sun. Notwith-
standing his apparent unpopularlty and
the general dissatisfaction engendered by
his early appointments, he hopes to succeed
himself, and will direct all of his future
efforts to that end. 1t is given out that he
has even gone SO far as to announce to the
members of his cabinet that he will be
candidate for reelection. In all future ap-
pointments the fact has been disclosed that
he will follow closely in the footsteps OF his
immediate predecessor in the matter OF
manipulating patronage so as to secure his
denomination. The parallel does not end
here, for like Cleveland, he practically
fooled away the first year of his admins
tration. But while Cleveland has no COM
petitors. Harrison finds several already pre-
pared to enter the race, and ms prInclpal
endeayor now IS to weaken and destroy
them by the skilful use of patronage, and
by other means in his power to eliminate
them from the contest, SO as to leave MN
in possession of the field.
The state of Illinois is ready to present a
clean-cut and formidable candidate IN the
,erson of Shelby M. Cullom, who has long
oeen regarded by sagacious politicians as
peculiarly available man. The shabby
treatment of the Illinois senators in the
matter of patronage is attributed to that
fact. Senators Cullom and Farwell have
been practically ignored, and the sole OBJ
ject in view in dispensing the patronage OF
illinois seems to have been to build up q
Harrison party in that state at the expense
of the senators, and with the especial pur-
pose of destroying the influence OF Senator
tullom. The first federal appointment
which surprised the good republicans OF
that state was that Of DR.. Wilcox as
collector of internal revenue for
the Springfield district. Wilcox was
n boiler in the Chicago convention
from the instructions of the Illinois dele
cation to support Judge Gresham; he owed
allegiance to no one politically; and his APP
pointment by Harrison, in face of the fact
that both the senators and many represen-
tives had endorsed ex-Speaker Calhoun Of
the Illinois legislature, has probably made
him one of the presidents strongest
adherents. Calhoun, on the contrary,
is damning Harrison with faint praise i'll
the Decatur newspaper, of which he is the
editor. In the case of the collector of the
port at Chicago Senators Cullum and Far
we'll, and the majority of the delegation in
the house. recommended William J. Camp
bell, who is ranked among the shrewdest
ana CleAneSt pOlltlcldAS AL AliiAois' Lug
appointment hung fire for long time, and
finally John NJ. Clark, man who be-
came so indignant at the nomina-
ton of Harrison that he refused
to vote and went to Europe got the
place. 1t is understood by Illinois polltl-
clans that George N. Pullman, OF p Pah;1e
the president objected to Campbell because
he was the attorney of Armour u Co., he
had no scruples in appointing the man rec
commended by Pullman, although the latter
has even greater monopoly in the manu-
facture and leasing of his palace car than
Armour has in his beef packing establish
ment. These appointments can serve no
other purpose than to build up all admins
tration party in the state of Illinois, and to
fill the federal offices with men who can be
controlled in the interest of Harrison, when
the time comes to select delegates to the
national convention, at the expense of Gull
lon. The course of the president IN regard
to Illinois patronage has so far allenated
Senator Farwell that he does not call at
the white house, or even speak to the presl-
dent when thrown into his company.
Speaker Reed, who has lately come to be
regarded as a dangerous rival. has likewise
aroused the presidents suspicion and Jeal-
ousy. In the distribution of patronage for
the state of Maine he has Jared quite as
badly as Cullom in Illinois, and his recon-
'mendations seem to have been ignored. On
mended man for a place and Harrison
told him he would look into the mans
character, the big speaker made sharp
retort and left the white house i'll an angry
mood. As speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives, seeking to control the action of
that body in favor of policy he has out
lined. he finds himself interfered with at
almost every stage by the imam at the
other end of the avenue" Owing to this
circumstance, it has required the exercise
of all the skill, yigor and diplomacy of
which Reed is master to control his side Of
the house aud to keep the forces in line
The consequence Is that, while
in carrying out his programme, he
has not accomplished all that he desired,
owing to the sinister influences with which
he has had to contend. Instances are
given of the interference of Harrison with
Reeds plans III the house of representa-
tives, and of efforts on the part of ths
president to forestall the speaker in public
opinion, The Florida letter is cited as
case i'll point where the president sought a,
occasion to proclaim his stalwartism SO a
to offset the popular favor which Reed ha,
obtained among republicans for his parlia
mentary revolution. 1t was also given GU
with flourish of trumpets that the presi
dent had begun thorough investigation
of the subject of appropriations for publl
buildings, i'll which he had even gone SO IA
as to send for and obtain a list of the bill
introduced, without regard to the action o;
congress upon them. 1t besides was an
URGED that he proposed to exercise the
veto freely and a start was made with tht
public building at Dallas, Texas, which was
accompanied by a veto message pitched il
ahigh key of retrenchment. All this. Reeds
friends allege, is intended to throw dis
credit on the house and mainly on tht
speaker. 1t is charged in addition thai
Harrison is antagonizlug Reed, as far as ht
is able. in the matter of the final adjourn
ment of congres SIS, and that while heed il
particularly DESTROYS of having q short ses
sion. and business one, Harrison Is usin!
his influence to have 1t prolonged into Au
gust or September, with Il view OF castlni
discredit upon the speaker. who will be hel,
to strict accountability for am
delinquency on the part of the body owe
which he presides The movements 0
certain members and elements known to b
friendly to the administration, and sup
posed to be in its interest, have bee
watched, and the result discloses the fac
that men like Anderson of Kansas. for in
stance. who is Il thick and thin administers
ton man, are constantly throwing OF
structians III the way of the rapl
progress of business in the hous,
much to the annoyance of the speaker
The consideration of the Oklahoma ar
pointments has been fruitful of disclosin
fully the purpose of Alr. Harrison.
western senator, who has received taSofabl
consideration at the hands OF the repuhl
can press as a candidate for president 0
the republican ticket in 1892. sppreaehe
the president few days ago i'll relation
appointments in Oklahoma. The senate