Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-13
GOCAL Anxiety
AS TO THE PRESIDENTIAL POLICY REGARDING
THE OFFICES
a DiEsreacs Of Opinion as 10 Whether The Al'ga-
ton as to Former 0ties Holders IS
Fact or Myth.

There IS good deal OF agitation In
local political circles over the kilograms
from Washington purpOrting TO give
the views OF the President upon the
subject Of appointments to Office and
there is hourly inquiry either by can
didate or the friend Of a candidate as to
whether Mr.. Cleveland really said ap-
pointments would not be made in favor
of those who formerly held office under
him. or. il he did make the statement,
is il 10 be accepted az its face value,
or is simply 60 be general
rule to which an exception will be made
once in a while. The report Of Mr.
Springer's conversation with the PreSi-
dent, and the publication Of other tele-
grams Of a similar tenor, have thus
awakened more real interest among
gentlemen possessed OF an ambition 20
enter public life than anything trans
piring since the result Of the election
was made known, for upon the accura-
by or inaccurrcy Of the statement pur-
porting % show the bent Of Mr.
Ceveland's mind depends the fate
of a large percentage of those who
hope TO be called 10 positions or trust
or profit. Opinion hero is very much
divided upon the subject, some leading
Democrats being strongly inclined to-
wards believing the story came directly
from Mr.. Cleveland, ana that IL reflects
his views and foreshadOws his policy IN
the matter Of appointments; others
think Mr.. Cleveland may have made
the statement, or something like 1t, but
that il was not intended 20 be taken
literally, and that many eXcep-
tlOns would necessarily have TO DE
made to such rule, while
still others think il is political ghost
story invented 70 discourage and thin
out the throngs now crowding the
Washington hotels and el0Owlng each
other about the White House and IN the
Departments. and say II an applicant $
endorsements and backing are satiSfac-
tory the fact that he may have held
Office under Mr.. Cleveland's first term
will cut no figure Such are the views
held by Prof. j. NJ. Birch, for example,
who said last evening:
'Such a policy could never be carried
ont. The men who held Office under
Mr.. Cleveland during his first term were
the men VINO represented the party
management, as a rule, aud who did the
hard work OF the campaign. During
the last campaign these same men were
generally active, and where they are
pushing their claims they cannot
well be ignored, at least not In
many cases. That would be particu-
larly true in q Republican State. /
think the whole story is a sort OF con-
spiracy set up by some of the leaders
like Springer, and is intended for effect.
Even il such a rule had been deter
mined upon, there would be many ex-
ceptiOns.'
On the other hand Col. Arnett, who
was i'm Washington recently, is strongly
inclined 70 the opinion that Mr.. Cleye-
land meant what be said TO Mr.. Spring
er, aud that the object was to allow
something like rotation in office, and 70
bring other and equally deserving men
to the front, and quite q number hold
opi,lOhs OF very similar nature.
But whatever the fact may be, the
matter has aroused an immense amount
of interest among candidates and their
friends, and the Washington kilograms
are being more closely scanned than
ever before.