New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-22
THOSE NEW-FANGLED RULES.
THEIR ELASTICITY ENRAGES THE OFFICE
SEEKERS.

URE-SENATOR VESTS EXPERIENCE DIS
GUSTS HIM-A PRONUNCIAMENTo
ON "NEPoTIsM"
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1
Washington, March 2l.-It must be clearly -
parent By this time to the most careless end
superficial observer Of political events In Washington
that most Of the Democratic ofice-seekers have Be.
come thoroughly dcmoralized and that the ONCE
seeking industry is in exceedingly bad way. OF
the hundreds OF patriots who arrived here Few
weeks agl full Of hope and confident Of speedy reward
many have departed filled with anger and lnden with
disappointment while most Of those who remain are
rapidly losing hope as we'll as faith. All OF then
know that no ofhcc-seeker stands any show OF suc-
unless he has pull" but they are daily be.
coming uncertain to the sort Of "pun'
which man must have in order 10 win. One q
them to-day remarked:
There are so many new-fangled rules and -.
tons that no man knows what to expect; Philar
dclphia lawyer could not expound them. The rule
against ex-oficeholders, with its notifications ana
limitations. appears to have been designed, so to
speak, to hit the door and miss the calf-O excuee
only the men who'll the President does not think
it worth while to recognize and reward for their
loyal devotion to him when he stood In need OF
friends. The rule that candidates for local onices,
such as postmasers collectors, marslnls, etc., shau
not be appointed on the recommendations Of Senators
backing ALSO appears to be equally elastic In i0
application. 1t 10 depend chiefly upon whas
senator or Congressman makes the RECOMMENDATION
Take the two Indiana nominations of yesterday fos
example. They were recommended by one SENATOR
Chairman Voorhees,. OF the Finance Committee-ane
one Representative, and the appointments were IN
satisfactory to the other senator and half dozen
Representatives, including Mr.. Cleveland's stanch
friend and partisan, Representative Bynum Botn
of the nominees opposed TO the nomination o.
Mr. Cleveland by the Chicago convention, whilo their
competitors both favored IT, Again, Senator VoFnees
was fully advised Of the coming nomination OF nS
brotherynlaw AS Minister 10 Denmarlc-was not
only advised Of It, but had strongly urged t-but tns
drst intImation Of 1t that the NewYork Senators IN
whose State the nominee lves) received was afte
the nomination reached the Senate"
"You think then that the President ought to heed
the desires and respect the preferences OF senators
and Representatives in making his selections" sue
gested The Tribune correspondent. -.
IL think that he ought to be impartial and treos
all Democratic Senators and Representatives anKe'
and do not think that he ought to prefer tne men
who opposed him and discriminate against the mea
who supported him and made his nomination ana oieV
ton possible was the emphatic reply.
There is no reason to doubt that the sentiments ex
pressed by this office who Is Democrat OF
prominence and Influence in his own State. are snreo
not only BY large proportion Of the oMceseekers N
Washington, but by very large majority OF the Demo
cratic Senators and Representatives as well. Tne
latter, as a rule, have cast aside all disguise ane
ceased to masquerade victims OF the lmportun'ues
OF Office seekers and they are as jealous ana dsuse
fll OF one another the officeseckers themselves
are. The patronage boards have proved o.snaA
failure and several Of them have already dssolvcu'
The "kickr with which Senator Vest secedeo Hom
the Missouri board, is the talk OF the town. He ap'
peors to hive thought that the proceedings OF ths
bosrdp would be kept secret as those Of fsxm'
ers' Alliance lodge, even as those OF an execouvs
session OF the United States Senate; Tor the ieN0
which he sent to each Of the Missouri Democfauo
representatives sunday night bore rcproach. he
,ays that Notwithstanding the fact that was asreeo
that the proceedings should be In mutual commence
rcports OF its proceedings were Immediately rnsheo
the newspapers garbled and coiored as 70 maho
the impression that the Senators arroeated inc HSns
TO dispose OF all the Missouri patronage except as "
local Offices Mr.. Vest desires his Missouri fnenas
IN understand that he has endeavOred to discharge
IN regard TO patronage only. the duties wnch nus
nosltion absolutely enjoins'one Of which would ap
near 10 be to serve as a member OF patronage
board whose proceedings were 10 DC kept secres
Mr. Vest washes his hands Of all future responsibility
for the doings OF the Missouri patronage board ID
this vigorous language
~As do not propose to attend any other confer
ence under any circumstances, deem 1t just that al
concerned should know that dsclaim any response
huitv for ANYTHING connected with appointments In
Missouri except what results from ny own action'
and that will undertake to represent any OF my
colleagues or the delegation collectively Inc pro-
cee<ngs o. the conference have been gwen 10 the
rublc with such colorng and with motives so oo'1'
ously sinister that am compeheu 70 "o' io' "'''e~
anil not for others
II Is not likely that much more will be neau OF
tho State "boarls, TO divide the spois, for II
already noticeable that the Democratic senators ana
Representatives from varous states nave ceased 10
call in a body at the White House or upon the omcers
OF the Cabinet.
d.v declared that he would not even consider the
cppcation OF one OF his relatives for an ofce. how
ever competent he might be- Is understood TO ot re
Curd by certain Democratic Senators as an indirect
reflection upon themselves. and the stand taken by
Mr. Cleveland is by no means favombly regarded by
certain Office seekers who have built strong hopes on
ties Of relationship between themselves and men who
have been or expect to appointed to Office. whose
influence In regard to appointments Is supposed to %
potential It is hardly probable, however, that tho
Presidents example in refusing to appoint his own
relatives TO Office will he followed very closely OF
cenor,y nv other members Of his party who have
nIoccs within their gift "Nepotism' has never been
regarded as a serious offence BY Democrats-exceps
when a Republican has happened to appoint rela-
tive OF his own TO an Office
"Ex.Premiern Springer, that most active ana
assluous of statesmen to-day succeeded In procuring
another modification OF the rule which affects
ofjcc-llolders. 1t in effect that Democrat nom
mated for an office by Mr.. Cleveland during his nrst
Administration but not confirmed by the senate, bat
who was subsequently superseded by a Republican, y
The ease brought to the attention d the President To-
Sy sa of oSss S 81 Is %s .S e. Il
tain other applicants. that the same principle Will
apply in their cases. may be remembered that
Mr. (ioode was appointed Soliciior-(ienera In l6a5
aud that the senate refused TO confirm him He =
now earnestly demanding "vindicatiOn,' but II 4
understood that no appointment OF solicitor General
will be until after the end Of the present term
of the Supreme Court. In May.
The appointment Of Mr. Baldwin as hrS auditor
has given great encouragement TO number Of other
Office seekers who held places under Mr.. Cleveands
first Administration and are now striving for Other
Offices Mr. Baldwin was appointed deputy first Xlde
receive Is simply a promotion Among the applicants