The Portland daily press., 1893-05-13
SINECURE SEEKERS.
One Thing to Apply Correctly and
Another to Get the Office.

Persistency Is Great virtue-Good In.
dorsements Are Indispensable-Cabin
Officers Must Be Consulted-The Presi.
dent Has a Hand In 1t.
Especial Correspondence.1
WASHINGTON, May 11.-Ofice seeking
is very arduous work. In support Of
this statement have the evidence of a
most observant and philosophic friend
who has been upon several occasions
candidate for a place in the government
service. He assures me that Office seek
ing Is also at times very exasperatine
employment. Persistency in this as in
most other pursuits is great virtue
Like virtue, it is sometimes its own re-
ward.
The process Of seeking an Office and OBJ
tanning possession of it is quite lengthy
and somewhat complicated. When a
man conceives the notion that he Is espe-
cially qualified for duty in the public
service and that he must have an Office,
the first thing to do is to secure the in
dorsement of his political friends and
neighbors. These Of course are expected
to testify to his high standing as a citi-
zen, bis faithfulness as a partisan and
the priceless value of the aid he contrib
uted to party success. In this list Of in
dorseEs he is expected to have at least
his home congressman and senators, pro-
vided they belong to his party, and also
as many prominent politicians as possible
from his state who, like himself, agree
with the new administration upon all
material points.
Armed with these documents and
formal application, he comes to the cap
ital If the position he seeks is in the
treasury department, he goes at once to
the secretarytof the treasury and files his
papers. Ii he wants consulship or a
foreign mission. he must go to the sec
rotary Of state. Il he is after postof-
fee, the postmaster general must be con-
suited. and if he aspires to a marshalship
or q position as United States district
attorney the attorney general must be
called upon sooner OF later,
In most cases the cabinet officer is ex-
pected to recon mend candidate, and it
is not often that the recommendation is
disregarded The president generally ex-
amines the applicants papers himself
and makes inquiries as to the candidates
fitness for the Office he seeks. Occasion
ally he ignores the recommendation Of
the cabinet officer, the appeals of the
congressman or senator and the indorse-
ments OF the candidates political friends
and supporters and appoints some one
who isn't seeking the Office In that case
'the Office seeks the man" However, in
the early Gays Of any administration the
Office rarely seeks the man, for the rea~
son that it is too closely pursued.
A remarkable example of labor and
persistency in Office hunting is ex-Con-
gresham Frank LAWYERS canvass for
the position of postmaster at Chicago.
Mr.. Lawler began work last fall as soon
as the election was over, and within
three months he visited every business
house of Importance in Chicago He in
terviewed all the local politicians of his
party and wrote letters to many promi-
nent Democrats of his acquaintance
dorsements. When the new administra-
ton came into power, Mr.. Lawler APP
peared in Washington with perhaps the
largest petition ever presented by cam
didate for office. There were $4,000
names attached to a paper bearing his
application, and his indorsers included
prominent men in nearly every branch
of business in Chicago and a vast ma
jority of the leading local politicians of
his party.
Mr.. Lawler presented this enormous
petition to the postmaster general and
fled copy of it with the president. One
delegation of Mr.. LAWYERS friends after
another called upon the postmaster gen.
eral and the president, political pressure
was brought to bear that seemed suffi-
Gent to secure even a first class foreign
mission, but nothing resulted. A few
days ago Mr.. Lawler went home, having
conducted an able and persistent can
vass OF nearly six months-two of them
at the capital-for an Office that is still
occupied by an appointee of the last adj
ministration.
In the case of presidential Offices the
president is the last resort. Before him
the cause must be finally pleaded. The
candidate who began by seeking the in
dorsements of his political friends must
secure the approval of the department
chief and at last obtain the appointment
from the president. Monday is the only
week day upon which the president de-
MES himself to the Office seekers. Upon
any other day he is accessible. From
$3.50 a. m. to p. m. the Office seeker may
obtain audience.
The presidents reception room is gen.
orally most crowded between the hoursof
10 and 10, that being apparently the ia
vorife time Of day for the Office seeker.
When a delegation calls to urge the
claims of their candidate, congressman
or senator generally acts as spokesman.
He introduces the candidate and then
descants upon his merits. Other mem
bers of the delegation are permitted to