The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-03
HOW OFFICERS ARE APPOINTED.
Timely Description of an Interesting Pro-
cPss-The Stages Through Which
| applications Travel and How
They are Acted

Washington Letter to Baltimore
American
The president has not yet attacked
that vast number Of collectors, both of
customs and internal revenues, survey
ors of ports, ETC., because Mr.. Carlisle
prefers that, So far as possible, they
ohall make out the reports of the pres
ent quarter of the fiscal year. This
quarter ends on April 30th, so that it
will be probably the middle Of May be-
fore the great work of removal begins.
The method is interesting.
If the position is ali important one,
there is much red tape in the making
of al appointment, for it must pass
through the hands of the cabinet Off
Ger under whom the appointee is to
labor, the president, often the eutire
cabinet, then the senate, again the pri-
mary cabinet officer, and again and
finally the president. 1t doesn't make
any difference what the position is that
is sought, the papers are always re-
ferred to the cabinet officer who has
direct supervision over the office, even
though the papers. are first presented to
the president.
When the cabinet officer or president
concludes that it is time to make the
appointment, or some politician So im-
presses either of them by his persistent
efforts, the papers are all called for and
laid upon the cabinet officers desk.
They are packed together, each appli-
cant's papers under separate jacket.
The cabinet Officer generally knows
before he sees the papers which one of
the applicants he wants-some one he
knows and feels an interest in, or the
friend of his friend, whom he desires to
accommodate. Occasionally, where
there are many applications, or there
are some who stand upon the same
ground of merit, the cabinet officer
dictates a brief Of the character and
life of the applicants and their en-
dorsers, and these he sends or takes to
the president with his own recommen-
dation as to which one should be ap-
pointed. The president doesn't always
follow the recommendations of his
secretary. He frequently wants to
appoint another man than the one
recommended, and he selects his own
man without respect to the recommen-
dations of his ca binet officer.
Ifthere is doubt in the mind of the
president as to what he should do, or
the position is one of great political or
other importance, like the selections of
one of the five first class ministers, he
lays the question, with the papers, be-
fore the cabinet at its meeting, and
the appointment and applicants are
discussed in all their bearings. This
course is frequently pursued.
When the president reaches con-
clusion as to an appointment, he di-
reefs his executive clerk or secretary
to make cut the appointment of GER
tain man. There are blanks for this
purpose, in which the name of the per-
son, the office, ETC., are filled in and
this is signed, so that it announces to
the senate that the president nomi-
mates John Smith, of Indiana, to be
consul to Halifax. The nomination Is
sent at once to the senate, which goes
into executive session to receive it and
refer it to the proper committee for
consideration. The committee on COM
merce considers all nominations of con-
sular officers, because they are CONNER
cial Representatives; the committee on
foreign relations, diplomatic nomina-
tions; the finance committee, all COL
lectors of customs, internal revenue,
ato