New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-19
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
MR.. CLEVELAND'S SYMPATHY.
HOW HE RELIEVES CONGRESsMEN OF
THEIR AWFUL BURDEN
HE CALLS IN OUTSIDE DEMOCRATS TO SETTLE
THE DISTRIBUTION OF OFFICEs-wORKINGs
FTHE MISSOURI PATRONAGE BOARD
TWO UNGRATEFUI DEMOCRATS.

The Distribution OF OFFlCES-WOhhlNvS
OF THE MISSOURI PATRONAGE BOARD
Two UNGRATEFUL DEMOCRATS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TkBCNEr
Washington, March s.-Dcmocrats-cspecialy
Democratic Senators and COngressmen-whO have
somehow obtained an impression that Mr.. Cleve-
land is not as consderate or sympathetic Presf-
dent as he might be may soon be ready to confess
that this is mistaken idea. Everybody In
Washington who is not deaf and blind, and who
has kept his eyes and ears open, knows how
Democratic Senators and Representatives have boon
harassed and kept on the verge of distraction ~
seekers ever since last December, how their
nightly repose has been broken by the constant
ringing Of their doOr-bells BY persistent spoils
hunters: how they have been ingulfed with an
ever-rising food of letters and petitions, and
their time and strength wasted by demands wholly
foreign TO their legitimate duties and respOnd.
bilites as legislators.
MISERY loves company" and it WIS natural for
the Democratic Senators and Representatives OF
State to meet together not only to promote
harmony in the distribution Of the spOlIs, but to
sympathize and condoe with another in their
deep troubles. Some cynical and unfceling obs
servers have described these State organizations
for mutual defence against office seekers as pat.
ronage boards CLOSE corporations formed or
tho purpose Of dividing the spOils Of office among
their respective members. or course this descrip-
ton was az untrue as the purpose ascribed waS
wide of the real one.
It is no wonder that President Cleveand's SYM
pathes have been quickened and aroused in be-
half Of these unselish and patriotic but deeply
distressed statesmen No doubt he said to himself:
Here are only about 26O Democratic Senators
and Congressman TO deal with many thousand
hungry patriots who are scrambng for quarter
as many offices, and who constantly receiving
heavy reinforcements. Unless something shan be
DONE and done quickly, to relieve these distressed
Senator's and Representatives,, they will sink be-
meath their burdens. The thing to BE- done is to
call to their aid eminent and trustworthy Democrats
in every State: men who are free from the cares
and responsibilities of legislation or of Office
At any rate if thd President did not actually
say that in substance TO himself it is understood
that he has decided to relieve Democratic Sena-
tors and Representatives, of large portion OF the
burdens which they have loudly complained
of as being both onerOus and exasperating
Hereafter therefore, if the report which will be at
once SO comforting and cheering TO them shall
prove TO be true Senators and Representatives may
abate if not abandon their efforts in behaM OF
ofice-seekers and If the latter shall fail to oh.
tain the places they covet they cannot hold the
former solely responsible for the failure. or
course ofIce-seekers will understand that the new
policy is primarily based upon humane considera-
tions: and of course the Senator'S and Repre-
snntatives who have been driven nigh to distrac-
ton will hail it with JOY
Probably there are no statesmen in Washing
ton 10 whom tho new departure will cause
greater relief than to the Senators and Repre-
sentativts from Texas and Missouri. The failure
o< ia a safsfv pthcr fha office lockers
or thcmseves-even after they had organized
board of patronagc"-has already been men
toned in these dispatches. No sooner had the
door been locked and the board called to order
iilan harmony vanished through the window: and
tine first meeting of the board, which was lively
while it lasted, is likely to be the last one. The
first meeting of the Missouri board of patronage
led 10 similar results, and, according to reports
which appear to he trustworthy, some of the
proceedings were comic well as lively. This
meeting was attended by Senators COckrell and
Vest and eight of the Missouri Representatives.
Senators CockreH appointed himself chairman
and secretary, sharpcncd his pencil, raped the
meeting to order. and, addressing the members
of the lower house, said:
well, boys, we have difficult and disagrcea-
blc task TO perform; the pressure for ohce Is
terrible. and Senator Vest and I both realize
tndt III unlOT OHy II sdl'tS' We HdNt, shVic|
fore, united and now, boys We would like 10
have you tell us what you want. If we can all
agree. Senator Vest and will see that the offices
are properly distributed if cannot agree, lie
and will sec to it all the same
When Senator Cockrcll sat down there wac
painful pause; the Representatives looked at one
another and every face was clouded with anxiety
and other emotions. One nudged another, and
appealing glances were cast upon Dockery, but
that cautious and crafty statesman was num- IL
is whispered that Dockery has "a pull Of his
own. Senator Cockrell fingered his pencil impa-
ticntly and waited. Bland sat still and said
nothng--a remarkable example of scli-restrant.
Cobb was silent, and so were Arnold and De
Armond At last Burnes took the floor and in
formed "Mr. Senators" that he demanded tho
appointment of his candidate for Surveyor of the
Port Of ST. Joseph-a demand which they courte.
ously granted; but when Cobb made the same
demand in behalf Of his candidate for the Sur.
veyorship Of the Pert Of st. Louis. Mr. Sena-
tors both demurred: they had promised the
Office TO another hungry and thirsty Democrat
who halls from one Of the bachwOOds counties.
Cobb then demanded the Appraisership, and the
appointment was promised to his man Mr..
Cobb then asked " Mr.. Senators" if his candidate
for collector Of internal revenue would be ap.
pointed, and they declined to answer" Mr..
Morgan then insisted that Dick Speed must be
made Minister TO Ecuador. Senator Cockrcll ro-
piled that that ont Of tn, question; that
" Dick was shooting too high, and shooting too
high had spoiled Missours prospects eight years
a9o That disposed of Dick Speed De
Almond then offered two candidates for a United
States marshalshp in the same judicial dis
trict but Colonel Brrathitts lame WAS not pre-
scntcd, because Mr.. Heard, the Representative
of the district in which he lives, not present
at the meeting
Then Cobl suggested Colonel Cloptau for
United States Attorney for the Eastern District,
one Of tho statesmen present remarked
that General James VI. Lewis had asserted while
here few days ago that he did not care =
snap for the indorsrmert Of Senator's and Rep