St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-12
And His Example Had No
Effect on the Office
holding Brigade.
Col. Kiener Thinks He Has a
Very Large Contract on
His Hands.
Col. Charles w. Johnson Will
Seek to Gust Your
Uncle Loren.
Snecial to ~ Globe


and none resign" :" This terse and force
full condensation Of an expression made
by Thomas Jefferson ninety-two years
ago as truly today as then states the
situation regarding the employees OF the
government in all its branches. No
office-holder is ever ready to believe that
the government will be able to run
without him, and, after spending years
in office, he is wont to file the strange.
If not shameful, plea that he cannot
make living if turned out of office.
Under the civil service laws nearly
everything in the shape of clerical
position is taken out of politics, and the
occupants of these berths are secure
through any and all changes OF adj
ministratiOn. Whether it is good
thing to create an ofice-holdlng class
or not, the laws are on the statute
books, and those who know Grover
Cleveland will have no difficulty in max
ing up their minds that these, with all
other laws, will be enforced.
In the positions not under the civil
service laws it is certain good men VINO
have the further qualification OF being
good Democrats will in the near future
be placed, and when the vacancies are
made for these men the vacancies Will
be created by removals and not by vol
untary designations. The most offensive
partisan will not hesitate to hold OH just
as long as the administration will allow
him, and he will
TOadY and Squirm
and endeavor to bring influence to bear
in behalf of his retention. There are
several thousand such men here I'D
Washington now, and thousands more
all through the country. When men of
this character are on every corner it is
refreshing to read of man like BILLY"
Sterling, of South Dakota, who resigned
his office as United States district attor-
ney as soon as President Cleveland took
hold of the government. he was a good
officer but felt that the office he held
ought to be filed by man in sympathy
with the government, and he promptly
resigned.
But the example set by William B.
Sterling has not been followed to any
extent except in New York. where all
the national bank examiners promptly
resigned last Saturday. Up'to.the pres
ent time, however, no federal officials
in Minnesota have felt it incumbent
upon them to offer their designations,
although there are number whose
partisanship has usually been of the
stamp that would fully warrant such
action. But man in Office is just as
anxious to hold on as he was to get in,
and party ties will hang very loosely
upon many erstwhile stalwart Re-
pubicans in Minnesota. as well s.as else
| where, as long as the new adminlStra-
| ton permits them to hold on to their
offices.
Too Strong for the Colonel.
Col. A. K. Kiefer, who will represent
| the Fourth district in the next congress,
remained in Washington but few days,
| The colonel met many OF his future
| colleagues, and won reputation of be-
ing good fellow during his short stay.
| He was here long enough to realize the
| tremendous task before him at the next
session if he is even to hope to secure
the passage of the st. Paul public build
! ing bill. He will DE member of weak
minority in the house, and at time
when there will be a strong effort made
| to keep down the appropriations.
| Things have reached that stage in the
| pension office when more money is
needed to keep it running than was
| formerly thought necessary for the
/ whole government. The congress which
has Just adjourned appropriated
the immense sum of $166, 100000 for the
! year ensuing, but Secretary Foster a
J few days ago admitted that there will
be deficit of about S20.000,0 900, necessi-
tating an appropriation of over $780,
| 100000 at the next session. When such
an immense sum is demanded for pen
sions alone the congressman who have
| public building -biliSOn their hands are
inclined to shudder.
Senator Davis during the last cam
paign gave out the impression that the
st. Paul public building bill failed
through the fault Of Congressman
Castle, when he knew that there was no
man In the house able to get anything
of the kind through. The senior sena-
tor will be in the minority in the senate
for the next tour years, probably
through his entire term, and will now
be able to sympathiZe with Col. Kiefer.
In this connection the people of Mime
sofa will be interested In learning that
the change in the senate will bring
back to them a number of gentlemen
who have been in Washington for
years.
Davis VIII Lose His Clerks.
Senator Davis will lose his position as
chairman of the committee on pensions
as we'll as clerks, messengers and pa
tronage of considerable proportions.
The chairman of a senate committee
uses his committee room as private
office, and the clerks are more his serv-
ants than they are the servants of the
government. Col. w. II. II johnson
has been the clerk of the pensions CON-
mittee with Earle S. Goodrich and w.
&. Hubbell as assistants. Upon the re-
organization of the senate Senator Davis
will be obliged to get along with one
servant, which will probably be Col.
Johnson.
Will Tackle Uncle Loren
Another Minnesotan who will be able
to return to the state and buckle down
to earning a living in some Legitimate
business occupation is Col. Charles w.
Johnson, of Minneapolis. He has tried
hard to hold on, and in the wild scram.
BILE has lost a great deal Of his former
prosperity and arrogance. The fact
that he will be sent home early goes faI
toward mitigating the sorrow of many
Of the other senate employees. Rumol
has it that Col. Charlie will be candi
date for congress in the Hennepin
county district next year against
''your uncle" Loren Fletcher, and this
may account for the REPORT that Mr.
Fletcher will not seek a reelection
which is in circulation among the Min
nesota colony. The reasons given fol-
this remarkable statement concerning
the new member from the Fifth district
! are that lie desired TO be elected to con