Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-17
PATRONAGE on rnE srNArr.
Good Things That Go to xearou,
Partlsons.

Washington, Nov. is.-To "erzan,so
the senate" is more than an honor.
II means the distribution OF /. large
amount Of patronage and the welding
OF groat deal OF powor, Therefore
II is matter OF great Importance
politically. and 1t ia no marvel that
the power to affect an organization
should be sought by both OF the parties
with great eagerness, or course. the
main object of the majority In either
house OF congress Is to secure enough
votes TO insure the passage OF bills
proposed by the party. 10 that end
legislatures are carried and senator's
are elected to congress. But an In
eldent 20 this IL the matter OF the
ability 10 elect the various officers Of
the senate, to choose the members Of
the great machine that works almost
unseea, but which costs great sum
or money annually. The annual sal
aries OF the senators aggregate $4,000,
While the majority In control OF the
senate may distribute patronage worth
Nvosls each year. This SUM. IL al
Nided among 300 people OF all grades
oil work aud remuneration, making an
average Of siisi.
The patronage ranges all the way
from the secretary OF the senate, who
gets more than n senator, s59sG, down
10 laborers at $50 a month. 1t includes
clerks TO committees. pagcB. messen-
gers. watchmen, clerks, mail carriers,
folders, firemen and engineers. and all
branches OF service, II Is generally
distributed aa followa, calculating ON
the basis Of the last conErcsAi
In the secretniy'a office, s50.ii2; as
clerks to commltt0ea, controlled by the
memhers OF the majority. siiLss0i In
the office OF the scrReant-at.arms. S7s.-
0Gt; In the post office, SiS.tSS, In the
document and folding rooms. sS0,i5i;
In the stationery room, sis,2yi; at Che
. Mnltby building and on miscellaneous
rolls se5.S7O,
Tlts choicest places are these: Sec.
rotary at s5saG; chief clerk at $4,000, n
nancial clerk at $1,000, sergennt-at-arma
at $500, clerk TO tho committee On
appropriations. $1,000, minute clerk, va
b92; enrolling clerk, S25ae; reading clerk
$500: aupcrlntendcnt az the document
room, $1,000; assistant doorlSeeper OF
the senate. 5000.
Aa nearly as possible the patronage
10 divided up among the sonotors ne.
cordlnE 10 fiXed rule. and a careful
meuts and removals The smaller the
salary the more unstable the place,
The ipnge of salaries II high Even
In the more menial poaltlons II this
shown. The acnHtora ure generous In
their distribution OF the funds, ana
spare no opportunity 20 Increase the
budget OF domestic -xpensoa. There u
almost always n conflict between the
two houses over eorno items IN these
appropriations, with success resting
now on the one side and now on the
other.
In tho ease OF thc more important
places, secretary, sergcilnt-atarma
aud chaplnin-who cots 5000 a ycnr-a
caucus o. the majority party ~ called
and nominations are made that urc
aficrward submitted 20 the senate.
Minority nominations are also made,
usually OF the incumhcnta, IN case Of
change In administration and tho votes
OF the senate are taken upon these
names In peculiar way. The form
W for the majority to submit reaolu-
tion declaring a certain person To be
fccrctary, and then the minority moves
30 substitute another name. Thus the
question cpmcA MP on only ono name
itt q time, and 80 ON until a proposition
IL affirmed. The famua RiddleberHrr-
Mahono fight OF the Forty eighth con-
grcss was over the organization Of
wv N'lihA'f AHtHf wv NIklllltllN ufiu
the balance OF power. and after three
wcelm Of struggling aud iong sessions.
marked by the most determined hlihus-
tering by the Democrats und the most
adroit mancuyoring ana wire pulling
on all sides. the Vlrginlan senators
gave their voteu to the Republicans
and the orgaulzatl ton was effOcied by
the adoption OF the Republican rcsolu-
lions.
Such n struggle may occur next ycnr.
With the Popiliists holding the balance
OF votea II ~ entirely possible that
there may be long and determined
deadlock. The Democrats are now seek
Ing comfort from certain utteranccs Of
senator Stewart. who says that the
Popullsts VIII hold together an u party
md viii not vote with the Republicans.
Then again, Marion Butler. the leader
or the North Carolina fiisioninta, IL |
quoted as saying that he looked more |
hopefully 20 the Democratic party than |
10 tho Republicans for that peculiar |
legislation that has mnde the Third |
Party OF latter days famous
But the Republicans need so small n
70 Insure AN absolute majority |
that the consensus OF opinion today IL
that the organization OF the senate for
the Flfty-rourth congress VIII be secur-
cd by them. The coming session, the
last OF the Flfty-thlrd. VIII perhnps
throw some light upon this matter, as
IL IL not beyond the range OF the
robablc that certain OF the now doubt
fil senators may take ocrnslon TO 1
throw on all allegiance TO the phird
Party ana ally themselves with one
1r the other OF the leading organiza-
lions.