Evening star., 1897-03-17
QUESTION OF PATRONAGE
State Delegations Are Split Up Into Fac
tions Over It.
Claims of Senator's and Representa-.
tiycs-Newly Elected Members
Want Il Show.

Since the arrival of the new members of
| Congress in Washington serious rows have
| broken out in various state delegations over
| the distribution of the federal patronage.
| In several cases the delegations have been
| split into three factions, first a contest be
| tween the senators and the members of the
| lower house and then subfac tional fight
| between the Eew and the old members of
! the lower body. AS heretofore stated IL
| The Star, President Mckinley has insisted
that in making applications FOR appoint
| ment the state delegations shall first agree
| amorg themselves upon candidates before
| presenting their claims to him He de-
! sires to avoid all appearance of deciding
| between factions in the state in the matter
| Of appointment. this course being in the iu-
| terest of general harmony in the party.
Where the Difficulty Lies.
| 1t is claimed upon some sides that the
| senators insist upon having the lions share
| o. the patronage, however, and that this is
what has brought about the trouble HOW
! existing in some of the Gelegat tlonS. X is
! claimed that the senators want to name
all of the big offices in the state and in the
| departmental service accredited to their
state, leaving only the fourth-class post
r.asters and the postmasters of the larger
towns and cities to the representatives in
the House. In some cases this policy has
been pursued in the past in the distribution
OF patronage and without serious friction
but there seems to be disposition at pres
ent on the part of some OF the delegations
to overturn this method of procedure.
There is also, as stated above, trouble
between the old and new members of the
state delegations in the House. 1t is said
that some of the newly elected representa-
tives insist upon having more recognition
In the matter of appOintmentS than ha
heretofore been accorded to the new man.
The Old members are inclined to take the
ground that prior and longer service entitle
them to larger proportion of recognition
tran the newly elected man might with
propriety claim. The trouble is, however.
that the new fellows made promises in the
campaign, political contracts it might he
said, and are now being called upon TO de-
liver the gcCds. They, therefore are
making strenuous efforts to get as much
as they can out of the deals for their own
entS.
The President refuses to consider appli-
cations until the delegations can gel to-
gether and decide upon a harmonious plan
OF action. 1t is said that this is one ex-
pianation of the somewhat unusual deIav
In making appointments.
Some State Delegations,
The Michigan delegation is one that is
having a great deal of trouble at this time.
1t Is cracked in several places. The two
senators are maintaining the position thai
they should have the controlling voice in
the larger federal appointments in the
state, yielding to the representatives as
In the past, control of the postmastership
There Is also some trouble between the old
and new me mhers of the delegation in the
House and two caucuses nave already been
held in an attempt TO reconcile the diff.
ferences.
The Illinois delegation are also in peck
CT trouble. The embarrassment grows out
of the conflict between the senators and
the representatives in the matter of sew
eral federal appointments of prominence
in Illinois, and it is said that there is con-
siderable friction.
The southern republicans, it is said, are
very widely divided. The President has
felt himself called upon, it is claimed, to
utter some pretty strong language about
the southern appointments and to insist
that the factions reconcile their differences
before bothering him with any more appli-
cations.
Some of the western state delegation
are struggling along in an endeavor to get
together. but there are many matters still
undecided.