The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-13
A POLITICAL COMEDY.
The Nomination Of samuel June Bar
rows to BE Libra rian.

W. z. Curtis. in Chicago Record.
In order to let Samuel June Barrows down
easily Secretary Long arranged little COM
edy by which the President should offer
and he should decline the position OF libra
rian OF Congress. Mr.. Barrows can now go
laundering down the corridors OF time with
q clean record. The fate of Mr.. Barrows Is
q warning to ingenious reformers and mug
wumps who fall from grace and adopt the
methods of machine politicians in seeking
office. Mr. Barrows is Unitarian clergy
man and a mugwump. He has sometimes
acted with the Democratic party and some
forr presidential elections he has voted
three times for Grover Cleveland and once
for William Mckinley. He has been a can
didate for office on the tickets of both par
ties. He has always been believer in the
doctrine of selection in politics, and that the
office should seek the man instead of the
man seeking the ofnce. lie mas served IN
Congress one term and has made a speciality
of arbitration and prison reform He was
defeated for reelection last November and
has since been looking about for job.
The death of John Russell Young made
vacancy which was very attractive TO man
of Mr.. Barrows's literary habits and tastes.
So without waiting for the ctfice TO seek
him, he went after 1t with more zeal and
energy than is customary even among ma
chine politicians he went around WI. VIII a, a
whom he knew to sign IL. He took up
place in the cloakroom of the Senate with
fountain pen and a sheet OF paper and i'm
portuned the senators TO recommend him.
He did the same in the House of Repre-
sentatives. He had circular printed in
imitation of a typewriter letter and sent II
to everybody he knew, asking letters of
recommendation to the President. He wrote
biographical sketches OF himself and full
them published in newspapers and sent
marked copies to the White House.
The Librarian Association of the United
States opposed Mr.. BarrowS because of his
inexperience and recommended Herbert
Putnam. of the Boston Public Library, as
trained man AS soon 500 as sf- Mr; Barro n1s
to stand in the way of fellow townsman
who had been recommended by the senator's
and representatives. the members OF the
Cabinet. the Governor and citizens and Off
Gals at large from his State, and suggested
Ii would be a dishonorable act for him to
become candidate after Mr.. Barrows had
taken so much pains to get the office. So
Mr.. Putnam sent his friend Nicholas Muir
ray Butter TO Washington to say TO the
but could not accept the appointment be-
cause his friend BarrowS was candidate
A few days later Mr.. Putnam learned the
Massachusetts delegation old not care rap
whether Mr. Barrows was appointed or not
as long as the office went to somebody In
their State. He discovered that in their Sc
cret hearts they preferred Putnam. Sec
rotary Long. however. stuck TO Barrows be-
cause they belong to the same church.
AT this point Mr.. Putnam sent Mr. Butter
on second journey 10 Washington bearing
a curious piece of manuscript, which he
was instructed To lay before the President.
II was written In the thlrd person ana SET
Mr. Putnam, under the circumstances, could
honoraby accept the appointment OF Ii
brarian for which his friend Barrows was
a candidate, Mr.. Putnam would withdraw
his declination and be greatly obliged. This
made the President indignant. He told Mr..
Butler that he was not the keeper OF Mr..
Putnam's conscience, and would not like
the responsibility of deciding moral ques-
tons for him. whereupon Mr.. Butler retired
and Mr. Barrows's nomination was sent
to the Senate.
BY this time Mr.. Barrows had become very
we'll known by reason of his activity Ia
search or the Office. and he capped the cli-
max by writing letter to the New York
Independent concerning himself his ambi-
lions and his intentions, personal and off,
cial which might have been excused In a
college freshman and with extenuatIne
circumstances IN q sophomore, but Speaker