New-York tribune., 1900-01-03
THE SENATE PATRONAGE.
DEMOCRATS IN ABSOLUTE CONTROL OF
THE MACHINERY.
THEY LOST NO CHANCE OF GRABBING AN
OFFICE. ALTHOUGH THEY NOW PUT
FORWARD CLAIMS OF NoN-PAR-
TIsANsHIP-THE FORCE TO
BE REORGANIZED

TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsEl
Washington Jan. 2.-The assertion has Deen
made that the patronage OF the Senate unoei
Democratic control has been divided up in a
non partisan manner. and that the official force
of that body is being administered, as 1t were.
upon a Civil Service basis, into which politics
does not in any manner enter. The Democratic
managers have attempted to persuade the Re-
publican leaders that they (the Republicans
have the majority, both in number of appoint
ments and in salaries of the patronage Of the
Senate. AS a matter of fact the Democrats
have retained absolute control OF the machinery
Of the Senate. Every officer on the floor OF the
Senate, with one exception, is a Democrat Be
ginning with the secretary's desk, the secretary
himself is a North Carolina free silver, free
trade Democrat; the chief clerk is Democrat
from New-York; the legislative clerk is Demo-
crat from Oregon, of the free silver persuasion
and is the brother-in-law Of Senator Clark or
Montana The journal clerk is Democrat; the
reading clerk is a Democrat from Wisconsin;
the places in the office of the secretary, which
are of Importance in the control of legislation
are filled by Democrats. The clerk who has
charge of all bills is Democrat and a constitu-
ent of Jones, of Arkansas. a keen and shrewd
politician. The clerk in charge of reports Of
committees petitions. etc, is Democrat from
Georgia. The two executive clerks who have
charge of all nominations and treaties are
Democrats, from Missouri and the other
from Tennessee while the financial clerk, whose
duty 1t is to pass on and pay all vouchers, is
an appointee of the free silver Senators from
Nevada, Jones and Stewart.
PLACES OF POLITICAL ADVANTAGE.
On the floor Of the Senate itself, the sergeant
alarms is a free silver. free trade Democrat
from Indiana, the assistant sergeant alarms
is a Democrat from Ohio, and was member Of
the Ohio Democratic State Committee. The
only Republican official on the floor of the Sen
ate is the assistant doorkeeper. The places in
the office of the sergeant-at-arms are Of great
advantage from a party point OF view Even
where the patronage of the office has been di-
vided equally between the two parties, so long
as the sergeant-at-arms has under his control
the entire machinery the advantage is apparent.
This is the present situation. The assistant SER
geant- at-arms Democrat, has charge Of the
summoning of all witnesses and the charge Of
all investigating committees. The superintend-
ent Of the folding room is a Populist from Ne
braska, appointee Of Senator Allen. The
folding room has the distribution of all docu-
ments printed by Congress. and its chief can
accelerate the delivery of one Senator's speeches
and retard those OF another, if political ad-
vantage is to be obtained. The folding room
mas also charge or the foldlng OF an speeches'
and in the Presidential campaign this is or some
Importance because it often happens that the
speeches of one party get folded, ready for cir
culation while those of the opposition do not,
because the fund for folding is exhausted.
Then the postoff1ce of the Senate can be used
as political factor. The assistant postmaster,
who is in actual control OF the office, is a free
silver Democrat from Mississippi. The post
office also undertakes the delivery of all mes
sages to the departments, so that close watch
can be kept OF what is going on between the
Senators and the heads of departments. The
police force is likewise under the actual control
of the sergeant at arms. and the chief Of police
of tho Canitol is frse silver Democrat from
West Virginia, while the detective force, which
is employed exclusively to watch the actions OF
people who have business with Senators and
Representatives, to see that they are not i'm
posed upon," consists of two free silver Demo-
Gratis, one from Ohio and one from Delaware.
The doorkeeper's force is in charge of free sill
yer Democrat from Mississippi
The foregoing is sufficient to show that the
Democrats of the Senate have missed no
chances in appropriating offices. and while they
may attempt to persuade Republicans that the
loaves and fishes of public office are theirs they
are not likely to succeed The Senate force Will
presently be reorganized on lines designed to IN
crease the efficiency of the service rather than
with view of securing political advantage.