The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-02
SENATEPATRONAGE
Democrats IN Absolute Control Of the
1Eachiuery.
REPUBLIeANS ARE NOI IN n
with the Democrats IN the Distribu-
tion q Senatorial Loaves and
Fishes-Ths Senate Force VIII Be
Roorganissd, and Republicans WIN
Cot Recognition.


Get Recognition.
WASHINGTON. ian. 1.-The asseF-
tlon has been made that the patron
age Of the senate under Democratic
controI has been divided up in a nom
partisan manner, and that the cftictal
force Of that body Is being administer
ed. as It were, upon q civil service
basis, into which politics does not IN
any manner enter. The Democratic
managers have attempted TO persuade
the Republican leaders that they Che
Republican, have the majority, both
In number Of appointments and in SAL
aries, Of the patronage Of the senate.
AZ q matter Of fact the Democrats
have retained absolute control Of the
machinery Of the senate. Every ,ofi-
Ger on the door Of the senate, with one
exception, is a Democrat Beginning
with the secretaries desk, the secre-
tary himself is q North Carolina free
silver, free trade Democrat? the chief
clerk 10 Democrat from New York;
the Legislative clerk 10 q Democrat from
OREGON Of the free silver persuasion,
and Is the brother-ln-law Of Senator
Clark. Of Montana. The journal clerk
Is Democrat; tue reading clerk Is q
Democrat from Wisconsin; the places
Ia the ofIiceof the secretary, which are
Of Importance in the control OF legis-
lation. are filled by Democrats. The
clerk who has charge Of all bills is q
Democrat and constituent Of Jones,
Of Arkansas, a keen and sdrewd politi-
clan The clerk In charge Of reports Of
committees, petitions. etc. Is a Demo-
.cfat from Georgia. The two executive
clerks who have charge Of all nominal
tlons and treaties are Democrats, one
from Missouri and the other from Ten
nessee, while the financial clerk, whose
duty 1t Is to pass on and pay all youch-
ers, is an appointee Of the free silver
senator's from. Nevada, Jones and Stew
art
on the floor Of the senate itself the
sergeant-at arms is a free silver, free
trade Democrat from Indiana, the as
slstant sergeant-at-arms is Demo-
crat from Ohio, and was a member Of
the Ohio Democratic state committee.
The only Republican ofaclal on the
floor OF the senate is the assistant door,
keeper. The places in the office OF the
sergeant-at-arms are Of great adyan-
tage from party point Of view. Even
where the patronage OF the office has
been divided 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 as.
sistsnt sergeant-at-arms, Democrat.
has charge of all investigating COM
mIttees. The superintendent Of the
folding room Is a Populist from Me-
braska, an appointee Of Senator Allen.
The folding room hes the distribution
Of alt documents printed by Congress,
and It's chief can accelerate the de-
livery Of one senator's speeches and
retard those Of another, IL political ad-
vantage is to be obtained. The folding
room has alEo charge Of the folding OF
all speeches, and in the Presidential
campaign this Is Of some Importance,
because 1t often happens that the
speeches Of one party get folded ready
for circulation, while those Of the OPP
position do mot, because the fund for
folding Is exhausted.
Then the postoaice of the senate can
be used as political factor. The as
slstant postmaster, who is in actual
control Of the office, Is a free silver
Democrat from Mississippi. The post
oflce also undertakes the delivery of
all messages to the departments. so
that close watch can be kept of what
10 going on between the senator's and
the heads OF departments. The police
force Is lltewiSe under the actual con-
troll Of the sergeant.at-arms, and the
chief Of police OF the Capitol is free
silver Democrat from West virginia,
while the detective force, which is en-
ployed exclusively to watch the actions
Of people who have business with SEN
ators and representatives. to see that
they are not imposed upon? consists
Of two free silver Democrats one from
Ohio and one from Delaware. The
dot "eper's office Is in charge OF free
s'lve s-7oo.at from Mississippi.
The egg is sufficient to show
that the Amocrats Of the senate have
missed a chances in appropriatlng Of
fees, and while they may attempt to
persuade Republicans that the loaves
ana fishes OF public ONCE are theirs,
they are not likely to succeed. The
senate force viii presently be rsorgan-
tied on lines designed to increase the
efficiency of the service rather than
with a view Of securing political ad-
vantage.
Postmasters Commissioned.
Special Dispatch to the Intelligshcer.