The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-18
WILL co over.
Pension Agent Not to Be Named
Till After Holidays.
Lively Scramble For the Place
Still Continues.
MR.. Low HAS A WORD
Says President Roosevelt Wants
to Appoint Leland.
Would Like to Have Burton OBJ
lection Removed.

lection Removed.
The appointment of an agent for the
Topeka pension agency is undoubtedly
tied up until a"ter the holidays. pos
sibly longer. Congress will adjourn
after a brief session tomorrow for the
holiday recess and no more appoint
ments will be made until it again con-
venes some time after New Years.
There is therefore no probability that
Cyrus Leland. Colonel Metcalf or any
one else will wake up on Christmas
morning and fnc the pension agency
in his Christmas stocking President
Roosevelt has held the matter up in the
hope that Senator Burton and his close
followers will see fit to make sufficient
concessions that will enable him to re-
appoint Mr. Leland without SEEM
ing to turn down the Kansas senator
again. after having already done so d
number of times.
IN the meantime the old soldiers of
the state continue to flood the president
with kilograms asking that Mr.. Leland
or some other Civil war veteran be
given the pension agency 1t is urgei
that if younger man is appointed
now, no old SOlCier will ever hold the
office again, as they will nearly all be
too old by the time Colonel Metcalf
serves probably two terms in the
Office.
1t is reasonably certain that Mr.. Le-
land might have had the appointment
long ago had he urged it upon Mr.. Nc
Kinley. Mr.. Leland has not said so,
but it is reported from Washington that
Mr.. Leland hiroself requested President
Mckinley to hold up his Teappointment
out of Difference to Senator Burton, in
order to allow Mr.. Burton to make one
been for this Mr.. Mckinley would
have undoubtedly made out Mr. Le-
lands commission before that fatal trip
to Buffalo.
This, and the fact that the old SOL
diers of the state so strongly favor the
reappointment of Mr.. Leland, are said
to be the strong reasons why NJ A.
Low is urging Leland's reappointment.
1t is reported that Mr. Low urged
Senator Burton several weeks ago to
discontinue his fight Mr.. Leland on
account of these things, and Senator
Burton gave it out that he would not
oppose the reaopGintment of Mr.. Leland,
because Mr.. Mckinley had determined
upon such action, and that place was
not considered as the patronage of any
one senator anyway, but was the pat
rOnage of the president himself mas
much as several states and territories
are included in the Topeka district.
Appearances, would indicate, however,
that Senator Burton set to work soon
after his return to Washington to un-
dermine Mr.. Leland, and Colonel Met
calf was considered the most available
Roosevelt evidently has hopes that Sen
atOr Burton may be led to discontinue
his fight upon Mr.. Leland in the in
terest of party harmony in Kansas, and
for this reason the appointn ent is held
up
Senator Burton has certainly been
very unfortunate in his recommenda-
tions- 1t is very probable that he has
only been carrying out his ante-election
prOmfses-some of them-but the trou-
BILE has been that his promises were
he,1A hxr fFo L ind ,f
did not come uD to the Roosevelt STAN
dard of character and were therefore
turned down. The same sort of action
seems to be staring Lit Crum, another
of Mr.. Burtons recommendations, in
the face Colonel Metcalf however is
personally acceptable to the president
and he dislikes to turn him down. He
would evidently like to have Senator
Burton switch his recommendation for
Metcaf from the pension agency to the
United States marshalShip, thereby
solving two difficult problems at once
and at the sane time allowing him to
follow Senator Burton's recommends
ton
This would undoubtedly be the easiest
solution of the problem for all concern.
ed 1t would leave Senator Burton in
better standing both at Washington
and at home. If Senator Burton per-
Sists in fighting Leland it means that
he Will gain the opposition of practical
ly every old soldier in Kansas The
few exceptions would be those who
nave personal grievances against Mr..
Leland If he would consent to the re-
appointment of Leland it would go far
towards uniting the factions in Kansas
which are now bitterly fighting one
another. At the same time the recon-
mendation of Colonel Metcalf to be
United States marshal would meet with
the unqualified approval of nine-tenths
of the Republicans. of Kansas 1t would
also prove to the president that Sena tor
Burton is willing to make concessions
in order that Kansas Republicans may
be reunited and that the right kind of
men may be appointed to federal posi-
tions, thereby gaining for him the favor
of President Roosevelt.
This is the situation as it stands to-
day, while the old soldiers are pouring
into Washington their requests that Mr.
Leland nay be retained, or ct least
that the place may be given to an old
soldier.
NJ A. Low is quoted as follows with
regard to the situation:
The contest is held up until after the
holiday recess of congress. and proba-
bly, until January 90 This is the presi>
dents own pleasure in the matter The
president wants to reappOint Cyrus I-e-
iano, but he is unwilling to do it over
the opposition of Senator Burton. The
president feels that in this appointment |
ne owes an obligation. 1t was the late |
President McKinley's wish to reappoint |
Mr- Leland; so expressed in a letter TO |
the secretary of the interior. More than |
TINS, the president finds that Mr. Leland |
mas made a good officer.
Against this is Senator Burton's oh
Jectlon Ine district is a large one
and includes three states and two terri |
1orles, S, put senator Burton is the only /
republican senator. and naturally he /
Is disposed to defer to his Judgment AMI /
Will Hoping to overcome the senator's
OBJECTION. the president has held up
action What the outcome of the con-
teRtion will be am not able to nre-
Dict In my judgment the whole affair
- very un1ortdnHte, and all this news