The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-07
TOO MANY ON PAY ROLLS
HOUSE FORCE OF EMPLOYEES TO BE
REDUCED HIS WINTER.
Representative Hemenway's "Ax"
ommftte to Meet Nov L and
Select Names for the Block.
s,,n corr.sDondence OF N. Journal.

Stan correspondence OF M JOErnai-
WASHINGTON, Sept. Cit is proposed
TO make a reduction in the number OF en-
pIoyes in the lower house OF the next Con-
gress. Representative Hemenway has been
made chairman OF a committee which Will
meet In Washington, Nov. !. and make a
report to the speaker showing superfuous
employees. There has been no such over
hauling for years and naturally many
abuses have crept IN. In the effort to pro-
vide places for importuning representa-
tives positions have been created which
were not exactly necessary.
Representative De Almond, the Demo-
cratic leader, at one time declared that the
waste Of money by the Republicans in pro-
viding places for its favOrites was one OF
the disgraces Of that party's rule. He SAID
he could point TO scores and scores of use
less employees. Representative Hemen-
way, the best-posted member of the ap-
preparations committee, asked Mr.. De Ar
mond TO name a few. The distinguished
Missouri Democrat was dealing in generali-
ties and could not name the position. The
Indiana expert replied that the names of
$50 employees were carried on the rolls of
this Republican House. He admitted there
might be a few extra hands, although he
did not suspect there were many. In Mis-
souri,, he went on, they have a Democratic
% 1C6ASAaN0A0 anu - AOoA ~
employees are necessary to wait on the
statesmen while they are performing their
duties. The laugh was on De Almond so
strong that he subsided without another
word.
Republican congressman need not quake
I'm their boots as the reduction will not be
heavy. II Will be more in the nature OF a
Encouragement of duties, although a num-
Der OF positions will be disposed of perma-
nently. The House is very much more
"porky" in a political way than the Sen
ate when il comes TO distributing patron
age. In the House but four Democratic
employees have found their way TO the pay
roll. They are dOOrkeepers on the Demo-
cratic side In the Senate nearly every
Democrat Is permitted To have an APP
pointee. There are fewer senators and more
places and the senators can more easily af-
ford 10 be generous. In the Senate the dis
tTibutiOn of the patronage is in the hands
of "A compact and confidential little COM
mittee, of which Senator Mcmillan is the
head. He is very just and has a way of
smoothing out the rough places so diplo-
matically that there is very little growing.
In the House the patronage is in the
hands OF what is known as the hog com
bine." This patronage trust was founded
by Representative Stone, of Pennsylvania,
now the renowned Quay Governor and
candidate for the United States Senate.
This was eight years ago, but il has been
sentatives and now is practically in the
hands OF the four chief officers of the
House-Sergeant-at-arms, dOOrkeeper, clerk
and postmaster. Their interest in being
fair lies in the fact that If they offend a
large element on the Republican side the
dissatisfied group would certainly organ
lie against them and put in officers TO their
liking. The present chief officers will be re-
elected and II follows as a natural conse-
quence that most OF their suboTdinates Will
be reappOinted.
incidentally. it might be mentioned that
the most powerful factor in this group OF
Tour Is Clerk Mcdowell. OF Pennsylvania.
a quay man. and, therefore. the Quay in
terest In the appointing power remains as
strong as In the days when Stone was
forming the hog combine"
OTTO CARMICHAEL.