The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-12
WHO CUTS
The PIE?
A NICE QUESTION OF POLITICAL
PRECEDENCE IS BREWING IN
NORTH DAKOTA
HAnsBRoUdH OR MovMBERs
Distinguished Flicl1ertaiI Statesmen
Must Agree on Appointments
or Roosevelt VIII Carve
the Cake
HANsBRoUGH OR MCVMBER
AN IND1ANA PRECEDENT
FROM THE GLOBE BUREAU,

Washington, ID. C.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 1.-THE
federal patronage of North Dakota is q
rock upon which the friendship Of Sena-
tors Hans5rough and McCumber is like
ly to split. The ship is drifting in that
direction.
It's a short and simple story. Hans
brough needs the offices in his business.
He is soon to be re-elected-at least he
is soon to make the effort to be re-
elected Part of the reward of the men
who elevated him to the senate in the
first place was the federal patronage.
Nearly every influential member of the
state legislature received a good job. But
the terms of the men then appointed are
about to expire. So is the term OF Hans
brough.
Meantime, however, a Republican sena-
tor has taken the place of Senator Roach.
When Hansbrough was the sole Repub-
lican senator he could act as sole dis
penser of the Offices; but now McCumber
must have something to say. He wants
half the pie. He has not said very much,
yet, but he has said enough to let it be
known here that he intends to get his
half or rip things wide open.
It is the same game that has been going
on in Indiana. For a number of years
Fairbanks was the only Republican sena-
negatives. Then Turpie went out and
Beveridge came. He at once laid down
on Fairbanks fer his share of the cake.
Fairbanks squirmed like an eel. He need
ed the offices. His term in the senate
would run out first, and he had to keep
friendly with the men at home who could
help him. But Beveridge insisted. lie
read his senior lecture on the evils OF
the spoils system and the sin of buying
x1-;fI !, iOJ,c he 1o1 n
join Fairbanks in recommendations for
the appointments Of candidates who were
merely friendly to Fairbanks He Sdid
he had a few friends Of his own to be
taken care of.
Rule That Tied 'Em Up.
Mckinley ruled that no job would be
given out except on the joint recommen,
dation of the two senators, in states
where both senators were Republicans.
That made things binding. There was
nothing for Fairbanks to do but loosen
up and divide the spoils The big Offices
were evenly divided, and then the state
was divided geographically for the small,
er places like postoffices. In certain dis
tricts Beveridge had the say and in the
rest Fairbanks ruled. Each senator ac>
duiesced in the choice of his colleague IN
the district where he was sit"
The Indiana situation is a precedent for
North Dakota The cases are exactly
parallel; but Hansbrough and McCumber
have not yet got to the point Of sitting
down and facing the situation. Both
senators are trife shy. Hansbrough
does not like to anticipate his troubles;
he hopes maybe his youthful colleagues
will forget about any offices coming to
him. But McCunber is not so new in the
business, and if he were he has constitu-
ents to remind him.
The fun will begin just about the time
the first big appointment is to be made,
and that is not far off. Roosevelt is fol-
lowing, in a looser way, the plan of Nc
Kinley. He wants to hear from both
senators before he appoints. If McCum-
ber does not join in the Endorsement the
president will wait, and if the two sena,
tors do not get together he will ask OUT
siders for a list Of eminent citizens VINO
are qualified to draw government pay:
and will make selection of his own. 1t
is sort of Judgment of Solomon" busl-
ness If the mothers can't agree the
baby will be cut up, and neither will get
anything alive.
Pretty soon there will be doings.