The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1902-01-24
BUSY IN WHITE HOUSE
Lively as the Beginning Of a New
Administration.
AN INVASION OF OFFICESEEKERS.
Congressmen Kept on the Move In
the Interest of Their Constituents.
Proctor's Veteran Retirement Bill.
The Mcclellan Democracy.

PrOctOr's veteran hetire"eht Dill.
The Mcclellan Democracy.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %. -lSpeciall- J.
In all essential features the advent of
Mr.. Roosevelt in the White House is
like the beginning of new admins
tration. This is more apparent now
than il would be at any other time, be-
cause four years ago nearly all the
federal appointments were made by
President Mckinley and their terms
under the four year tenure rule are ex-
piring. OF course all Of them desire TO
be retained, while there are any num-
Der of candidates seeking TO replace
them. This makes the conditions ut
the White House as lively as If there
was a new administration with a
change OF political parties, save that
new policies are not being inaugurated
and promulgated. OF course most of
the men who have been in service four
years are reappointed when no good
reason exists for other action, but 1t
having become apparent that the pres
ident will not reappOint man where
there is anything wrong with his rec
ord many who desire offices have pre-
ferred charges of one sort or another
against incumbents for the purpose of
defeating them. 1t is very good man
who in the course of four years has not
done something upon which complaint
can be made, and the result is that the
capital has been crowded with delega
tons from all sections, all interested in
the offices.
Keeps Congressman Moving.
These officeseekers make busy times
for senators and representatives, who
are compelled to Zine up on one side
or another of nearly every political
contest. The work is not alone confined
to Republican congressman, as Demo
Gratis are also drawn into the contro-
versies from states and districts where
there are no Republicans in congress.
The president does not hesitate to call,
on Democrats for advice when he finds
that Republicans disagree. The filling
of the offices makes Il great deal of
work for senators outside of making
recommendations, for all presidential
appointments must be confirmed by the
senate In many cases where aspir-
ants have seen their rivals successful
at the White House they follow up
their fight in the senate and make
charges which the committees must in
vestigate before confirmation. All this
makes the session present many fea-
lures of an entirely new administra-
ton.
Proctor's Retirement Bill.
Senator Proctor OF Vermont has in
troduced a bill providing for the re-
tirement of veterans Of the civil war
which meets with much more favor
than the war department measure
which has been pending for some time.
Senator Proctor's bill does not apply
to any officer who has reached the
rank of brigader general, nor does it
prevent officers who have been promot-
ed since the Spanish war receiving the
benefit of its provisions. AS it now
stands, any colonel who served i'm the
civil war may be retired as a brigadier
general and any lieutenant colonel as
a colonel-that is, any officer who serv-
ed in the civil war who is not n briga-
der general can be retired at the grade
above that which he holds at the date
OF retirement The bill also provides
for the advancement Of one grade Of
civil war officers who have retired
since the Spanish war, provided they
were not advanced at the time The
bill authorizes the president in his dis
erection to also advance men who re-
tired before the Spanish war, this pro-
vision being intended to meet a few
meritorious cases now on the retired
list.
Have Plenty Of Visitors.
There are some senators and repre-
sentatives who have more than their
share of visitors Go into the commit
tee rooms Of the senators from West
Virginia, Maryland. Virginia and Penn
sylvania any day and you will find
them crowded with constituents. And
the greatest trouble these senators eX-
perience too, is the fact that these con-
stituents usually want something in the
way of appointments or departmental
consideration. l heard one of Senator
Elkins' clerks say that one difficulty
with senate committee rooms was the
fact that they did not give senators
double entrances. so that they might
slip away from the men who constantly
haunt them for places.
The Mcclellan Democracy.
One of the standing jokes about the
house OF representatives is the "McClel-
Ian Democracy" George b. Mcclellan
is responsible for this himself. because
he humorously assumed to be leading
a great party when he alone composed
that party. l think it was in the early
days of Democracy's stand for silver
that the young New York representa-.
tive steadfastly refused to join the ma
jority and said he would organize a
wing OF the party on his own account.
/ think a number Of other New York
Democrats joined him, but Mcclellan
always claimed since that his wing OF
the party was so carefully organized
that it's membership consisted solely OF
Mcclellan. Differences between the
eastern and southern Democrats dpvel.