Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-28

WASHINGTON. D. C.. December a.
Especial )-"The appointment OF Judge
Iunsford L. Lewis as United States At
torney for the Eastern District Of Vir-
r;,,fa. in view Of the endorsements of Col
onel Edgar Allan on the one hand ana
those OF ex-Congressman Thorpe on the
other hand, was one Of the most remark
able things in the history OF office-get-
ting" said q weIi-knowp Eirginian to the
Dispatch correspondent to-day. with
Allan holding the position and no charges
against him, and endorsed by long list
OF men OF prominence In and out OF the
State. whose recommendations it would
seem uawise 10 ignore. and Thorpe backed
TO the finish by the Tirsinian orsaniza-
ton, il is hard 10 understand why some
one else who was not even q candidate
for the place should get it, he continued;
land il all seems the more remarkable
that Allan should be turned down when II
is remembered that it was he who offered
the resolution 81 the last encampmeflt OF
the c. a r. endorsing the administration
OF Roosevelt. which was passed without
9 dissenting vote. Il has been said that
loyalty 70 his friends IS one Of the most
pronounced traits of Mr.. Roosevelt But
st is not safe TO say that this act OF the
Presidents indicated loyalty to q political
friend
There are others who have commented
In the same strain on the Presidents APP
po!ntnent OF Lewis. The Presidents at
titude toward the Republicans Of Virginia
IS iaexplicable TO members Of his party.
There. as in every o,aer Southern State,
the Independents and the organization are
kept guessing where they are at With
other Presidents there have oeen indica-
lions of fixed definite policy. and one
could usually gauge where the coming
pluns would fall by the places where the
others fell. But such is not true Of the
present head OF the nation. If the Presi-
dent seems TO have policy today in
dealing with his Virginia followers his
course tomorrow will probably be in di-
rect reversal. Every Republican in the
State is continually wondering whether he
is In the band wagon or out OF it.
ENDORSEMENTS DISREGARDED.
President Roosevelt, II is charged, pays
less attention 10 endorsements in his Vir-
ginia appointments than any of his Irede-
cessors. In the case Of Judge Mcdowell
this was true. There We're three or four
other candidates for .he position with
stronger endorsements than Mcdowell
and with equal fitness to fill it But Nc
Dowell was the grandson OF l4enry Clay.
and one Of the Virginia congressman
states that Roosevelt ,old HIM that he be
leVed that when ali else was equal this
part ought TO be recognized.
In the case Of Funl5houser's reappoint-
ment as postmaster at Harrisonburs it
vas also true. In 1895 knsrnan of the
late President Mckinley went through va
r-ious Southern States trying to enlist the
Republican delegations OF those States I'M
der the banner OF Mckinley in the ST.
Louis convention. In the course of his
trip through Virginia he is said to have
met Funkhouscr, who agreed to deliver
the delegation from the western part of
The State Whether Funkhouser delivered
The goods through his influence or not is
another question. but at any rate he got
the credit for il. lie got up the famous
Mcintosh brigade. which went 10 Can
ton as ox-Confederatcs who would SUP
port Mckinley, and in divers ways in
gratiated himself into the friendship of
that statesman. lie was an applicant for
the position Of Fourth Assistant Post
naster-General, but that was more than
President Mckinley could give. Funk
houser finally landed as postmaster at
Harrisonburg which position he has since
held. When II came to his reappont-
1nent under Roosevelt q bitter fight was
made on him. His own party tried to
get him out. One day. awhile before the
Teappoiutment was made, the Dispatch
correspondent saw him in the reception
room Of the Postmaster-General. Doubt
was written across his face, and he seem
ed TO have lost hope of reappointment
With feeling he said: ~ Mckinley had
LIVED 1t would be different. / would get
II anyhow" AT last he hit upon a plan
that sent his stock up to par value again.
&c enlistea the interest of Senator Scott.
Of West Virginia. w--o managed to pull
him through. His case. however illus
:rates the Republican uncertainty in o:fics
matters under this ad,ninistrat ton.
Scarcity of Virginia Couples.
The publication in the Dispatch Of the
.tory that the Washington ministers have
decided to boycott divorced people, who
present themselves for marriage seemed
TO scare Virginia couples away IRON,
Washington Though Chrismastide is
sere. and marriage seems to be the order