The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-03
C0NGRESSMEN ARE SORRY.
One OF Their Troubles Arises From
POstoffice Appointments.

One OF Their Troubles Arises From
Postoffce Appointments.
Washington, Sept. 2.-There are
many Republican members of Congress
now struggling for reelection who
heartily wish that they had never had
anything to do with the distribution
of federal patronage, and. especially
with the making of postoffice appoint
ments.
While the great majority of men in
both Houses of Congress denounce the
Civil Service law when talking with
their constituents who come to WASH
ington in search of office, they are
very careful never to repeal it, and
the annual appropriation for its ad-
ministration is made as regularly as
the senators and representatives vote
their own salaries. The reason for this
is that they are very glad TO be able
to fall back ON the civil service law
as an excuse for their failure to Sc
cure a place for a constituent who
believes that his party services are
entitled to some reward.
Further than this, many of them
find in the remnants of the spoils sys
tenn only a source of weakness and
not of strength. They realize the truth
VI lnS OAQ SldleIucIl lildL lOI ever
appointment a member of Congress
makes in his district he makes one
friend and nineteen enemies, and they
would be secretly delighted TO be shorn
of all power in connection with the
making of appointments.
The amount of bad feeling that can
be engendered over one little fourth
class postoffice that probably does
not pay a salary of more than 500 per
t. tct, r.A
twenty candidates for the place, and
a whole county may be torn into fac
lions over it. Then, when the mem
Der of Congress finally makes a rec
ommendation, and his man is apoint-
ed, the other nineteen candidates and
their friends often try to beat the
congressman for denomination, failing
in that, they sulk during the campaign.
An excellent illustra ton of this was
afforded in the Sixth Maryland district
at the beginning Of the Harrison ad-
ministration. The Republicans had
been shut out of the offices for four
years, and no sooner was the result of
the election known than a large crop
of candidates sprang up for the Cum
terland postoffice. Finally the contest
narrowed down to two men, one an ex-
sheriff and the other the editor of the
Republican newspaper in Cumberland
BOtn were men OF importance In the
community, and between them, Rep
resentative McComas, now senator
from Maryland, had to make his
choice. The fight was so bitter that a
decision either way meant defeat for
McComas in the next elections. He
finally decided In favor of the ex-
sheriff. knowing when he did so that
he was signing his political death-war-
rant as far as reelection to the House
OF Representative was concerned.
The ex-sheriff was appointed and
McComas was defeated and stayed out
of Congress until swing of the po-
litical pendulum in Maryland landed
him in the United States Senate. But
if he had decided the other way, the
result would have been equally disas-
trous.
This story has it's counterpart in
many congressional districts this year.
There are representatives. struggling
for reelection who have worried for
weeks about postoffice appointments
in their districts and have decided
them to the best of their ability in
favor of the men they honestly believ-
ed should have been appointed. Now
when they are home in their districts,
they find that they have stirred up all
kinds of trouble for themselves and
will have much difficulty in satisfying
the disaffected and securing a re-elec-
ton,