The Topeka state journal., 1903-02-02
Washington Specializing Con-
cerning Senatorial Patronage.
Supposed That Mr.. Long Will
Distribute Offices.
MIR. BURTON'S POSITION
President May Change His Mind
About Ignoring Him.
If He Doesn't Mr.. Long Will
Have 1t All.

Washington Feb. 2.-There is con
siderable speculation here as to just
what federal patronage will fall to the
lot of the new senator from Kansas. AS
is well understood Senator Buttons re-
lations with the president since his ac-
ton in the Cuban reciprocity matter
last winter have not been of such
character as to enable him to get any
where so far as federal patronage as
concerned. Aside from one big appoint
ment, that of commissioner of pensions,
which was a personal matter with the
president no big federal plums have
have gone to the state. But the cleo
ton of a new senator. who is or most
cordial terms with the administration,
has revived the hopes of the office seek
ers and speculation as to what the new
senator will be able to do
In this connection it is interesting to
consider the practice usually followed in
the matter of federal patronage where
division is made between two senators
from the same state. This practice may
or may not be followed in the case of
Kansas, depending altogether on whetn-
er the president adheres to his deternll-
nation not to recognize the claims Of the
senior senator from Kansas Last win
ter the president said he would no long
er recognize Mr.. Burton in the distrlbu-
ton of offices, but Mr.. Roosevelt has
been known to change his mind, and 1t
is one of his characteristics that he
cannot bear a grudge against anyone
over night In the case of Mr.. Burton
he may relent or he may not relent II
he does, the offices of course viii be dl-
Vided in the usual way, but If he does
not it goes without saying that Mr.
Long will control the federal patronage
of Kansas AS there is no way in which
to ascertain what is going on in the
pr residential mind, any statement as to
what he will do can be nothing more
than mere conjecture.
Ordinarily in the distribution of the
big federal appointments, the senior
senator is made the referee. IN the
case of the Kansas senators. however.
the consideration of seniority would not
cut much figure owing to the slight dl~-
ferences there will be in the length OF
their senatorial services Usually, Il
his relations with the junior senator are
friendly, he is able to agree with him on
a division of the offices, and their re
conmenda tons are thus made harmon
ious. But if they cannot agree all
things being equal the senior senator's
recommendations carry the most weight
with the appointing power. After the
big plunS are disposed OF, each senator
looks out for himself. and secures for
his constituents as many minor poslt~
ions as he can. The minor positions
consist OF places in the consular, Indian
and other departmental services But
as has been said. the Kansas situation
is somewhat anomaouS. Whether this
procedure is following depends altOgeth-
er on the attitude which the president
assumes toward Senator Burton, and
nobody but the president knows what
that will be.
Even assuming however, that the
president proposes to give each of them
equal recognition, it is probable that for
awhile Mr.. Long will be afforded al
/ nnnOrfHnifW fn most of the
pointees to the federal places which are
allotted to Kansas. In conceding this
much to Mr.. Long. the president would
be doing the only fair. thing, because
the regular federal appointments i'll
Kansas have all been made. Senator
Burton filed the offices. more or lesS
to his satisfaction, during last winter.
AS Senator BurtOneha6 already been ac~
fair to assume that Mr.. Long will be
favored until the patronage is adjusted
In this connection it may be added
that too much should not be expected
of Mr. Long. This administration be-
lieves thoroughly in the merit system.
and vacancies are few and far between.
No man is removed except for cause.
Congress creates comparatively few new
offices. Government officials seldom
die and never resign. The outlook.
therefore, is not very encouraging to
those Kansans who expect to fall into
! fat government jobs through political
preferment. All that any senator can
do Mr.. Long will be able to do, but he
cannot produce vacancies which do not
exist, nor create new offices off hand
II these facts are borne IN mind II may
help to take the keen edge off the dis
appointment of lot of asDirants for
places
In the present fight in the senate, both
Of the Kansas senators are lined up
with the advocates of statehood. The
general belief here is that the senators
who are conducting the fiibuster
against the statehood bill will be sue
cessfuI, but Senator Burton does not
think SO.
The bill certainly will pass the senate
in some form. he said to the CORE
spondent of the State Journal today.
1t may be necessary to resort to a COM
promise in the end, but that the meas
ure viii finally pass I feel assured. BY
a compromise I mean that it may be-
come necessary to 50 modify the bill as
to admit Arizona and New Mexico as
/ one state and Oklahoma as one state,
granting statehood to the Indian Ter
ritory at some future time do not
favor this plan as the best solution of
the problem, because I think the bill
! should become a law in its present
form but I would be willing to vote for
such an amendment if 1t seemed ad-
visable in order to insure the admission
/ of the territories
SO far as 1 am able to learn. the
whole west is for the bill Certainly
the Republican party is pledged to pass
+ II. Inc territories are 6nlltl6Q 10 cNdtC-
j hood It seems TO me that there is no
/ excuse for the filibuster"
i Senator Burton says he will not make
any speech on the subject, but will sim
/ ply continue to give the bill his earnest
support. There are large numbers of
former Kansans in all of the territories
affected, and they are importuning the
/ Kansas senat tors to see to II that the
measure becomes a law at this session
+ of congress.
over at the pension Office they have
started a boom for Eugene Ware for
/ congress. The story has gained cur
reney there that Mr.. Ware will try to
succeed to Mr.. Longs seat. just how
Mr.. Ware is going to get into the con
+ gressional race in the Seventh district,
and still maintain his residence IN the
First district they do not explain, but
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