Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-31
At THE WHITE HOUSE
La Follette's Supporters See
the President.
HEWILL NOT INTERFERE
WILL CONFER WITH POSTMASTER
GENERAL PAYNE.
Withdrawal Of Forestry and Indian
Service From Congressional In
fuence-Mr. Loeb's Vacation.

fuence-Mr. Loeb's Vacation.
delegation of La Toilette republicans
| from Wisconsin waited upon the President
| today to talk with him about the fight in
| that state, and received his assurance that
| he will not interfere in any way in the
| factional struggle in progress there. The
callers were w. D. Connor, chairman of
the state committee; w. l.. Houser, secre-
tary of state; Irvine L. Penroot speaker of
the assembly; C. C. Cuttings and H. p
| Myrick, editor of the Milwaukee Free
Press They are strong adherents OF what
is called the regular faction, and their
| visit was due to their desire to have the
President understand some of the details
of the fight, as seen by them. Senator
Spooner, who heads what is called the
''bolters," has seen and talked with the
President since the Wisconsin convention,
| and is thought to have represented the sit
uation as it is seen on that side. Repre-.
| sentative Babcock. Postmaster General
Payne and other "stalwarts have also
| talked with the President.
| The members of the delegation informed
the President that the family troubles
| in the state would not, they hoped,
endanger the national ticket, inasmuch
as both sides have agreed upon the
| same electoral ticket. The President
was pleased to know this and ex-
pressed the hope that differences that exist
may be settled amicably before the Novem-
Der election. He referred to the value of
party harmony, but as stated. in no way
committed himself as to the merits of the
i controversy. The danger to the electoral
| vote is said TO lie in the fact that the
laws OF Wisconsin require a cand'dlte to
declare upon which ticket he wishes to
make the race. AS the "stalwarts'' and
'half-breeds" have both nominated the
same electoral ticket the candida tes must
decide hay yyin
| is said that the majority of those nom mated
for electors have already declared them
selves for the La Toilette ticket and will
run under the emblem of the half reeds"
This danger is considered somewhat ser:-
GUS.
To Confer With Mr. Payne.
The delegation will have conference
this afternoon with Postmaster General
Payne, who, as chairman of the republican
| national committee. will do much toward
deciding which one of the contesting dele
cations to Chicago will be seated there.
| The temporary roll of the convention win
be made up by the national committee and
largely by Mr.. Payne. The fight as to
which delegation shall be seated will be
bitter one, and the efforts of unbia sed re-
publcans will be to avoid a settlement
that will. hurt the national ticket.
Members of the delegation say that the
President has heard the "stalwart'' side
of the controversy from partisans of that
faction, and they desired him to know the
facts from their point of view. They
thought this advisable in view of the early
meeting of the national convention and the
Importance of the questions to be presented
to that convention as regards the Wiscon-
sin situation.
The controversy as to which is the regu-
lar and which the bolting ticket will be
decided by the Wisconsin courts, and the
"stalwarts" hope the courts may reach the
question before the November election.
They feel that the court will not be ad-
verse to them and they would like a de-
cision reached as quickly as possible. If
the decision of the courts is against the
La Toilette faction they will run independ-
emily, 1t is said, although they did not say
what they Will do.
To Be Beyond Congressional Influence.
The President has written a letter to the
Secretary of the Interior advising him that
appointments in the forestry service are
not to be regarded as senatorial patronage,
and he has informed western senators who
have recently recommended candidates for
these positions that merit will be the sole
consideration. 1t is the policy of President
Roosevelt and Secretary Hitchcock to fill
vacancies wherever possible in the list of
forest reserve supervisors by promoting
men from the position of head ranger, thus
recognizing faithful services to the govern
ment
This determination is in keeping with the
effort of the President and the Interior De-
partment to cause general cleaning I'D OF
the public land service. in view of the re-
cent scandals, and to keep the service
above reproach. The senators from the
state of Washington recently recommended
outsider for appointment as supervisor
of the western division of the Washington
forest reserve, one of the largest and most
valuable timber reserves in the United
States but they have been informed by the
President that the head ranger of the west
ern division is to be promoted to the super
visorship to fill the vacancy recently caused
by death.
ha nrfa hoo
into the spirit of the Presidents order, and
he will decline to accept the recommended
tions of senators in regard to forest re-
serve appointments, unless these recon-
mendations happen to be in line with the
desire of the government to promote men
already employed in the service.
Another decision of the President and the
Interior Department which recently
made known will have a tendency to re-
duce the amount of federal patronage at
the disposal of senators in western states.
This is the settled policy of the administra-
ton to place Indian reservations as far an
possible in the hands of bonded superin-
tendents instead of Indian agents. The
bonded superintendents will be selected
usually from the Indian service, and out
siders will have little chance of getting
these places.
Mr.. Loeb Going Away.
Secretary Loeb, accompanied by Mrs.
Loeb will leave tomorrow on a vacation
trip of three weeks to the Yellowstone
National Park. He will pass about two
weeks In the park. He expects to return
to Washington on June 81, the day Of the
assembling of the republican national con-
yention in Chicago. Assistant Secretary
Barnes will be in charge of White House
affairs in the absence of his chief
Going to Oyster Bay.
While only tentative arrangements have
been made for the Presidents sojourn dur
ing the summer at Oyster Bay, II has been
decided that he will leave Washington for
his summer home on the morning of Sat-
urday July 2 Assuming that he will be
nominated by the Chicago convention, 1t
has been decided that he will receive his
notification of the nomination at Oyster
Bay The date of the notification will de-
pend very largely on the desires of the
members of the notification committee No
date yet has been suggested but II likely
will be early in July. 1t is expected that
the President will refa,rn 10 Waehirrto,,