The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-07-14
ALL OFFICIALS
VERY ANXIOUS
What a Change Of Administra-
tiOn Would Mean in the
Way Of Patronage.
The Indian Territory correspond.

4w.here Is no state In tine Union miioic
the people are more vitally affected,
for change of administration means
the distribution OF SO much patronage
s'The situation is doubly interesting
because the Democratic platform spe-
officially provides for the appointment
Of home men in all territories, some
thing which has never been known In
Indian Territory.
ssThere are more good places at the
disposal OF the administration, In In
dian Territory, than In the combined
offices Of the state and federal appoint
ments in any one OF majority OF the
Western states. There are fifteen
federal appointments In Indian Ter
ritory that pay an annual salary OF
s5, 600 each; twenty that pay $4,000 and
twenty that pay 1850 TO $1,000. In
addition to these are the smaller ap-
polntments
"In the 5000 class are the three
members OF the Dawes commission,
eight federal judges, three members
OF the citizenship court and school
superintendent. In the $4,000 class
are four United States marshals, four
clerks Of courts, four United States
attorneys and four United States jail
ers. In the Indian division are the
agent and inspector, each at $4,000,
and two mining trustees at the same
figure. In the $4,000 and $500 class
there Is revenue inspector who gets
5000. Each OF the four marshals,
clerks and district attorneys have a
A.hlef clerk who draws $500 a year;
y the secretary to the Dawes commits
sion gets &, 500, the chief law clerk
A.. 600 aud the disbursIng officer an
equal salary. There are seven town
site commissioners who draw 5000
each. and the supervising engineer
gets 5000.
ssThe heads Of the different depart
ments average about sl,sOo year.
and there are forty appointments that
nav from $1,000 to sl,S00 year THIS
includes the twenty-three United
4 States commissioners who draw sl,5oo
each. Ia addition TO an these there
Y are I75 employees on the Dawes com
mission and fifty IN the Indian Offices
who draw average salaries Of $1,000.
Besides all these there il much
other appointive patronage. Each
marshal has about sixteen deputies at
salaries that range from 5000 70 81 2oo,
Each clerk Of court has the appoint
ment Of a clerk at each court town in
his district. the entire number
amounting 10 twenty-three, and these
draw salaries OF $1,000 each. Each q
the four iailers has 70 have sixteen
guards, and there has tobe a constable
in each commissioner court. Each
OF the judges has a Stenographer, as
does each member of the citizenship
court. and they draw salaries OF .2ot
to 81, 500. There is not one Of these
Offices That IS 6lled by a vote Of the
people There are only six who arc
under civil service.
- "a change of administration, were
The president So disposed, would mean
clean sweep of the slate from top to
bottom. a great many Of these ap-
pointees. perhaps one-third, are Demo
Gratis, but a president who wanted "a
build a machine would not hesitate to
replace them with other Democrats
Of his own choosing.
"Many OF the appointments are for
four years and would probably carry
the incumbent up to statehood; bat a
Democratic president and Demo
cratic cabinet could reap harvest Of
designations in order that they might
shake their own plum trees.
ssThese Offices do not include the
postonices OF Indian Territory, which
would also have new postmasters.
There are seyenty-fiye presidential
: postollices in the territory. The best
OF these pay salaries Of s2,600 to the
postmasters and 300 to first assist
ants. In addition to the presidential
Offices, there are more than GOO other
postonices that could be supplied with
3 Democratic postmasters.
ssThe Indian Territory Is more in
tently interested in the outcome Of
{ the present national campaign than
any state in the Union; first, becaus-
Of the possible distribution Of spoils,
and. second, because Of the influence
+ a change OF administrator might have
npon the admission Of the territories
10 statehood"