Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-09
President Roosevelt Opposed
to Long Tenure Of Office.
SOMECHANGES ORDERED
EXCEPTIONS IN CASES OF UNUS-
UAL MERIT AND EFFICIENCY.
Practice Likely to BE Followed in Re-
gard to Post Offices, Collectorships
and Diplomatic Positions.

That President Roosevelt regards eight
years as long enough for any man holding
a federal appointive position to draw a sal
airy from the government Is shown In
number of changes made by him in the last
few weeks. and especially In the last few
days. There is hardly a man in the
diplomatic consular service who has
served eight years, and is to hold on, and
1t is expected that the President will apply
the same rule to practically every presi
DENTAL appointee now holding a position.
This includes departmental jobs. post Of
fees, collectors and high and low places.
The President has told number of callers
in the last few months that except in spe-
ciic cases of unusual qualification and
merit, he believes that eight years should
be the limit for officeholding. He has not
failed though, to state that he has no
cast-iron rule In that respect.
In the Diplomatic Service.
In the diplomatic service there remains
only one who appears able to retain
his position after eight years Of service.
That is Bellamy Storer, ambassador to
Austria-Hungary. He went into the diplo-
matte department of the government short
ly after the first Inauguration of Mckinley,
who was his personal friend. The President
has nominated successor to one of the few
eight-year men who remained at his post
This is w. w. Thomas, minister to Norway
and Sweden. Thomas Is a Maine man and
his pull for many years was Thomas b.
Reed. Mckinley had hardly got to Wash
ington to be sworn In before Mr.. Thomas
was here after a position and he landed
early. He had been in the consular service
in Norway and Sweden years before and
married a Swedish woman He came to
Washington several months ago to look
after his interests, but found that there was
no disposition to keep him.
Edwin H. Conger, who has been at Pc
king a good many years, Is to come back
to this continent and will remain in Mexico
one year as ambassador, when he will go
back to his home in Iowa and run for gov
ernor. Whether he told that the eight
year yardstick would apply to him cannot
be stated.
Herbert w Bowen, United States min
lister to Venezuela, has been a minister for
a good while, but he Is still not within the
eight-year period. He has been in the for
eign service longer than eight years, how
ever. He was given small consular place
in Spain by President Cleveland. He did
good work at this place during the hot
times preceding the war with Spain, and
for that service he was transferred to
mission Charles Page Bryan, present min
lister to Portugal, Is nearing eight years in
the diplomatic service. He served a num-
Der of years in Brazil and was then trans
ferred to Portugal. He is from Illinois.
Profitable Consulates.
II. Clay Evans, who was commissioner of
pensions and consul general in London for
a total of eight years, gives way to Robert
]. Wynne, Postmaster General for three
months John K. Gowdy. the most power
full figure In Indiana politics eight years
ago, known the loom Paul. of that
state, has had eight years as consul general
at Paris and is to go out. He will be sue
ceeded by of the few exceptions to the
Roosevelt rule. This Is Frank H. Mason,
consul general at Berlin. but Mason Is ad-
mittedly the peer Of any consul general of
the United States. and he stays In the
service solely because of his splendid serv
ice. James Boyle, who was at one time
private secretary of William Mckinley,
walks the eight-year plank and gives up
his Liverpool consulate. which pays $500
year, to another man.
In the Treasury.
1t will not surprise anybody If the eight
year ak proceeds to still further execution
in a short time. Some well-known en-
ployes of the government are awaiting
determination of their cases.
Ellis H. Roberts of New York, after eight
years as United States treasurer. is to give
way to Charles H. Treat Of New York. Mr..
Roberts knows the treasury and the
finances of the government to dot.
Judson w. Lyons, the republican national
committeeman from Georgia. has been reg
lister of the treasury going on eight years
If ne comes under the rule he may lose his
place, Notwithstanding his political
strength. The President has no reason to
bother as much with political contingencies
In making an appointment as In the past,
and this will not weigh much with him.
Among the auditors of the treasury are
W. w. Brown of Pennsylvania, auditor for
the navy, and w. E. Andrews Of Nebraska,
auditor for the treasury. Both are getting
toward the eight-year limit
Frederick E. Rittman of Cleveland, Ohio.
or ha War nano hos
dered to the President his resignation, to
take effect May /. B. F. Harper of Fort
Wayne. Ind, will be appointed to fill the
vacancy.
Horace A. Taylor, assistant secretary of
the treasury, has held his present position
five six years, but there is no likelihood
OF his having to go out. He is Indifferent
to remaining, and is such effective man
in his position that Secretary Shaw has
urged him to stay where he is. The Presi-
dent has high opinion of him also.
Department of Justice.
In the Department of Justice are a num-
Der of men who may encounter the ak. but
in judicial matters the President hesitates
to make many changes. John G. Thomp-
son and Louis A. Pradt, assistant attorneys
general, have held their positions about
eight years. MIR. Thompson is from Illinois
and Mr.. Pradt from Wisconsin. Maurice
ID. O'Connell, the solicitor of the treasury,
has had eight years in his position. He
succeeded Felix A. Reeve, who was given
the position of assistant solicitor. Mr.
O'Conneil is from Iowa.
The Public Printer.
There is Public Printer Palmer. His case
is under consideration at the present time.
He knows the printing business as good as
any man in the country, and has made a
success of his position. The chances are
against his holding his place
w. S. Shallenberger, second assistant
postmaster general, has more than three
fourthS of eight years to his credit. and
Edwin c. Madden, third assistant post
master general, has retained his place five
OF six years.