Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-26
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
The Political Comedy in South
Dakota Still On.
THE PATRONAGE INVOLVED
Correspondence With Town Topics in
Regard to Fads and Fancies.
PENNSYLvANIANS ARE COMING
To Invite President to Attend Corner
Stone Laying of New State
House Next Fall.
THE PATRONAGE INVOLVED
PENNSYLVANIANS ARE COMING

That little political comedy out in South
Dakota Is still on the boards at the White
House, and the President, In diplomatic.
tactfu, style. Is waiting for time to settle
1t so that he will not have to take sides
any more than necessary.
OF course. it grows out of the determine
ton Of what is called the Kittredge ma
chine to defeat Senator Gamble for re-elec-
ton to the Senate. Senator Gamble won't
be defeated as easily as some of his OPP
ponents thought, and the fact that he Is
pretty we'll charged with electricity makes
1t necessary for his recommendations To
have the same consideration as Ii he had
Just been reelected.
Back several months ago Senator Gam
BILE. who was at that time on the ragsed
edge OF the Kittredge machine, and knew
that he would be trapped at the first OPP
portunity, called on the President and rec
commended the retention In office OF James
D. Elliott United States attorney, whose
record was unobjectionabie to the Depart
ment of Justice.
Then the Kittredge combine, consisting
of Senator Kittredge and Representative
Martin and Burke and all the trimmings
that go with congressional influence, pre-
scented to the President the name OF a. =.
Biernatzk OF Salem. There were num-
Der of calls Of both sides at the "hite
get together, which they never did ana
never will according to those who KNOW
the little game. Then the visits grew less
and less for a number of weeks. nut tney
are now being renewed. Representative
Martin today presented Frank crane
chairman of the republican state commit
tee and q personal friend of the President
Mr. Crane however. did not go into the
details of the matter.
1t was stated month or so ago that the
President had said he would not give an
other term to Elliott. but the friends OF Sen
ator Gamble do not believe this is 80. as
they have not received any intimatioh VI
that kind from the chief executive.
Another Question Involved.
Besides the United States attorneyship
there is another important question IN
volved. When the two senator's were work
ing tremendously together they filed most
of the post Office vacancies. When the
split came between them Senator Gamble
insisted that he be allowed to name half
the postmasters of the state, while Repre-
sentatives Burke and Martin asserted that
the post office patronage should go to them
and not the senators. as they represented
the only two districts IN the state, and 1t Is
customary to permit the representatives or
a district to dispense the post office patron
age To decide this way would be to give
all the patronage In the state to the anti
Gamble combine, and naturally Mr.. Gamble
il seeking to prevent 1t. The representa-
tives believe they will succeed How much
the patronage will amount to AFTER they
get It. If they do. is problematical II the
President continues to carry out the pollcy
of retention In office OF postmasters regard
less Of political recommendation. II their
records are good.
The President is expected to settle the at
torneyship problem and the post office APP
pointments at the same time.
The President and Town Topics.
In his testimony in New York yesterday
Col, Mann. editor of Town Topics, testified
that President Roosevelt. ex-President
Cleveland and Bishop Potter were the only
persons on the free list in the publication
of 'Fads and Fancies,' about which there
has been so much talk. He indicated that
the proofs of the article about the Presi-
dent had been read by Secretary Loeb and
returned. ApropoS of the whole matter the
following letter was made public at the
White House today:
THE WHITE HOUSE,
WASHINGTON, November /. 1905.
''Sir: The President directs me to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your letter run
ming as follows:
"'Col. Mann's compliments to the Presi-
dent. and requests the honor of acceptance
of the work 'Fads and Fancies,' for repre-
sentation in which the President was
pleased to give photograph to Mrs Hamp-
ton some three years ago. and which is but
just completed The volume Is sent today
by Adams Express.
October the thirteenth
Nineteen hundred and five
And to say that, as Mrs Hampton has
already publicly stated the President did not
give any photograph TO her for publicatio in
the work in question. and that he knew
nothing of the book. or of the fact that
Mrs. HAMPTON wished the photograph for
use therein. Under the circumstances the
President cannot accept the book and It is
accordingly returned to you herewith
yours truly. VIM LOEB. Jr
Secretary to the President.
Col. William D'A. Mann
Editor Town Topics.
49, 9TH avenue. New York"
Pennsylvanians Coming.
Senator Penrose arrap1ad .oda- -