The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-11

links In them to good men. Is 1t to
 be wondered at when we consider what our Senators represent at home? You sees We really are asking the Presi- dent to give us better men than we
 give him. Is that reasonahlee Isn't
 ne rignt! Isn't 1t up to us to reform
 our cities, and finally our states. so
 that we mayfsend to Washington Sem ators and Representatives who natural
 ly will advise the President to appoint good men to Federal offices?
 CT course we ought to help him
 more than we do. I think we, the
 people. who send here some of the
 more to blame than he us. But that
 dosent let the President out; not entirely. He makes some appoint
 ments which he himself calls pretty bad. Why does he do that? He does 1t to keep some Senators in line
 on his legislation. That's politics.
 That is a political method. and bad.
 and not necessary. For suppose
 again, as we suppose in the case of
 the House. suppose he should recon-
 mend his bills, then wait--saying no
 more, making no deals, distributing no patronage-but waiting for the Senators to vote; then suppose that. , with the poll of their votes in his hand
 he should appeal to us to elect State legislators who would defeat the Senators who voted wrong, and who would re-elect those vniy4 who voted
 right Don't you suppose that we then would clean up "our delegation l in the U. s. Senate? We should have to clean up our States at the same stimulate a reform wave all over the United States? Why dosen't the President do that?
 Because he wants ito accomplish
 something" and this process would be too long and too slow. It seems
 to me that the starting of suen a movement would be accomplishing something. But the President has a right to choose what he shall try. and general national reform movement, including all the cities and States and
 the United States isn't a part or his He may come to it before ne IS
 done, for the opposition to him here is very bitter; 1t is very obstinate, very
 shrewd, very sure of victory But
 principally, 1t Is bitter.
 Why Is it so bitter? This Is what
 we started out to determine. we
 have decided that 1t IS not because
 he is a menace to the constitution;
 nor because he makes deals' ana lt
 cannot be because he uses patronage In Congresses For the Senators also take his patronage; they fight for it; they rob their Congressmen to get more of it; and they sell their votes on hills in return for these offices with which they pay ''our" political lead- CTS at home for delivering our votes
 to them. No, it is we who object to
 these political methods, not the enc
 mics of the President, not the friends of the Senate They use them. what Is the matter then?
 The secret must lie in the things
 he is trying to get done. What are they? They are many. but among them are three pieces of legislation
 which big special interest are oppos- ing. the statehood bill, the Philip
 pine tariff bill, and a bill to regulate railroad rates. Now I don't know the
 merits of these bills, mot yet; nor
 do I care much about them. The point ' for the present is that the Fresioens : thinks they are in our interest ana
 me friends of the Senate think we think so. They believe we are be-
 hind the President. Whether we are or not is another questions Fhls is certain: x,y,. a,sa ran he the meaning of the great Washington question:: "1s the Presl- dents popularity waningE Ihey think the President represents us meaning you and me and the man nt the street-all of usn who con wan
 anything but a square deal. Anu tbst,s what's the matter in Washington ' think. Not alone that the Presloen' is PresIdent; not that he is more than President; not that he is ooss.
 The trouble seems to be that the i President is bossing them in our in- terest; he Is trying to make them rep- resent us little.
 LINCOLN STEPHENS.