The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-11

pretty we'll. But the city ringsters, beaten
IN the city, retreated to the State Leg.
islature for support. The Chicago re.
formers followed and fought them there.
And they won with Deneon for Gov
error. But In order to win they had ia
meet and beat the Federal bunch, ~
they call Senators Cullom and Hopkins,
Speaker Cannon and the other Federal
officeholders in their State. Chicago and.
in q measure, Illinois, have restored re-
prasentativo government and the old
rings. city and State. have little moro
than the Federal offices to keep them go
Ing. Now. why Ia It," said a Chicago
man In Washington tho other day, why
Is It that every time we throw a dead
politician out in tho scrap heap. the
President picks him UP and puts him in a
postoflce or something as good?"
Why. indeed! How does tho. President
see itf He says he can't know ali about
office in Chicago, 80 he takes the advice
OF the Senator's and Congressman from
out there. Tho Chicago reformer cart
understand why the President DOESN'T
consult him. But tho President answers
thai the people OF Chicago and Illinois
don't send tho Chicago reforner 70 Cor
gress to advise him: they send Messrs.
Cullom and Napkins and Cannon and
ex-boss Loriner. n these, the accredited
representatives OF their State, want
doc" Jamison or Fred Busse appointed.
Another rebul<e for us; all Of IN. For
such instances arc troubling good ctttxens
all over this country. Every State a
nearly every district probably knows OF
appointments not from tho SCRAP heap.
perhaps, because not many communities
have heaps of political scrap: but We all
have rings. and We 500 the President pre-
fcrrins links in them to good men. ID It
to be wondered at when we consider
what our senator's represent at homo:
You SEQ, we really are asking tha Presi-
dent to give us better man than we give
him. Is that reasonable? Isn't no right?
Isn't It up TO us to reform our cities,
and finally our States. so that we may
send TO Washington senator's and repre-
sentnttves who naturally will advise the
President to appoint good men to Federal
offices?
OF course, we ought to help him more
than we do. I think we. the people. who
send hero some OF the senators some of
us do send arc moro to blame than he Is.
But that doesn't let the President out;
not entirely. He makes IN appoint
ments which he himself calls pretty bad.
Why does he do that? He does It to
keep some senator's in line on his legisla-
ton. That's politics. That is a political
method. and bad, and not necessary.
For support again. as we supposed In
tho case OF the House. suppose he should
recommend his bills. then wait-saying
no more, making no deals. distributing
no patronage-but waiting FOR the sena-
tors to vote; then suppose that with the
poll OF their votes in his hand he should
appeal to us to oiect State legislators
who would defeat the senator's who
voted wrong. and who would re-eIect
those only who voted right. Don't you
suppose that we then would clean up
Our delegation in the United States
Senate? We should have to clean up our
States at the Same time. but wouldn't
such an appeal stimulate a reform wave
all over the United States? Why doesn'l
the President dc that?
Because he wants to accomplish some
thing and this process would be too
long and too slow. It seems to me that
the starting OF such a movement would
be accomplishing something. But the
President has q right to choose what he
shall try, and a general national reform
movement, including all the cities and
States and tho United States isn't a
part Of his policy.
He may come to 1t before he IL 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 1t Is so bitter. This is what we
started out to determine. We have do
cided that 1t Is not because he Is a men
ace to the constitutions; nor because he
makes deals. and 1t cannot he because ha
uses patronage in Congress. For tho
Senators also take his patronage; they
fight for Il; they rob their Congressman
to get more of Il: and they sell their
votes on bills in return for these Offices
with which they pay our political
leaders at home for delivering ''our'
votes to them. No, 1t is wo who object to
these political methods. not the enemies
of the President, not the friends of the
Senate. They use them. What is this
matter then?
The secret must lie In the things he is
trying to get done. What arc they? They
are many, but among them ara thras
pieces OF legislation which big special
interests arc opposing; the Statehood
hnl. the Philippine tariff bill, and a bill
to regulate railroad rates. Now I don,t
know the merits of these bills, not YET;
nor do I care much about them.
The point for the present. Is that the
President thinks they are in our inter-
est and the friends OF the Senate think
we think so. They believe we ana
behind the President. Whether we are
or not Is another question. This Is GER
tain:
Ihey' Tear that we are. What else
can be the meaning OF the great Wash
ington question: rs the Presidents pc-
pularity waning?" They hin the Presi-
dent represents US, meaning you and
me and the man In the street-all OF US,
who don't want anything but a square
deal. And that's what's the matter In
| Washington, l think. Not alone that the
President is President. but that he Is
our President; nor that he is moro
~ n - pracl1onf. y yrtM thai = haH iuMo 4hooo&IG
Bosses are not bitter about bosses. The
trouble seems to be that the President
is bossing them In our interest; he is
trying to make them represent us a
little.