The sun., 1908-02-10

almost question whether it is worth whiIo
answering. but as II is you who aAks Why.
the answer you shall have.
Since the present Congress assembled
two months ago have sent to the Senate the
nAnsoa Of all the officials have appointed
for the entire period since Congress ad-
iOurped on the tth OF March last-that ia.
for eleven months. Excluding army and
AaYy officers. scientific experts. health
officers and those Of the revenue cutter
service. | have made during this period
about thirteen hundred and lRty-tWo
appointments, subject to confirmation by
the Senate. eleven hundred and sixty-Rour
being postmAsters. OF these. appoint
ments in the diplomatio and consular ser
vices and In the Indian service have been
made without regard to politics; in the
diplomatic and consular services more
Democrats than Republicans have been
appointed. a. we are trying to even up the
quotas Of the Southern States.
In nominating judges | have treated
politics a. a wholly secondary considera-
tion; and instead of relying solely upon the
recommendation OF either Senators or
Congressman have always conducted indie
pendent inquiries myself personally.
through members Or the bench or the bar
whom happen to know OF through Attor-
ney-General Bonaparte Secretary Taft,
who was himself a Judge: Secretary Root,
because Of his great experience nt the bar,
or Senator Knox, who was formerly my
Attorney General.
Ina number of other offices, chiefly as
sistant secretaries or heads of bureaus here
A. Washington. but also Governors Of Ter
rtoties or men holding peculiar positions.
such. for instance. as that Of Commissioners
Of Education in Porto Rico, and also in a
few other cases. notably those Of marshals
in certain of the Western States, but in
Cluding various Offices also here and there
throughout the Union. l have either felt
that the position was of such cha raCter
that the initiative in the choice could only
with propriety come from me or from one
of the Cabinet officers, or else have hap
pened personally to know of man of such
peculiar qualifications that | desired to
appoint him on my own initiative.
There remain the great bulk OF the
Offices. including almost all of the post
offices, the collectorships Of customs the
appraiserships. the land officers end the
like. numbering some ,?iO or theres bout,
II il of course out Of the question lo; me
personally TO examine or have know ledge
of such a multitude Of appointment ara
therefore as regards hem | normally
accept the suggestions OF Senators ynL
Congressman, the elected representatives
of the people in the localities concerned.
always reserVing to myset the right to
insist upon the mans coming up tu jhe
required standard OF chaTa cter and ca
pacity and also reservinC the right 10 nomi
nate whomeyeT / choose If for any rea SOn
l am satisfied that ! am not receiving fruLI
Senator or Congressman good advice, or
il / happen personally to know some pc
culiarly it man. r.
"Where the man las dunt. well IN uftips
] prefer TO reappoin him. and DO so when
! can get the consent oi tn Senator's from
his locality, but if they rC.'Iss th" reap
pointment cannot br nadt ordinarily a.
a matter of conveni.nC' the appointment
can best be settled by consultation before
hand, the advice Of the senator or Con-
gTessman. who is elected and has peculiar
means Of knowing the wishes Of his con
stituents. being taken. Ru where Srna-
tor treats this act as "A mattaT oi couslta-
tion or mutual agreement, not matter
Of convenience and eXprdi-u"y. bur as a
matter Of right on his part 10 nominate
whomever he chooses the custom iS Dcc's.
sarily discontinued
In the South Atlantic and Gulf States,
which nave contained neither Senators nor
Congressman of my own party, | have
been Obliged 10 seek my advic. from vari-
Ous sources. H. 'hese States ! have ap-
pointed large numbers Of Democrats in
certain States the Democrats appointed
outnumbering the Republicans. For ad-
vice in appointing The Republicans have
relied wherever possible not upon office
holders at all but upon men of standing
aud position who would not take Office and
on whose integrity ! could depend. As
instances merely will refer to Col Cecil
A. Lyon Of Texas, commanding one of the
Texas National Guard regiments and a
man o: independent means engaged in
active business, and to Mr.. Pearl Wight Of
Louisiana and 70 Mr.. Coombs Of Florida
also men OF independent means and oE
largs business affairs. all of them heing
among the most respected men in their
several States.
These men, and most Of the others upon
whom | rely, could not be persuaded to
take any Office in my gift; and | could no
more coerce or control their political action
than l could, for instance, that of presi-
dents OF chambers Of commerce or Colonels
Of National Guard regiments in similar
States in the North. In all Of these States
| have done my best, when l came to APP
pointing Republicans. TO put the best men
IN Office. those whom the people OF the
locality accepted az such and regarded ss
leading citizens; and have every reason
to believe that the average Of my appoint
ees is very high.
AT present various efforts are being
made 10 get Up boiling delegations from
the Southern States, aud the meetings a.
which these so-called delegates are chosen
are usually announced as n-officeholders'
conventions. AZ a rule this means only,
40 far as il means anything. that they are
held Under the lead Of persons who wish
to he put in Office. but whose character and
capacity are such that they have not been
regarded az fit to he appointed under this
Administration. In these cases be II re-
nnenbered that the failure 20 secure Ofice
is not the result OF the political action OF
he man in c1laatiOr. on the contrary tbair