The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-02-10

fCmmttnWGW HEOm EM&G V8r1
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do 40 when 1 can get the consent OF
the Senators from his locality. But
where a Senator treats an appoint
ment not as q matter OF consultation
or mutual agreement, not asia matter
Of convenience and expediency, but az
matter of right on his part TO nonl-
nate whomever he chooses, the custom
Is necessarily discontinued.
I'm the South Atlantic and Gulf
States which have contained neither
Senators nor Congressman OF my own
party, I have been obliged to seek my
advice from various sources. In these
States I have appointed large num-
Der Of Democrats. In certain States the
Democrats appointed outnumbering the
Republicans. For advice In appointing
the Republicans, have relied wher-
ever possible not upon -ofhceholders at
all, but upon men OF standing and po1
sition who would not take ONCE ana
on whose integrity I could depend. AS
instances merely, / will refer to COL
onei Cecilia. Lyon, OF Texas. COM
handing one OF the Texas National
Guard regiments, and a man OF inde-
pendent means engaged in active busi-
ness, and to Mr.. Pearl Wight. Of
Louisiana, and to Mr.. Coombs, Of Flor
ida, also men of independent means
and of large business AFFAIRS; all OF
them being 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 once in my gift; and could
no more coerce or control their politi-
ical action than l could for Instance,
that OF presidents Of chambers of COM
merces or colonies OF National Guard
reRiments In similar States IN the North.
In all. OF these states, have done
my best, when l came to appointing
Republicans, to put the best men In
office, and have every reason to be-
lieve that he average Of my appointees
Is very high. At present various ef-
forts are being made to get up boiling
delegations from the Southern states
and the meetings at which there So
called delegates are chosen are usually
announced as 'non-office holders
conventions. AS a rule this means
only, so far as 1t means anything, that
they are held under the lead OF per-
sons who wish to be put in office. but
whose character and capacity are such
that they have not been regarded as
fit to be appointed under this admin
istration. In these cases be 1t remem-
bered that the failure to secure office
is not the result of the political action
of the men in question; on the con-
trary their political action 10 due to
You quote a newspaper as saying,
I'VE are now getting daily lessons in
civil service reform from the White
House, which ought to attract national
attention. The appointment of Tart
workers to post offices in Ohio, and
Of the totally unfit George w. Wanna
maker as appraiser of this port is now
followed by the Presidents refusal to
reappoint a good Hughes man as col
Iector Of customs at Plattsburg."
UnserupmIOus and Untruahful.
This article is a good example OF
the accusations made By those OF our
opponents whose partisanship renders
them especially inscriptions and un-
truthful Mr.. Wannamaker's appoint
ment was recommended by the three
Congressmen from New York county
and by the two Senators, the appoint
ments being made precisely as the hun
dreds Of similar appointments are
made, and in conformance with the
custom which has obtained throughout
my term of service and throughout the
terms of service of Mr. Mckinley. Mr.
Cleveland and many other predeces-
sors. In this particular case, as 1t hap
pens, Mr.. Wannamaker Is peculiarly
fit for the position, being already an
assistant appraiser who has rendered
good service in that place; he was APP
pointed assistant appraiser by Presi"
dent MCKINLEY Twelve years ago, mas
served as acting appraiser several
times, and has a very good record.
The refusal to appoint a good Hughes
man as Collector of Customs at Platts-
burg refers to the case OF Mr.. Walter
witherbee, and the accusation in this
case Is particularly comic, because Mr..
Witherbee was an open and avowed
Taft man, the classmate of Secretary
Taft@ brother at Yale and both the
Secretary and his brother requested
his reappointment-the only New York
ONCE holder for whom they made such
a request. The Congressman from his
district and the Senator'S have not
agreed upon his successor and he is still
In ONCE. These facts were either
known to the editors OF the paper in
question or could have been found out
by the slightest inquiry. There re-
mains the allegations as to the APP
pointment of Taft workers" to post
oh1ces in Ohio.
In Ohio / have made fifty-eight post
once appointments; twenty-seven OF
these were reappointments. thirty-one
were new appointmnts, the last In