The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-23
President Exasperated.
Will Make Statement
About All Appoint
mentS.
Official Family ConVeneS
Today to Gather Data
for Administration
Answer.

Exasperated by repeutions OF the
Charge that Federal patronage has been
and is being used By him 10 further
the candidacy of Secretary Taft. the
President has determined 1t is an
nounced today, TO make direct reply in
the most public way.
Every member Of the Cabinet EXCEPT
Secretary COrteiyou went TO the White
House IN response 70 urgent summons
this morning, 70 be given Instructions
as TO their part In preparing the forth
coming statement. one OF two Cabinet
members had left their offices to appear
before Congressional committees i'm be-
helf OF pending Legislation. The com
mittees had to cancel the engagements.
the business at the White House took
precedence Of everything else
The President instructed each Cabiue-
member to prepare. just as soon as pos
slDie, a statement giving all appoint
ments IN his department. for which NOM
nations have been made recently. WIKI
the facts in each case. There was not
entire agreement as to the time TO be
/ covered one Cabinet officer under
stood that he was expected to report
on all nominations that have been sent
TO the Senate this session Of Congress
This would include all recess appoint
ments since the adjournment Of Con
Sress March 4 last. and would make the
record cover most OF a year. Another
Cabinet officer understood that his
I record was 10 cover simply appoint
ments since January a. 19og.
Records Being Prepared.
At any rate, there IS agreement that
/ the records are being prepared FOR each
department and that just as soon as
the material is in hand some sort Of
statement will issue from the White
House 1t will be Intended. not only as
an answer to the charge that patronage
has been used for political purposes
5nt also, IT is Understood. as the be-
ginning of a warfare on the Senate for
holding up Presidential appointments
The Senate's course in rejecting an
pointments in Ohio, in connection with
which the charge was made thar tbe..
were political, and in the interest Of
IaTt candidacy the rejection OF
New Hampshire appointment made
without consultation with the New
Hampshire Senators. ard to which thew
were opposed, and, more than all these
the Senato's course In institrrffn-r an f,,
AFFAIR, in which ii is charged that .
postmaster has been illegally holding
once nearly q year after being rejected
py the Senate for inCometencv-thesa
President
He has been for. some time making
lnhlgHant denials Of the political 7Ise ~
Offices, and 10 inquirers has renIied vvitF
a 'tInand for specifications. But the
determination to make svvceD{r,ay rer,rz,
that would demOlish critics OF he ar
pointing power seems not to have bsa,,
Ieached untu the Senate took a hand Inv
rejecting nominations.
FactiOnal Fight Signs.
The contest be -ween President o,s
Senate. it is pointed ouf. is tba r,og+
striking evidence yet traaspiring Of the
serious possibilities of the factIonaI f,y,t
IN the party over the control OF tbe
Presidential nomination. Originally t7e
Presidents interest in having his
friends control was understood 20 ba
based on concern that his uolfcfes
should be indoTsed and continued as the
policies of the party. This question OF
policies presently became secondary TO
that OF forcing the nomination of SEQ
retary Taft and in this connection the
charge of improper use of patronage has
been made effectively enough TO line IN
a unanimous Senate, without REGARD TO
party lines, against the President
Reports have been flying about Of Fx-
ecutive plans for retaliation against the
Senate. but just how the President is
to retallate effectively is not apparent
The Senate thinks It has the upper
hand, and is quite cOntentedly awaiting
Developments.
It IS impossible to learn now long n
time viii be required TO complete the
statement for the preparation of which
the Cabinet has been called. ExDecta-
ton is that 1t will require several days
at least.
Secretary Loeb 3 authority for the in
formation that tie statement will not
be directed to Congress. -
Governor hughes letter, in which he
issued caution against any use of New
York patronage in his behalf is said by,
many TO have had influence with the
President in inducing him to make the
forthcoming statement. CHARGES that
the Federal patronage was being used
politically have been barbed with a COM
parisOn with the attitude Of the New
York governor, which is said 10 have
been especially eXasperatinE to TIE
President