Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-14

employed, and the work has been so
great that there has not been time
LOT current transcription of reports.
me course OF Congress throughout.
mas been adverse rather than fayora
PIE 10 campaign TO sustain Mr..
hoosevelts policies, and with Mr..
Iaft as candidate the party VIII 60
into the campaign lily equipped ana
with but lukewarm support from
quarters both In and out of Congress
which have been the main reliance OF
the party heretofore.
uoee Federal Power Without Limit.
Mr.. Roosevelt's methods, while
probably effective in maintaining his
control of the party organization. have
oeen irritating in the extreme to all
OF his party not absolutely bound up
In attachments to his person and have
exceeded the most extreme examples
OF spoilsmanship ever before practice
ed from the White House. The bull
wark of his strength in political ma
nipulntion has been the influence OF
tho of!iceholding class. the exercise
OF which he, as Civil Service Commits
sioner during the term of President
Harrison, vigorously condemned. and
there has been no limit either TO ia
vor or reprisal in the Presidents at
tempts to enforce his authority rs
party leader Men opposing the ad
ministration who have been sent for
by the President have reported that
the first question put to them in meet
ing their opposition was What do
you wnnt?"
The exercise of omceholders' in
huencc for the control of the Rcpub-
lican national convention so as to en-
able the President TO dictate the Sc
lection OF his successor has been so
Migrant that II has produced spirit
of sullenness among the Republican
leaders In Congress and excited fac
tional contention within the party in
nearly every state In the Union.
Cleveland Checked Partisans.
In 1886 President Cleveland issued
instructions to Federal of1iceholders,
In which he said:
The influence of Federal onicehold-
ers should not be felt in the manipu-
lation of political primary meetings
and nominating conventions The
use lT these officials of their posi-
tons to compass their selection as
delegates to political convention Is in
decent and unfair. and proper regard
Tor the proprietios and requirements
OF official place will also prevent their
assuming the active conduct of polit-
ical campaigns.
Individual interest and activity in
political affairs arc by no means con-
demned. Ohiceholders are neither
disfranchised nor forbidden the exer-
cisc OF political privileges; but their
privileges are not enlarged nor is
their duty to party increased to per-
nicious activity bv ofliceholding.
"A Just discrimination In this regard
between the things citizen may
properly do and the purposes for
which n public Office should not be
used Is easy in the light of a correct
appreciation of the relation between
the people and those intrnsted with
official place. and n consideration of
the necessity. under our form of gov
eminent, OF political action free from
official coercion
Roosevelt, Endorsed Cleveland.
President Roosevelt In response to
a letter from the civil service COM
mission in June, 1902. relating to this
subject. thus reiterated the order Of
President Cleveland. following the re-
iteration with definition of distinc-
ton to be drawn between oficehold-
ers within the classified service and
those not in the classified service ms
to their privilege to participate In
politics:
Gentlemen AS the greater includes
the less. and as the executive order
of President Cleveland of July II,
1886. Is still in force. I hardly think
1t will be necessary AGAIN to change
the postal regulations"
Whole Machine at Work Now.
Notwithstanding this no election
now being In progress. the full power
OF patronage and oficeholders' innu-
Ience has during the last several
months been eyerted. not for the gem
eral advancement of party interests.
but for the control. of party organiza-
ton and party primaries for the pur-
pose of compelling the Republicans TO
accept as n candidate for the presi-
dency the man selected by Mir. Roose-,
welt as his successor.
Tie order issued iw President
Cleveland and reiterated by President
Roosevelt makes n distinction be-
tween activity of officeholders in an
election in support of candidates al
ready nominated and that exercised
to control party organization and TO
determine the selection of the candi-
date.
Boydton Bank Closes Doors.
BOYDTON. April 13-Thc Bank CT
Mecklenburg closed its doors this