The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-06-02
MIR. TAFT PUZZLES THEM.
practical Politicians" Find They
Are Not Consulted About Judges
And Party Workers Are Hungry.

Washington, May 2S.-President
Taft has made it painfully apparent
to the practical politicians" of his
Party that he cares nothing whatever
about building up a machine for his
denomination. AS result the poll,
ticians are all at skies and sevens.
Postmaster General Hitchcock,
chairman of the Republican National
Committee and patronage dispenser,
Is finding difficulty in filling the hun
CRY maws of some party men who
did hard work when delegates and
votes for TIft were needed.
In the South, where President Taft
appointed a Democrat and a newly
converted Taft Republican to sue
ceed men whom President Roosevelt
had appointed Federal judges with
the endorsement of the Republican
organization. there IS despair. Mr..
Taft is told that he has disrupted the
organization. He is not moved, for
he regards the Republican organiza-
ton in North Carolina, where he ap-
pointed a Democrat as judge, as
largely given to 'office-chasing.' On
the other hand, he took pains in his
speech at Charlotte last week to fire
at the Democratic organizations ef-
ofrt to create the impression that
n
fit for public Office. Friends OF Mr..
;aft attribute the warmth OF his re
ception south Of Mason and Dixon's
line TO the fact that he scored the
professional politicians Of both par
tics and promised to appoint only
able. respected men to Office.
One after another the plums OF the
public service are being awarded to
persons who have rendered no par
tlcular political services to Mr.. Taft.
The judiciary has peen taken out of
politics by the president amid wailing
and gnashing of teeth, for a judge
ship has long been regarded the fat
test kind Of patronage. Another
plum, a bank examInership at New
York, merely slipped into the fingers
* Elmer Dover, who was seer atar;
Of the Republican advisory commit
tee curing the campaign, who was
rat friendly to Taft before the Ch'ca-
g' convention and whose ~elxtiCn ms
with Mr.. Hitchcock have been of the
''arm's-length" character. When the
president learned that the post car
ri'd $4,000 salary he decided II was
too good for Mr.. Dover, especially Is
Mr. Hitchcock's friends felt that such
conspicuous reward would be regard
ed in the nature Of slight to the ma
tional chairman.
President Taft is spending much Of
his time in looking for well-qualifie
men for government posts where real
work is to be done. He has plenty
of applicants with strong political
backing, but these he does not hold in
high regard. He is disposed to look
over the legal profession in various
parts Of the country, with the result
that desirable posts are being prof
sered every now and then to able
men who have never secured any
backing from Senators or Represen-
tatives or national committeeman.
The practical party men are free i'll
declaring that Mr.. Taft could not
hive been elected save by the aid Of
political workers and that he should
recognize the obligations incurred.
When prominent man was asked
MS opinion of the situation today he
said: why should Taft try to build
ny a machine? He has the finest
machine ever developed for any man
in this country-the confiden"e of the
)usiI ess men of the nation"