The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-04-14
WHERE SOUTH COMES IN ON FEDERAL PIE
IT'S PLATE, AS USUAL, WILL BE SPARINGLY
HELPED. TAFT PLAYING OLD GAME.

LAYING OLD GAME.
the head of that department of the
government which has the dispense
ton of the greatest number of fed
eral appointments, and specifically
endowed with an advisory power
over all other political appointments
which are not in the postOftice de-
partment.
Mr.. Hitchcock is about as genial,
agreeable, courteous and clever a
gentleman as this city affords. There
is nothing mean about Mr.. Hitch
cock, and there is nothing small.
He is about as capable man as
there is in the administratiOn-and
! bear this in mind, he is on to his
| job. He has no decisions as to what
that job is, either. And, further
more, ne does not want anybody else
to have any decisions about it. The
understanding was made clear when
he accepted the position that the
heads of all the other departments
were to attend strictly to the duties
Of their departments; they were to
be men who were specially capable.
The attorney general was to be a
good lawyer, the secretary of the
treasury was to be a capable finan-
cier, the secretary of state was to be
man of conspicuous ability and as
tuteness in foreign affairs, and so on.
They were to let politics alone. Mr..
Taft could appoint few democrats.
or former democrats, to these posi-
tiOns if he liked. If they were on
the-fence-democrat- republican, mug
Wumpo NOndescripts, like Mr.. Nc
Veagh and Mr. Dickinson, all the bet
ter: they would not be inclined to
interfere with Mr.. HitChcOck's job
of political secretary and pie dispen-
ser.
Where the South Comes in.
This is the situation. Where does
the south come in? Why, easy
enough: just where it has always
come in. Mr.. Taft is an astute gen
tleman. He went down to Augusta,
to Atlanta, to Charleston, last winter
to study southern people. He found
out about them. With that wonder
full ability to discern the nature of
men which has characterized his ca
reer from his early youth he quickly
discerned that the southern people,
above all things, are particularly sus-
ceptible to the ancient and hOnOra-
BILE game of Josh"
In all of Mr.. Roosevelt's seven
years in the presidency, and in spite
of his half southern heritage, he
never found out a simple thing like
that; he thought he could lead the
southern people; finding he could
not do that he tried then to drive
them. Mr.. Taft simply joshes them.
And that is manifestation of the
wonderful wisdom we have seen so
widely heralded; but don't you sell
out all your property and invest the
money in high hat for your in
stallatiOn as postmaster unless you
are a good republican or the nearest
approach to it in your vicinity, and
then, before you pay for the hat, you
had better see Mr. Hitchcock or some
fellow who represents the republic
can organization in Georgia. Don't
you bother your little head or fool
away your precious time on a mere
democratic senator or representative
in congress.
What Has Been Is Going to BE.
What has been with respect to
federal appointments in the south is
going to be again, only little more
so. AS to what is, there is cOnsid-
cradle misunderstanding. AS to ne
gro postmasters, for instance, it will
be a surprising thing to most people
u ho0 vi
of late that there are exceedingly
few anywhere in the south at all.
In the whole state of Georgia, for
instance, out of the hundreds and
hundreds of pOStmasters only a very
few are negroes, and these in small
places where there are a large num-
Der of negroes.
The custom is in all other parts of
the country, except the south, to
consult the republican senators and
representatives in congress about ap-
pOintments in the federal service.
This is a ''spoils" government. No
sane man can have any delusions
about that. A republican admins
tration is looking out first for the
party good, and second when at all
for the good Of the service A DEM
ocratic administration would likely
do the same thing In republican
districts the congressman are con-
suited about postmasters and the
senators, if republicans, are asked
about the more important and bigger
offices.
The Referee Plan.
AS to appointments in democratic
districts of the north other republi-
can congressman form the same state
or the state or county republican
chairman are asked. Except in those
few southern states which have one
or more republicans in congress the
plan has been to refer applicants to