The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-08-13


yesterday.
-..%.s-
William b. McMaster, American Vice
Consul at Cartagena, was attacked and
seriously wounded by a Colombian, ac-
cording to a dispatch received by the
State Department from the legation at
Bogota. The Colombian government
has directed prompt punishment of the
culprit.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
that he wants to look out for those
who were his friends, although not to
the extent of ignoring Republicans who
favored other candidates. His course
in that regard has won him an unusual
amount of support in both branches of
Congress. There has been no such bit
terness among the allies and their many
lieutenants, as there was among the
Reed men during the first two years
of the Mckinley administrations, or as
there was among the Mckinley and
Hanna men during the first years of
the Roosevelt administrations.
Postmaster General Hitchcock is talk
ing care of a few Republicans in the
Postotiice Department. He has done
this without removing any of his four
assistants and, as faS as can be judged,
without impairing the efficiency of the
postal service. This is in marked
contrast with the conditions twelve
years ago, when the Postoffice Depart
ment was made the dumping ground
for multitude of politicians and when
laws and regulations were ignored to
make places and even sinecures for
the faithful. The census Office will
| help out as it has several hundred
supervisors to name, each of whom
will receive salary of $500 and per.
quisites which bring the total compen.
sation up to an average of about $4,000
But these welcome places have not
been turned over to the spoilsmen and
care is being exercised to select Taft
supporters who are competent for the
work. In the Republican States, Sen.
ators are being permitted to name
many of the supervisors, although oc-
casionally requested to endorse men
whom the President personally wants.
The President has exercised more
care and shown less partisanship about
| the diplomatic and consular appoint.
ments of his administration, probably
than any of his predecessors. His Sc
lections for those places have been al.
most entirely free from politics. No
personal favorites have been rewarded
and there has been very little political
consideration in naming men for those
much desired places. There was some
cutlery "A few weeks ago when about q
score of transfers of consuls was an.
nounced 1t was promptly recognized
in Washington that there We're good
| and sufficient reasons for these con
sular transfers and promotions and that
| this important service had been bene
| flied thereby.
Very few new men have been des
| ignated as ministers and ambassadors
! although heretofore Presidents have
regarded it as their right to bestow
those places upon their personal friends
| and supporters. The European prac
tice of transferring and promoting cap
| able diplomats has been followed t,
an unusual degree, particular in
stances being the transfer of w. w
Roekhill, minister at Picking, to ST
| Petersburg, and the transfer of ]. G
A. Leishman from ConstantinoplA t
Rome. Ambassador Rockhill has hat
no part in American politics for man,
years and has never, in any sense
been a politician.
When the President returns to Wash
ingtoD in the late autumn, there will
be many ripe plums on the tree o
patronage. The federal service, in it
many branches, is now so large tina
deaths and the expiration of term
make a big crop of vacancies ever,
year before the assembling of a Con
gress in regular session. There viii
be federal judges, district attorneys
collectors of customs and of interna
revenue and considerable list o
other officials to name. Some o
these places are necessarily more o
less political The filling Of them wi
affect politics in many states.
To date, the President has been en-
nroiled but little in the fractional pc
tiles of different localities. He Ia
had a tussle or two over minor Office
In his home state Of Ohio, but he la
had no big battles such as Roosevelt
had over places In New York or q
other Presidents have been unable I
avoid, These troubles are ahead d
him. His friends have no eXpeetati0
that he can escape, They viii Loo
large next winter and he will hay
10 choose not only between men, WI
want oliiee but between political ia
tons they represent
However the President has proeoe
cd thus Ear so satisfactorily 10 all so
ermed in the distribution ~ paifonag
that he has laid hn oYeellent found
lion of political emily and good vi