The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-01-28

SYSTEM OF REFEREE

by james Hay, Jr.
SYSTEM OF REFEREE
Augusta. Ga. Jan. si.-Presi-
dent-elect Taft has decided TO dlp-
continue In his administration the
referee system of distributing Fed
eral patronage in the South.
This step. in his efforts To spread
| Republicanism In the South. has
been presaged by his speeches since
he came to Augusta. and nov In.
men who have talked To him on the
| subject say his mind is fully made
up.
The referee system has been con
sidered the root and cause OF all the
rottenness and Objectionable feat
ures in the Southern Republican
party. Under its workings two or
three men in each State have con-
stituted themselves committee 10
decide who should get the Federal
appointments in their States.
Owing to the political remoteness
of the South. the government at
Washington has been accustomed to
take these mems recommendation
as conclusive and to make the ap-
pointments according to their re-
concentrations.
Favoritism shown.
Under this regime the Federal Of
| fees In the South have been manip-
ulated in a manner which has not
helped the Republican party in any
of the States. Favoritism crept In.
and the self-constituted committees
dealt out the pork" as they saw NJ.
Their only guide. IL Is charged.
was 'hetr own rwaet viii. In uu-
merous 1ases. Objectionable persons
have been put Into Office. and in the
gre al majority of cases personal
friends or supporters OF the commit
tees have gotten all the jobs.
The result was that the Republi-
can party was considered a close
corporation for the exploitation of q
small ring of men who were thought
to be concerned only in serving their
own purposes.
Many Republicans refused to take
OF their belief that they could not
elevate the standing of the part
while the pork combine" was as
cendant. Democrats could not think
of going over TO Repubiicanism as
the system in vogue had discreditsd
hItaan1 Thngn rafaFaaN
were usually the Republican State
chairman and one or two of his lieu
tenants, and until very recently the
only function of Southern Repubii-
canism was TO draw government
money.
What agency Mr. Taft will use 10
take the place of the referees can
not be stated at this time. II has
been suggested that the Civil Ser
vice organization be used as an in
vestigator of the Standing and abii-
tiles OF men put forward for Federal
Office Another suggestion In that
the independent clubs which are to
be organized In this section Of the
country by John Hays Hammond
be used to pick good men
| Appoint Best Men.
| The President-eiect is determined
TO do everything in his power to ap-
point the best men possible TO once
I'm the South He has made this
promise In several speeches in the
South, and after each OF them. Re
lpublicans and independent Demo
Gratis have come TO him with the
statement:
There Is only one way to and
the best men. That is to abolish the
referee system that has been In
vogue here since the civil war"
OF the soundness Of this PROPOSE
ton anyone familiar with conditions
I'm the South can have not the slight
est doubt. The system is condemn
ed by the showing the party now
makes In the South. Mr.. Taft came
here with the realization that some
thing was radically wrong. and from
all sides has come the declaration
that the root of the evil Is In the
referee system.
1t seems now that the Civil Ser
vice will be the agency which will
Continued On Page 3D.