The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-18
HOORAA FOR sNITIi.

HOORAY FOR SMITH!
Last year n postmaster was appoint
ed mt Florence, South Carolina, to ste
coed a negro minister who had flled
the Office for good many years The
man selected for the place was Il
young white man. He was not accept
able To senator Smith and was APP
pointed against his protest. Florence
/ is the home post-oiiice of the Senator
who Insisted that the precedent by
1 which the United states Senators are
4 allowed to exercise a large influence
In the choosing of postmasters at the
! places OF their residence be observed
/ in his case" Before making the ap-
lpointinent which was distasteful to
the Senator, the President made in
qutry about tho fitness of the young
| man for the Office and Postma ster-
/ General Hitchcock looked him over and
| after examining all the objections that
! had been made to him, reported to
the President that he looked Very
good
The Senator, however persisted in
his objection and, finally. the nominal
ton has been withdrawn. The Flor
| ence Times, Senator Smiths home pa
! per- thinks that Senator Smiths
| stand was broad. strong and unassail-
| able that lie will now send TO the
President six names of men approved
by the people OF Florence for the
| President to make his selection out OF.
and the whole matter will be lust
where it was before, except that SEN
ator Smith will have whipped out the
President, the Postmaster General and
all the machinery of the Republican
party and those in the South in whom
that party puts confidence" Hooray
for smith! 1t does not matter what
the President. who alone has the ap-
pointing power, may think about it,
Smith has got him where he wants
him and. like Truth. though crushed to
earth. Smith rises again. and will keep
on rising as long as he can serve
available postmasters to the President
in blocks of skies
The Columbia State. which lives in
the vicinage, takes rather philoso-
phic view of the situation. 1t aues-
tions the wisdom OF the alleged pre-
cedent upon which the Senator bases
his right to hold up the President in
this case. Admitting that the Presi-
dent is necessarily. if perhaps unfor-
tunately,' dependent upon Congress
men for advice in regard to appoint
ments, it contends that Is no reason
for the twisting of the Consultation, so
that particular Senator and not the
President she'll appoint postmaster
| anywhere" The State continues its
study of the question as follows:
Does courtesy imply that sena-
| tor be given a ostmastership as a
nest-egg from which to begin the
! Matching of brood OF political
| 'heelers?' Would not a Senator's use
fulness as legislator be enhanced by
! stripping him of his power in distri-
huting 'plums?' Is he not sent to
Washington to legislate? Is not his
: salary sufficient compensation for ms
services-or is 1t proper to bestow
, upon him the power of befriending his
political supporters in order that he
may be the better rewarded?
senator. smith mas merely exercised
a personal right, but why should the
Senators be permitted by custom 10
take from the executive what the Con-
; stituton gives him? Why not abolish
the custom? Why not discipline the
Senator
The Senate must confirm the APP
4 pointments made by the President; but
there is no law to compel the Presi-
dent to select from the nominations
made by the Senators. whether they
come singly or in squads of six. The
man who appoints is the man who Is
held responsible for the appointments
and not the men who confirm the APP
pointments. But Senator Smith, as re-
ported, has routed the President and
| his home paper knew that he would
prevail. 1t is an interesting situation;
but a very small situation, except as 1t
shall make the people of the whole
country consider the necessity of such
| changes in the rules and precedents
of the Senate as Will prevent further
invasion of the rights of the Execu-