The newspaper., 1910-02-04
DISPENSING U. S. LOAvEs AND FISHES

Mexico a Los Estado Union ap
peared in the Pueblo Chieftain,
taken from the Superior (Wis
Telegram, presents one view OF
a state of affairs at Washington
that will prove interesting to our
readers, so we give it space in our
columns, as being an excellent ex-
position of how patronage is dis
tributed by the powers that be.
Reader, do you think your agents
at Washington, whether senators
or representatives., should be in
dependent of any one except
their constituents, the chief fac
tors in dispensing patronage,
postoffices and census positions
for examples, or, do you think
some political boss of your party
or the other fellows party through
his influence with the powers that
be, should appoint such officers,
agents only getting occasionally
the privilege of naming an officer
and then on condition of support
ing a measure or measures repug-
nant to them and their constitu-
ents2 In our judgment among
the insurgents in Congress are
many who will not belittle them
selves by compliance even though
loaf and fishes, loaves and whales,
or herring and crumb, be OIL
fered them:
"lf the interview given out from
Washington on the question of
patronage to "insurgent" repre-
sentatives and senators be en-
tlrely accurate. then we wonder
whether we are still living in the
United States or have been sud-
denly transported to Mexico.
When the people OF Certain
section of Mexico elect a repre-
sentative to Mexico City. the gen
tleman elected is on arrival. IN
structed by President DIaz on the
code of procedure. He is told
what his expressed opinions must
be and told how to vote on I'M
portant and unimportaut subjects
The rights OF his constituency are
not recognized. neither is his own
individual opinion considered
though perhaps he might be as
we'll advised as to Il c future wei
fare of Mexico as the president
himself
The interview aforesaid which
came from Washington. credits
President Taft with saying that he
believes the relations between the
congressman and the senators and
the president should be recipro-
cal; that is, that the president
should recognize the recommen-
dations of senators and congress
men tor appointments in their
districts while on the other hand.
being Republicans, the senators
and representatives should help
the president in whatever legisla
ton he may think of benefit to
the country at large.
On the face of ii this looks like
fair proposition, but let us con-
slider IT a bit. 1t was the intent OF
the trainers of the constitution
that the man elected IRON the
eleventh district OF Wisconsin, for
illustration, should use his best
judgment TO bring about fair and
equitable laws for the benefit OF
the whole people OF the United
States.
Under the new regime things
appear to be changed. Now it sp-
pears that the president of the
United States is supposed to de-
eide what measures are important
tor the benefit of the whole coun-
try. and the representatives and
senators are supposed to fall in
line or be deprived of their pa :
ronage. 1t has been the custom
from time immemorial for the Re-
publican representatives during a
Republican administration to con-
troll Republican patronage in a