The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-04


 The civilization of Rome might nave survived if the Preterian bands had not demoraized the empire by their demands upon the authorities. who basely sur- rendered to their exactions. And Pre- torianism is not yet dead. What SICK enng story is that of France, the 1alr- est land beneath the sun, and the pravest nation of 10o vans, under the Valols, un- der the Bourbon, and under Napoleon the LittIe Read St Simon, or any one or a dozen other historians of the country of Du Gueselin, or Duneis, and of Bay ard, and you will see how the govern ment was prostftuted and the people crushed by the horde of worthless scamps billeted on the public purse, and the swarms of even more vile demireps. wan ton with the lust of pleasure and brazen with the lust of gain. who poisoned with their scductions and tainted with their conquests
 Well. we have the thing in modified form in this county, and it is expressed in the exuitation, ITO the victor belong the spoils." It succeeded in the time of Jackson because there were pretty nearly enough offices to go around; but while the places have increased by mathemati- cal progression. the place-seekers have augmented by geometrical progression. It is the bane of our system, for it Is superlatively American to be public functionary. By March f. 1913, the re- publicans will have had the presidency 16 years. If the democrats shall then come in, the man they put in the White House can get anything he wishes out of Congress If he shall call an extra session and refuse to distribute the pie until he receives what he demands in way of leg islation. What pity 1t is that we do not elect the President for life and then take from him every shred of political pow CT he has except to choose the flunkeys and the menials at the executive mansion. That would emancipate Congress and rem der it's members independent of the Pres ident.
 I fell into the foregoing reflection upon reading in the newspapers that James B. Curtis had been retained as clerk of the House committee on appropriations. Great was the surprise thereat, though 1t was not only the natural thing to do, but the inevitable thing to do. And pity 1t is that the rule does not maintain throughout the appointive civil service that does not require tie advice and con- sent of the Senate to make a change. Official patronage is a burden and not staff, liability and not an asset, to the party in power and to the politician not in office.
 The committee of appropriations of the House of Representatives was carved out of the committee of ways and means in 1865 in compliment to old Thad Stevens, who was its first chairman. He ap- pointed a man of his own name, but not Of kin, Robert J. Stevens of California, clerk, who held the position until 1883, though there were three democratic Congresses-the Forty-fourth, Forty-f1fth end Forty- ty-sixth-between 1865 and 1883, But in 1877 MT. Atkins, Tennessee dem- ocrat, was chairman of the committee, and he appointed MT. Courts as assistant clerk In 1883 he became clerk, a position he has held ever since He was appointed as a democrat, and every chairman since Randall, Holman and Savers, democrats, and Cannon, Hemenway and Tawney, re- pubficans-has retained him, because of J his accomplishments and his experience l would like to see the sundry civil bill the committee would make without his suggestions.
 r But" you say. this man might die." That is provided for. In 1891 MT. Hol- man brought young man here from In- diana, Mir K. F. Req, democrat, and he was made assistant clerk. He was continued in that position by Cannon. by Hemenway and by Tawney. republican