The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-03-20

A.lithe red book, five inches long,
two inches wide, and a quarter Of
an inch thick, has cost Tyler Page,
clerk of the Committee on Ac-
counts of the House of Represent
atives, 81 800 a year.
The little red book compiled by
Mr.. Page contains complete rec
ord of all patronage attached to
the House and at the disposal of the
majority party. 1t was issued a
month or so before adjournment,
and already has caused the Demo-
cratic leaders untold worry. 1t is
quite apparent, too, that the posi-
bilities of trouble resulting from
the tiny volume are not by any
means exhausted.
COMES NEAR GETTING JOB.
In the sundry civil bill passed by the
last House there came very near being
included a little paragraph creating Mr..
Page official indeXer of the House Of
Representatives. He would have been
mentioned by name as the incumbent Of
the job and would never have been re-
moved except for official misconduct.
At first no one had any objection to
the proposition. But finally. just as the
paragraph was about to he agreed to. a
Democratic member of the Appropriation
Committee. who had been thinking hard
for a moment, came to life with ques-
ton as to whether Mr.. Page hadn't pre-
pared devils textbook" which all
newly elected Democrats had been
pe-nsing with interest.
IF that is true said the Democrat
in question. I'll stay here until August
if necessary, rather than have that para
graph go in All the other Democrats
on the committee being of the same mind,
Mr.. Page was turned down with wonder
full unanimity. Also he will lose his job
as clerk of the Committee on Accounts
when the new Congress meets.
But. while the leaders of the Demo
Gratis are grieved over the publication OF
the book, all of the new members of the
majority party in the next House are
simply tickled to death and consider Mr..
Page a public benefactor.
All Are Hungry.
Why" said one of the Democratic
Congressional kids in the lobby of
downtown hotel to-day. as he lovingly
fingered the little red book. This is one
of the sweetest little volumes I have
ever read There's not a dull line in it
7 hadn't hp fai0taSt i6pa
all the economy stuff in the papers the
last couple of years. that my party in
the House had patronage at it's disposal
amounting to ;''0ost $l.OCO.0OO a year
think of it. $I.aW,C"O a year. And if
hadn't read THIS book I wouldn't have
known how many jobs [ an entitled 10
nor what particular ones l wanted. But
this list has made everything simple I
have served notice on the leaders that
l expect to name certain doorkeepers and
policemen and such. and have notified
several patriots in my district to come
on TO Washington and camp on the
scene. If don't get what l want there'u
be trouble
And this was only one member out Of
about eighty brand new hungry members
of the majority party, all of whom are
wearing little red books in their left
hand vest pockets, over their hearts,
and are notifying their party leaders by
mail and otherwise just what they want
and expect to get
OF course, the Democratic leaders of
the HOuse-Champ Clark. Oscar Under
wood, Ollie James, and the rest-are pa
triots and all that sort of thing, but they
are still human. Consequently it is no
part of their plan 10 turn eighty per-
fectly good but exceedingly hungry new
members loose in the orchard without a
guard They fear the plum trees would
not only be fiercely shaken, but might
even be denuded of branches and dug
up by the roots. They wouldn't have
had more than the usual trouble. except
for the Tyler-Page booklet. which has
supplied every member of the minority
with arguments in support of patronage |
demands And so they are pestered and |
worried and exceedingly indignant at |
Mr.. Page, who. since his life job dis |
appeared in a cloud of dust is wondering |
whether il pays to be real. genuine |
stmon-pure, unadulterated partisan after |
all.