The Penn's Grove record., 1911-05-05
FEW PLACES FOR
THE JOB SEEKERS
Patronage Question More Acute
Than Ever For Democrats.
ECONOMIES CAUSE LOUD Wall
orca Inlet Bobs Up as the Greatest
Dancer Point on the Pacific
Coast-Offers Foothold
to Enemy in Case
of War.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.

OF war
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.
Washington.-Of course this ques-
ton of patronage has always confront
ed the party elevated to power since
Jefferson said of federal office hold
But never has it been SO acute as 1t
Is at the present moment. The Dem
ocratic party in the house as indiv1d-
uals figured that each member ought
to have about $2,700 worth of patron
age, outside of his. own clerk hire.
Then the party as a whole reduced
the number and the emoluments OF
employees so materially that no n
member now has more than $1,100 OF
patronage at his disposal.
Well, here is what happens. There
are about twenty Democratic con-
gressmen who, proceeding on the first
proposition, have brought to the capt.
tai two or perhaps three constituents
to divide up that $4,000. The pittance
of $1,100 looks very small; the con-
stituents are hanging about the hotels
%devouring the substance Of their
chiefs and saying words about the sort
of economy which saves at the spigot
and wastes at the bunghole.
Personally I do not believe that the
American voter cares for that kind
of economy. But that is the kind he
is going to get for a time.
One Economy S~Idetracked.
Representative Clark Of Florida in
troduced the other day a resolution
which would have Topped off $4,000
annually in expenses for super1uous
clerks and committees, but it was
neatly railroaded, on a point of order,
to a committee whence it will prob
ably never emerge. Yet the point was
well taken. There are committees of
the house with five rooms, clerks, as
not met once in a session. There are
three committees on elections, but as
there are no contests for seats in the
present congress they will have no
business to transact-nevertheless
they will still have their clerk hire
and other perquisites to dispense.
There are of course many hard
working committees, but out Of the
81 recorded in the congressional di-
rectory a scant dozen meet ten times
during the session. Such committees
as that on reform in the civil service,
revision of the laws, Pacific railroads,
disposition of useless executive pa
xy~~{s1a+.o~ o-I 440,,o, mr.
expenditures on public buildings prac-
tically never meet. Yet they all have
secretaries, with aggregate expendi.
lures not far from $15, 900.
Just as in the Republican party
there has been a large %insurgent ele-
apparent that in the Democratic par
ty during the present session there
will be insurgency. Probably it is one
of the penalties which a party must
pay for power to have a revolt within
its ranks.
insurgency May Be Useful.
Nobody insurged very much among
the Democrats until there were some
spoils of Office to distribute. Now In
surgency is rife, and while it is alto
gether improbable that it will prove
a controlling force, it may be a useful
balance wheel. What has already been
done by the Clark resolution is going
to be pushed by other members for
several days yet to come. Unques-
tionably it delays public business be-
cause in every instance the effort of
those who are fighting to limit the
power of the small oligarchy which
seems to control the majority in the
house is to be a determined one, ever
though it may not be successful.
The whole thing could have been
averted if the committee on ways and
means, every member of which is re-
spected and most of them most deci.
dedly liked by the Democratic forces,
had not committed the error of max.
ing it's sessions secret and pledging
it's members eve to divulge what
was done during their deliberations. ]
have talked with several of the more
or less disconnected Democrats. They
refer to that committee as the "Om.
ulpUlcuL HOuIIcSA. out WITCH LILO,
committee controlling the caucus pro
ceeded to appoint a committee, which
is obviously subservient to the larger
committee, to handle all the matter OF
patronage and to distribute places al
it's will, 1t started a revolt that may
be dangerous.
Problem Of Orca Inlet.
That magnificent Pacific coast Of
ours, with it's orange groves and its
gold mines, its wheat belt and its Ore
gon apples, seems destined to make
continual trouble for the United
States. Here is the latest problem
which is to be put up to the country.
On the southern coast of Alaska are
two good harbors, free from ice the
year round, and because of rivers
flowing into them, affording gatewayf
into the interior of that ice and noun
tain-bound territory. The one with
which I have to deal here is what
was called Cordova Bay, but which
the government has lately dubbed
Orca Inlet. 1t is a harbor big enough
to float any two navies now on the
ocean, but entrance. being split by ar
island, is scarce a half mile wide. Or
Warship as MusseI Bed.