Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-26
lob SEEKERS ACTIVE
Demand for PostmaSterShipS
Especially Urgent.
LETTERS ARE POURING IN
Hundreds Coming Here to See Rep
rssentatives.
S0LONS DISCUSS PATRONAGE
Squabble Over Matter Expected in
House-Requests Are Sent
to Bryan.
LETTERS ARE POURING IN
soLONs DISCUSS PATRONAGE

The man who wants TO be postmaster
is the nightmare OF the democratic repre-
sentatives these DAYS. Thousands or
them all over the country and in every
democratic district are importuning their
senator's and representative for a recon-
mendation to the President-elect.
Enough applications for positions as
postmaster are coming into Washington
to equip the country a dozen times over.
Not only are the constituents demand.ng
the higher class post offices. which ar
filled by presidential appointment. hut
they are demanding places in the fourth
class Offices. which are at present a part
of the classified service by executive
order Thousands of democrats who have
believed faithfully that democratic ad-
ministration would mean jobs under the
government for them are coming forward.
and their letters TO representatives are
interfering with the preliminary work
necessary to open Congress with smooth
ness and precision.
Something Must Be Done.
Something will have to be done. say
the democrats. Senators and represent
akives have received hundreds of ap-
plications, or, rather, thousands OF them.
Patronage is going to puzzle the demo-
Gratis. and some of them are sorry the
country was swept so clean in the re-
cent election.
1t was all right for some Of the old
timers who have been coming TO Congress
on a state democratic TICKET. because
their constituents knew fun we'll there
| would be no national patronage They
knew the representatives could not gel
| a republican President to name demo
10.
But now comes the constituency Yell N
| for pie The unfortunate representa-
tives from districts near the capital arr
pursued from breakfast % bedtime -
scores of democrats who have hoped on
| q train for a few hours ride 10 see theif
congressman about that postmaster
lob One of these unfortunates lad 10
go in hiding today to escape the mob.
Will Cause Heartburnings.
The presidential appointments 10 the
post Offices of higher grade are going to
cause heartburnings. Some of the old
time southern democratic war horses are
wondering what will happen to them a.
the next primaries. They have to make
| recommendations for these onlces. ana
for every one man they succeed IN get
| ting appointed they will make dozen
enemies, with sore feelings. WAC VIII not
forget at the next primaries that tie
present representative oio "o' "PPo"''
them.
Right in the House of Representatives
there will be a fine squabble over
patronage. with more than a nun
dred new democrats in the next house.
there will simply have TO be new
method of apportioning the limited
patronage, such as clerks. doorkeepers
guards. etc. The last apporilonment OF
patronage has not been a complet'
success from a business standpoint
The service of the various House func-
tions has been poorer than usual. anu
even the most ardent democrats are
crying for change. D
Decision of Caucus.
1 The democratic caucus decided, arter
long argument. to give certain men COM
mittee chairmanships and that those
chairman would. Of course. have the
patronage that goes with the committee
and that the chairman should not par
ticipate in the patronage left. That gave
the rest of the democrats in the House
about 81 10 apiece In patronage. ana the
result is that each representative prac-
tically appointed one man who looks TO
his appointing power as his boss There-
| fore the rows between employees and their
chiefs have generally ended in the SUD
| ordinate threatening to see his congress-
man. and ti-st has been the END OF II
Committee clerks complain OF the service
of the House employees for this reason.
Jf the same plan lis followed i'm the
next House. unless a tremendous huthper
of new jobs are created around the Sail-
fol each democrat viii nave at ms uls-
posaI about 500 of patronage Many OF
the democrats don't want IL at all. they
saw IL is source or EMBARRASSMENT
ra Their than Of strength
Bryan Gets Requests.
William Jennings Bryan Is getting many
a request for government positions There
are thousands of men who have believed
that If a democratic President should step
into the White House Bryan would he
the sole dispenser of the plums. But Mr.
BRYAN will not be able to comply with the
requests of 1 per cent of his friends, ac-
cording to one OF them today. AT the
same time, it is said that Mr.. BRYAN
il telling Office seekers something like
this: $500
II will probably be called upon TO ad-
wise the next administration ana Woula
not be i'm a position to advise or susseSi
IL I had already recommended many OF
flee seekers for positions
The suggestion is made by some demo-
crafts that the only solution or the PIE
problem will be the taking away or All
restraint and protection from the civil
service and classified service. This IL th"
extreme view of the matter. however
Conservative members of Congress would
20 a long way toward disappointing their
Constituencies before they would dare 10
follow the old spells system policies