The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-11-14
Secretary of Democratic
Committee to Shake Plum.
Tree in Washington
LOCAL CANDIDATES ARE BUSY
President Elect Wilson is Said to Have
Given it Out That National Commit
teemen Will be Considered in Giving
Patronage to Republican States.

eco see Joe Davies.'' This is the
advice that is being handed out to the
half dozen democrats in Kenosha who
are beginning to snoop about looking
for support for the Office Of postmaster
of Kenosha for it is declared that
Joseph E. Davies CT Madison, who was
secretary of the democratic national
committee during the recent national
campaign is to be the umpire on all
matters of federal patronage to be
dispensed in Wisconsin during the
next four years. 1T is said that Cover
nor Wilson has indicated that he will
turn over the question of federal pat
ronage in states where there are no
democratic senators to members of
the national committee. When they
begin to shake the democratic plum
tree in Washington next spring it is
pretty certain that the Wisconsin man
will be one Of the real shakers.
Davies has already been called east
to confer with President-elect Wilson.
and it is declared that there is a strong
possibility that he will be offered the
place of postmaster general. Should
he get this place he will be right in
line to look after such contests as the
contest over the Kenosha postofice.
The local candidates arc appreciative
of this fact and already they are
laying their lines to get the support
of Davies. 1t is known that one Of
the candidates has had message Of
reinsurance from the Wisconsin demo
cratic leader Many conferences have
been arranged for the next few months
and at these conferences the question
of federal patronage will be taken up.
1t will bring about a curious condi-
ton within the democratic party in
the state. While the anti-Aylward
democrats have control Of the state
central committee, they are not likely
to have much to say when it comes to
distributing patronage. Nor are they
likely to keep much of d hold on the
rank and file when Mr.. Davies on the
other side holds in his hands not only
scores of federal appointments through
out the state, but hundreds of post
office appointments as well. In the
three districts represented by demo-
cratic congressman they will have the
power Of recommending postmasters
but outside of these districts, with no
democratic United States senator from
this state, the matter of who shall get
the places will be referred, according
to present advices, to Mr.. Davies.
Outside of postofice here and
there, which will fall in now and then.
it will be rather weary wait for
those who aspire to hold down Jobs
in Uncle Sam IS service. In the east
ern and western districts of the state,
where the best places from a none
tary point of view are located, most
of the present incumbents nave from
one and one-half to three years still
to serve. Nor is it likely that they
will be disturbed until their time ex-
pres. In the last ten or twelve wears
it has become an unwritten law that
the appointee to any of the Zig feder-
al Offices shall be permitted to serve
out his term, and it is not at all prob
able that this law, unwrittea though
it is, will be broken at this time.
For this reason any conjecture as to
who will be appointed is not only pre-
mature, but liable to go widely wrong
when the time really comes for the
making of the appointments. That
they will go to the winning faction in
democracy of the state there can be
no doubt. Nor will this be conducive
to future harmony within the party
ranks-but that is another question.