The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-12-12
THE CHARGE OF THE PIE BRIG
AIDE.

Democrats have already scented II
and are on its trail. 1t has been six
teen long years since they have naa
a seat at the Federal pie counter, and
the ciamor of hundreds of thousande
of the unfed is now heard abroad IN
the land.
President Wilson announced just
following his election that he wouiG
not consider any applications for ap-
continents for some time; still that
has not deferred those with the keen
appetites from lining up in front OF
the pie counter locking for the first
vacant seat.
Up to December 1 there were over
100000 applications for Federal jobs
filed with the Democratic legislators
at Washington, and the applications
have been rolling in by the thousands
every day since, even including holl-
days and Sundays. Some are not
choice, just so they get a job, while
one man has asked for job that
will pay him enough to live on the
rest of his life and has also demanded
a job for every Democratic voter in
his precinct because he had to prom
Use the jobs in order to get the votes
Norman E. Harrison, special cor
respondent in Washington, sent his
paper a few days ago the following
article, which gives some idea of the
tenseness of the pie situation ir
Washington:
when Governor Woodrow
Wilson becomes President of the
United States on March 4, he
will have, directly and indirectly,
100000 positions, paying about
$30,000,0OO year in salaries,
to distribute in payment of his
political debts. There are over
100000 applications for posi-
tions under the new admins
tration on file with, the party
leaders in this city, and the rush
for the pie counter has merely
gotten under way. Each day now
brings ten thousand letters from
the seekers of party bounty, and
it is now predicted scores of ap-
plications will be the average for
each Office before inauguration
day arrives. All patronage-seek-
ing stamperes of the past have
been broken by the Democrats
this year, and there is no telling
where the end will be. The
Democratic Congressman have
been returning to the capital
with the look of hunted men on
their faces There is not a sin
gle Senator or Representative
that is not swamped with his
mail, and many have been COM
PEELED to hire extra secretaries.
Speaker Clark, the one who is
being hit the hardest in the
clamor for positions, has four
stenographers who are doing
nothing but answering letters
for jobs. Senator Williams, of
Mississippi, and Representative
Henry, of Texas, are not far be-
hind, the latter now averaging
400 letters a day from office
seekers The Senate and House
post-offices are working over
IN hor hn
of mail intended for the men
supposed to have a pull
Some of the letters pouring
in on the Congressman are re-
markable documents. From
Ohio has come a demand from a
Democratic patriot asking for a
complete list of all the appoint
ments to be made by President
elect Wilson.
1.-THE letter set forth that the
writer worked Zealously for the
election of Wilson, but in order
to carry his township, he found
it necessary to promise Federal
jobs to a number of his neigh
bors. In a letter to Senator
Pomerene he says he will look
over the patronage list 'imme-
diately and select the places he
wants for himself and his
friends
From Texas, Senator Culber-
SON received a letter in which
the applicant set forth that he
has served twice as county
school examiner and moderately
says he would like to go to the
Court Of st. James, in London,
as Ambassador. To the Senator
he confided his hope of saving
enough out Of the job to be indie
pendent ever after.
Another letter verbatim
reads: Now that the Demo-
Gratis have advanced to the pin
nacle of Government, I want to
know If the Democrats in Con-