Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-12-15
SCRAMBLE FOR
 GOVERNMENT JOBS Senators and Representa- tlves Will Have Hands
 Full to Satisfy"
RESTRAINTS GALORE
COngreSSmen Will "Ibish Out'' POstof. fIces and Senators Will Distrib-
 ute the Bigger Plums.

cause for marvel in the fact that there are about ten thousand applicants fox the two thousand federal positions i'll the state that are at the disposal of 1 the president. For a generation the i Democrats have been kept away from the pie-counter, and it would be strange if they were not hungry by this time. The Republicans have gar nered about four million dollars from the public treasury, and now the Democrats of Arkansas consider that turn about is fair play The Re- puhlicans yield their places reluctant ly, but have a recourse.
 1 It is new experience for the Dem ocrats, who have not been seeking government patronage long enough to make it habit. But they are learn ing, and no place will s- thrilled be- cause of a lack of adequate material. The marshalships, the district attor- neyships, the land offices, and the 115 presidential postoffices will be the storm-center, and about these will rally the army of earnest and willing patriots. And there will be great revamping of politica1 records, the Original Wilson Men having first call.
 It is interesting to know just how this great amount of patronage will be handled. If the states nine repre- the most of the situation for the streng ngthening of their political fences, it will he because they lack the ne- cessary shrewdness and fore thought. Where there are ten applicants, how ever. for one postoffice, the badgered mmeber of Congress runs the risk of winning the opposition of nine-tenths of his constituency. But that's his lookout.
 To avoid this responsibility as much as possible, and reduce federal pat ronage to a genuine Democratic basis, some of the cities of the state are discussing the holding of preferential! postoffice primaries to determine whom the people want. This is meet i ing with favor in several places, but in TeXarkana an opposing sentiment has been aroused because it would throw the selection open to Republi- cans and negroes, and the victory flushed Democrats insist upon the old maxim that ITO the victors belong the spoils.'
 The close corporation that has for years been dispensing the government patronage, the executive committee of the Republican state central commit tee, has been deposed, and for once is without a job. The duty of the referee must therefore devolNe upon someone else. There are 1,750 fourth-class postoffices which have been trans ferred to has postal inspectors for recommendation, without reference to religion, politics or color, but there are enough places left to get every member of the Congressional delega- ton roundly condemned by those who fail to receive appointments.
 While no announcement has been suggested that the senators and rep resentatives will probably agree upon division of the patronage, Senators Davis and Clarke probably taking the large district offices, and the repre- sentatives standing sponsor for the postoffices. But that is only surmise However it may be, there are nine Arkansans making their temporary home in Washington who will not be permitted to forget that they have receptive constituency at home. A statement emanating from Fort Smith that National Chairman Nc Combs, whose original home is at Hamburg, where they are already run ming him for the presidency, VIII ex- pect him to take an active part in the distribution of Arkansas offices has attracted a great deal ot comment. Telegrams have been received from MT. McCombs denying the report The Arkansas delegation did not come to Wilson until the last ballot m the Baltimore convention, standing by Champ Clark until the landslide start ed, and doubtless those who stood by the New Jersey governor through the historic contest will have more con- sideration than those who voted for the Missourian to the last. Members of Wilson clubs, and men who Worked with MT. McCombs against the over whelming Clark sentiment, will ex-I nected to be served first at table, and
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