The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1912-11-07
NOW FOR PLUMs.
No Appointments Will Be Made
For Many Months.
And now the plumS.

With the battle fought and won,
the big issue among the Democrats
becomes the one of patronage. ALI
are anxious to locate the individuals
who will have the ear of President
Wilson when it comes to parcehng
out the good things in the way of
offices that he has at his disposal.
Popular opinion has designated
these as the real powers:
Blair Lee,
J. Fred C. Talbot,
William Cabell Bruce,
William L. Marbury,
Edwin Warfield.
However, those interested, par
ticularly the organization men, have
not failed to take cognizance of the
fact that all Presidential appoint
menis must receive the approval of
the United States Senators repre-
senting the particular State for
which the appointments are made.
Maryland's Senators are John Wal
ter Smith and Isidor Rayner. Sena-
tor Smiths term expires on March
4. 1915; Senator Rayner's on March
4, 1917.
Presidential appointments. are not,
as a rule, made until the middle of
the term for which the President
is elected. Nevertheless both Messrs.
Rayner and Smith will have a
chance to pass on them. In the
case of the postmaster for Balti-
more city, President Wilson will
not have an opportunity to make an
appointment until the closing days
of his term, unless he sees fit to
remove the incumbent. This arises
from the fact that Postmaster Har-
ris was appointed near the close of
President Roosevelt's term. Presi-
dent Taft has not as yet made
postmaster for Baltimore city. He
will have an opportunity to do so
along in February, and the man
named by him is presumably en-
titled to four years in the office.
There are other appointments,
however, even postmasters. Each
county seat in the State, and there
are % of them, is entitled to a
postmaster not of the civil service,
and the same situation applies to
Frostburg, Havre de Grace, Laurel,
Gainesville and other little ham
lets of this kind. The places pay
all the way from $1,000 to $4,000.
They are considered desirable
berths. Then there are the real
big places-Collector of the Port,
Naval Officer. District Attorney. In
ternal Revenue Collector and so on
down the list, with salaries ranging
allthe way from $1,000 to $500 a
year.
Now, when it comes to the act
ual distribution of these places the
men of the dominant party repre-
senting the State in Congress get
a "tip' from the boys in their dis
trict, and this ''tip" is properly
transmitted to the United States
Senators, who in turn let the Presi-
dent know just about what would
be agreeable to them. This is
where the organization gets in the
game. Then come the counter-in-
fluences. Next in order is the pull
ing and hauling that is inseparably
connected with the distribution of
offices. The organization itself
leaders in one section claiming some
offices as their own in the face OF
an apparent disposition to give it
elsewhere. The men opposed to
the organization will likewise differ
Some will think that a particular
office should be awarded to one
man, while others think another
should have it. Some will argue
that the organization deserves no
consideration whatever. Others will
contend that it should be treated
with great consideration.
In the last analysis it's up to
the President and the two United
States Senators. They can meet
the issue as they see st. They can
agree to go along together without
friction. If they do this the organi-
zation will be considerably treated.
If they don't do DIT the organization
will try to send to Congress Sena-
tors and members of the House of
Representatives who don't care
much about the President and his
policies. They will try to get these
kind. of men in the primaries. Fail
ing to nominate Democrat of their
choice they may carry the fight to
the general election.