The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-08
The Old Order
Changeth
Appointments
BY EredAric 1. HAHN
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

10 the person who never has had to
choose et"een a dozen rival claim
ants IN the filling of n position, the
claims of each urged by men who
know how to beg, beseech. and even
TO demand, the task that confronts a
president when he assumes office and
sees 100000 applicants for 1900 Jobs
may not ppea so serious But it is
a task that has almost resulted in the
political undoing of some presidents,
mas made many enemies for others
and has ruffled the temper even of
such a placid chief magistrate as
William Mckinley
1t was a task that tore the rep,h-
llcan party asunder when Garfield be-
came president and received his
"cussing out" at the hands of Conk-
ing; a task that made innumerable
enemies for Grover C%leveland; a task
mat disguised the younger Harrison
and caused him to become the Human
lcicle in office; a ask that only
Roosevelt could approach with eoui-
iidmlty, and that Taft escaped only
because he started out to carry out
my policies"
President Wilson's epute feeling
That the best argument against an ap-
polntment, generally speaking. is
made by h act of the man seeking
ii. has not. as might be expected, de-
TERED h office seekers. They have
ie't That that was n of those white
iles that a man high in authority
u tell to ave his office from
sWarms of office seekers who try to
WIN his favor. 1t might be estimated
that there are approximately a mil
non voters in the United States who
are as willing as Barkis that their
distinguished services should be util-
yea by the Wilson administration,
and that is probably under the fact
rather h over the mark.
Certafnis, there will be several HIM
dred thousand active candidates for
appointment, and the majority of
'hese viii feel that if they could lay
thelr cause directly before the presi-
deht they Would be sure to land the
Job they seek. They win therefore.
lot several moons make miserable the
lives of the 40 people around the
White House.
The president seldom decides n
o'her appointments than those of the
members of his cabinet before his in
ahsurdtlon. lie waits to hear the
claims of all who are put forward for
the bigger berths in the depart {.
mental and diplomatic services. ana
usually waits until he has these de-
r1fpI npnn hafnca ha tak,. $500.
IN unusual cases. the postal, customs.
internal revenue, and department of
justice places in the field. Some idea
OF hoW the task of the president has
grown from Mckinley to Wilson may
be gathered from the fact that while
Mckinley had only 4.sl5 offices to fill
with the advice and consent of the
senate, Wilson has 1000.
1t will be seen that although the
number of positions transferred to the
civil service between the inauguration
of Mckinley and that of Wilson goes
lar up into the thousands, the tre-
growth of the service of
Uncle Sam gives Wilson nearly two
and a half times as much patronage
as Mckinley had.
- usually taheS tutee OF louT Jays
for the members of a new cabinet to
get their bearings after they are nom
mated. They are named on March /,
confirmed on the fifth. and sworn in
on the sixth. as a rule. and sometimes
predecessors help them out UNI
til the eighth or ninth. Usually about
two weeks elapse before the first i'm
portant new appointments are made.
When Mckinley came into power it
was the 10th of March before he sent