The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-11
WILL BLOCK TAFT'S PLAN.
DEMOCRATS FIND JUSTIFTCA-
TION FOR HOLDING UP
APPOINTMENTS.
Presidents Actions Indicate That
He is Using Patronage To Pay
Political Debts, say Democrats.

Washington. Jan. with the re-
assembling of the two houses Of
Congress, following the holidays, the
consideration of the patronage con-
troversy has been resumed and the
Democratic Senators who are standing
in the way of the confirmation of
Taft appointments have found addi-
| tional justification for their fight.
The appointments sent in by the
President since the election have piled
up until more than 500 Of them are
pending before the Senate awaiting
confirmation. By March it is ex-
pected that 1000 will have been for
warded to the Capitol by the White
House.
An investigation just made by Dem
| ocratic leaders into the nomination a
day or two ago of two more members
OF the Federal Court Of Claims shows
that President Taft is seeking to Re-
publicanize that body for years to
come. And there are abundant rea-
sons to believe that these nominations
will be held up.
The Presid has just appointed
Judge Ferton w. Booth to succeed
Judge Stanton j. Peelle as chief JUS
tice Of the Court of Claims and Henry
Boutell. now Minister to Switzerland,
Il 10 he 80 e.
court.
AS the court now stands there are
four Republica as and one Democrat
| serving upon 1t. Instead of picking
| one Democrat and one Republican for
| the two vacancies, the President
| sought to promote a Republican MEM
| Der OF the court to be chief justice
| and named Mr.. Boutell, an old-line
| Republican and former Cannon lead
er in the House, for the other posi-
ton.
In the judgment of the Democratic
Senators, who are now determined to
| fight these combinations, these nomi-
nations show that President Taft is
now using Federal patronage simply
to pay off series OF political debts
and not merely to fill Federal vacan-
cies that may have occurred during
the last months of his administration.
The Democratic leaders, however,
are not drawing a dead line on >all
Taft appointments. They have agreed
to the confirmation of Edgar D. Clark
to succeed himself as a member OF
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, though ne is a Republican, and
will serve for eight years.
Mr.. Clark's case is different from
| most Of the others involved in the
present controversy. His term ex-
pired in regular order on the first of
January. He has made an excellent
record on the commission and that
body would be seriously crippled If
1t should be compelled to work short
handed from now until March 4. Un-
der the law Mr. Clark cannot serve
| until his successor Is named
There Is no more reason now than
there was when his nomination went
in to suppose that Judge Oscar Lesser
confirmation will be permitted by the
Senate Democrats. w. Hall Harris
will, IL is now certain serve on as
Postmaster at Baltimore until Presi.
dent Wilson names his successor
Senator Smith. of Maryland, is sup.
ported in opposing the Lesser con.
firmation by practically every asso.
ciate on the Democratic side OF the
chamber.
The four other Maryland post.
masters now nominated by the Presi.
dent are in the same position. They
will not be confirmed and none will
be who may be named between thi.
time and March 4.