The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-17
IS WILSON USING
FEDERAL Jobs AS
CLUBS FOR ACTION?
Comparison of His Appoint
ment Record With That of
President Cleveland
MEMBERS GETTING
RATHER RESTLESS
Senators and Representatives Are
Wondering Whether Places are
Now to be Held Pending Cur
rency Legislation
by c. e. STEWART

rency IeglSldIlOn
BY c. r. STEWART
Washington, May 16-(Special,) )--Sena-
tors and representatives in Congress are
beginning to wonder, if it is really a fact,
that President Wilson has been so
'stingy" in making appointments because
he first wanted to make sure of the tariff
bill before opening up the way to the
pie counter" if he will continue to block
the passage until currency legisla tion has
been disposed of for the same reason.
Notwithstanding the comparative dearth
of office dispensation democrats both in
and out of Congress are exercising much
patience and good temper over the sltua-
tion, which illustrates as nothing else can
that they have a Wholesome supply of
these political virtues. They are still
earnest in hoping for the best and sincere
in wishing the greatest measure of suc-
cess for the Wilson administration. But
they are getting restless under the strain.
and they are beginning TO make COM
parisons The well known quotation that
Comparisons are odious," is being is-
nored.
Some enterprising member has made an
Investigation of the records of the two
democratic Presidents since the war
Cleveland and Wilson, with respect to ap-
pointments to office in equal periods of
time.
During Cleveland Administrations
The result of the investigation shows
that in both Cleveland administra tions,
following the inaugurations, most of the
important changes in office were mace
before the special sessions of the Senate
adjourned, covering not more than a
month.
In 1885. March 5, the cabinet nomina-
tions were made. March IL, John c. Black
of Illinois was nominated for Commits
sioner of Pensions, and Edward D. Clark
of Mississippi for Assistant Secretary of
the Interior
Following these in rapid succession
came all the other important nominations
including the foreign diplomatic and con-
sular service, district attorneys internal
revenue collectors, commissioners, Judges
etc, and along with these daily in the
first as well as the last administration of
Presideat Cleveland were numerous other
nominations, including postmasters and
appointments in the various branches Of
the executive service in the several states
changes Of position in the departmental
service that have since been covered into
the classified service. Is ReFt
So that at the expiration Of the first
four or five weeks Of the two Cleveland
administrations the plum tree had
yielded some, and in fact practically I'll
of its most luscious fruit
Nominations by Wilson
Nominations by the Wilson adminstra-
ton during the special session of the Sen
ate, lasting from March to March II,
outside of postmasterships and nomina-
tions local to the states which were but
few and to fill vacancies were follows:
March 5, the cabinet and two interstate
commerce commissioners; March TO- Pc
ter j. Hamilton of Alabama, to he United
States judge for Porto Rice and the
First, Third and Fourth Assistant Post
masters General, and the commissioner
of labor statistics
March 13, Assistant Secretaries of Ag-
riculture, Commerce. the Treasury and
the Navy. March 10, Treasurer of the
United States
The extraordinary session, which began
April 7. which was broadly heralded by
the press as destined to be most produc-
tive, and during which the plum tree"
was scheduled for thorough shaking so
far has been disappointment Besides
a few postmasters and an insignificant list
of state appointments, the following inn
portant nominations have been made:
April 49, counselor for the department
of state, Third Assistant Secretary of
State. April Is, ambassador to Great Brit
ain and commissioner of internal reve-
nue.. April n. director of the census gen
eral appraiser of customs to fill a va
cancy: auditor for the interior depart
ment, Assistant Secretary of War; AS
sistant Attorney General and recorder Of
the general land office. April 81, auditor
for the war department. April "a, audi
tor for the navy and state departments
Assistant Attorney General and commits
sioner of fish and fisheries. April 2S
comptroller of the treasury.
May /, commissioner of corporations
chief Justice of the court of claims and
assistant comptroller of the treasury
May 6, solicitor of the department of
commerce. May T. ambassador to Jaran
and commissioner of pensions.
No Comparison Between Two
Excluding President Cleveland's ap-
pointments, which would now come under
the CLASSIFIED service, President Wilson's
record UP to the eleventh week of his
administration in no way compares with
the record made by his democratic prede-
cesor in either of his administrations for
less than half the time. Referring again
to the gossip that President Wilson is
>keeping in mind the bearing of the pat
~yonage question upon the disposition of
The pending tariff bill and an impending
currency measure to follow, with insist
ence that something shall be done with
the latter as well as the former before the
II close of the extraordinary session, old
timers cite the fact that the same inlpll-
tation was made against the Cleveland
administration In 1893, when the famous
issue OF the repeal of the purchasing
clause of the Sherman act distracted and
divided the parties. Mr.. Cleveland was
accused of manipulating patronage to in
f1uence votes to his way of thinking An
extra session of Congress occupied more
than all the summer considering this
question, and the tension even among
democrats was far more greater aud
sharper than anything evident now. 1t
was in this memorable summer that Sen
ator Morgan of Alabama. referring sar-
castically to these democrats who We're os-
tensbly more thoughtful about patron
age than they were about the principles
of state craft, made his famous speech in
which he characterized the administrator
zealots as cuckoos who came forth to tell
the time of day every time the White
House clock struck.
The statement by Secretary Redfield, q
4 few days ago, in answer to the query of
q newspaper man as to a certain ap-
pointment of a democrat to succeed a re-
publican. to the effect, ~ do not know
when will make ony changes in that
A<., ,opk- of oil A,Ia