Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-10
Were Thrown to ihe Hun
CRY Democratic Horde.
Tired and Disappointed The
Others Fave Gone Back Home.
Feeble Excuses Which WouId-Bes
Frame TO Go TO Washington.

cial) The office seeker, after tramp
ing the streets of Washington for
few weeks and darkening many an Of
fetal threshold, has departed. He has
scattered himself to Texas. to Maine,
to Ohio and the numerous other states
from which he came Presumably he
will not come here again in numbers
as long as the Wilson administration
lasts. 1t has been a very discourage
ing time for him. Patronage was not
handed out in hunks. according to the
good old ways, when the government
went into new hands. Only few
crumbs were thrown TO the hungry
hordes.
But now that the hungry hordes
have departed having left their
papers on file, ride up and down the
city's broad avenues and look at ia
miliar H1ares democratic tigures)
heading toward this Department
building and that. or sit in one 81
the spacious Departmental ante-reoms
for an hour or two of a dull day and
notice whether any old timers, whom
WASHINGTON has forgotten and forgiv-
en-, are showing" They are yes
they are. An influx of state notable5,
of Democrats who had the pull some
time ago or are hopeful OF having II
once again. have been quietly inVad-
ing the city.
There were leaders and bosses from
the states. who flocked To Washing
ton as seon as Inauguration drums
began to rattle. But they We're Chief
IL the out-and- out Wilson men, VINO
had come into prominence during the
presidential campaign and tho0ShA
they would find lively sense Of graft
tude at the seat of government les
political services performed. In TINS
they were somewhat disappointed.
President Wilson has by no means
said vet that he would not honor
those who went down into the trench
es and toiled under the burning sun
in his behalf on the contrary ne mas
shown lively sense OF his obligation
to those men IN many instances ana
made it plain that they are To be re-
aner4bered. Only they must wait. lie
! must have time 10 work out his plans
! for getting efficient men for the OF
| fees. lie expects that his old-time
supporters viii prove themselves
qualified.
| Convinced that weeks and months
would be necessary to evolve the at
| tainment of federal places, the ei1ee
seekers went home, leaving the sijua-
/ tion TO develop But on their heels
have come another school OF polltl-
clans and Democratic leaders Ihefe
are ex-senators and representa-
tfyes in the company. Some were not
| enthusiastic Wilson men; others hae
dropped out Of the game entirety, p9s
without forgetting the fascination q,
| publ{c service In certain cases theS
are here for a friend, who wants OF
! flee: in some cases they are trying 10
ascertain whether there are any hon
ors for themselves and, furthermore
what chance they have to get back
into political power by acting as
patronage referee or otherwise.
The legion of ex-senators and eX-
representatives of the Democratic
marty returning TO Washington on
such quests is quite noticeable. HaE
the survivors, who have been Demo
cratic eengressmen, seem to be III
| town right now and from even SO Ia
as the Pacific coast. Ex-Represen-
tative Theodore a. Bell OF Gahlofhla,
is one who might be mentioned. lie
was a leader of Democracy there ana
almost won the governorshlp but ne
got in bad" by opposing the wilson
boom and by allying himself Win
sinister political forces. Now ne u
in Washington to ascertain whethef
the administration will honor requests
in behalf of friends. EX- representa-
tive John Lind of Minnesota, former
governor and former member of the
House, is another Of the prominent
Democrats who have drifted back. He
was Democratic sachem in the North
Star state for a long while.
Representative Benton MeMil-
lin of Tennessee, of some prominence
as a member of Congress % years ago
and since then governor of his state
and an unsuccessful candidate for the
the United States Senate, looms up
among old timers who are back again