The Topeka state journal., 1913-04-22

Senator Thompson Don't Have
to Seek His Troubles.
Democrats to Washington on
Patronage Fights.

There is a black, threatening war
cloud hanging over the heaq 0r 2 I'm
ed states Senator William H. Thomp-
son in Washington this week ana II
the storm breaks there Will pc
brand new Democratic f1ght IN hahsdS
before the opening of the 1914 cam cam
ipaign. Many Kansas Democrats nave
candidIv admitted that they are not
pleased with the free handed manner
b in which the junior Kansas senator
has handled the distribution OF post
offices in congressional d1strlcts pre-
sided over by Republican members OF
congress and the Kansas delegation
has gone to Washington to tel! Senac
tor Thompson just what they think Oh
his policy.
AS early as last Saturday local Dem
ocratic leaders from the First, Third
and Eighth districts began gathering
in Washington for a conference Win
the new senator. This week the oeIe-
cation is being re-enforced by the ar
rival of new workers. All the trouDle
Is over the manner in which Senator
Thompson-accordin to charges oI
MANY Kansans-has ignored the lead
ers at home and named new postIlaS-
ters in certain towns without so nuch
as a conference with the local con-
gressional committees or members VI
, the state or national committee.
Trouble i'm First, Third and Eighth.
In the distribution of postoff1ce pat
ronage in the five congressional u- us
tricts from which Democrats were
elected last fall, there has peeh coIl
paratfvelv little trouble carried TO the
door of the new United States senator.
But in the remaining three districts
the First, Third and Eighth-there mas
been something of storm OF protest
regarding Senator Thompson lreg re-
and independent system OF hdillih6
Democratic postmasters.
OF course, it just happens, that
some of the fattest postofflce JOBS ~
the state are in these three olstrlctS
from which Republican consressIIitS:a en-
have been elected. With Democratic
congress and a Democratic president,
the Republican postoffices are solhg
the same way in the First, Thlrd anu
Eighth districts that they went in the
remaining five districts-to the hum
prv Democrats. That policy meant
that in such towns as Topeka, LeaV-
enworth and Atchison in the First
Pittsburg Coffeyville, Independence
Chanute and Parsons in the Ihrd'
and Wichita, Wellington and Newton
in the Eighth that the Republican
postmasters were to be replaced by
Democrats.
If was quite natural, of course, for
the members of the state and con-
gressional committees in these dis
tricts TO have some voice in the nam
ing of the new postmaster. 1t was a
sort of unwritten rule or law. Mem
bers of these committees were nat
uralIy expected to know the most
competent and deserving candidates
and it has been a rare occasion in
former years when a congressman or
senator violated the rule of comforting
with the local committeeman. before
making appointments. If charges are
true, Senator Thompson must have
forgotten all about this policy He
has gone merrily on his way, select
ing such men for postoffices as suit
ed his own notion and explaining to
no one. And Kansas Democracy, or
at least a very fair representation, |
has gone to Washington to demand
an explanation
Wilson Men Are Wroth.
Another thing which is entering into |
the Kansas political upheaval is the |
fact that in certain localities original
Wilson boosters feel that they are
being ignored in the distribution of |
nice. soft federal jobs. Senator |
Thompson was a Clark supporter be- |
fore the Baltimore convention. So in
making up the indictments against |
the new Democratic senator from |
Kansas, one of the charges that has |
been filed is the assertion that Clark |
men have in many instances been |
given preference over Wilson men |
for postoffice jobs. The Kansas dele |
cation in Washington this week will |
inquire about that matter, also. |
Still another grievance which |
comes from the Democratic politicians |
in Kansas, is the assertion that Sem
ator Thompson hasn't played BALI |
with other members of the congress
sional delegation from this state. 1t |
is even asserted that on some few
occasions Senator THOMPSON has
cross fired with the five Democratic
congressman in the matter of federal
patronage and that these events have
added a few new storm clouds to the
skies which were so clear and spot
less when the Democrats first went
TO Washington.
The Case of PepperiII.
. One of the real live incidents of
factional troubles among the Kan
sas Democrats was in the appoint
ment oe W. Fl. L. Pepperiu of Con- |
cordia as internal revenue collector
to succeed Fremont Leidy Pepperil1
served 20 years as secretary of the
Democratic state committee Rut
during the recent campaign Pepperiu
admitted that he didn't believe the
Thompson speeches were making
Democratic votes and did not hest.
tate to tell the Garden CITY iudpe his
candid opinion. Whereupon Thornp-
son made replies and Pepperiu 70
Piled to Thompson's replies. The re-