The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-09-25
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

(By j. L. Jones)
The policy of the administration in
holding civil service examinations for
postmasters throughout the country,
brought an inquiry from Representa-
tive Maiden, an Illinois republican:
Why spend money for examinations,
when this thing is bound to be done
anyway" Mr.. Stevenson, another old
time republican from Minnesota, is
not so liberal in his views, and be-
lieves that a postmaster of fifteen or
sixteen years satisfactory service to
the patrons Of the office, should be
continued. To this Mr.. Bartlett, a
southern congressman, retorted that
there had not been a postmaster from
the Potomac to the Rio Grande APP
pointed within sixteen years upon the
recommendation of the patrons of the
office or of the congressman. Republi-
a Leader Mann asserts that the dem
ocratic policy in reference to post
ASK ldfO4S INT SlOIlS Ss SlSIl anu
he charges they lack the nerve to put
it upon the law" However, Mr.. Hef-
fin Of Alabama, says that democrats
will be appointed in his state for the
reason that no republican is competent
to take the examination, and Mr.. Fitz-
gerald of New York, who also speaks
with authority for his party, sees a
solution through civil service, because
democratic congressman know that
the men they recommend for office are
so highly qualified that they can pass
the civil service examination" And
thus statesmen, like the men who con-
troll ward affairs, beat about the bush
in relating how republicans are to be
routed from their feathery nests.
1t is not altogether unusual for a
large banking concern to tell an un-
desirable lepositor that their account
is so Insignificant that they no longer
wish to dirty their books caring for it,
but the instance of the house of Nor
gan serving notice on the great New
Haven railroad and its subsidiaries to
go elsewhere, is unprecedented. Sena-
tor Norris of Nebraska, sees in the
Morgan movement an attempt to wreck
the New Haven railroad.
1t is not often that the postmaster
general reverses himself, but such is
said to have been the case in the ap-
pointment of Olin NJ. Selph as post
master of st. Louis. The postmaster
general gave up his own ~favorite and
bowed to the White House in making
a choice.
Now that the tariff bill is actually on
its-way to become law democratic SEN
ators are beginning to suspect that the
sugar trust has put m over on them"
to use a slang phrase, but one that
seems to fit the situation. AS long as
there was a question about the removal
of the duty OF sugar the cry was kept
up that the sugar tariff helped the
trust. Now that free sugar is a GER
tainty reports are beginning to crop
out that it will be worth from $25, 900,
900 to $50,O00,0 900 a year to the rein,
ing interest by driving out American
grown sugar, the competition of which
has kept prices down and limited the
profits of the trust. The fact is be
ginning to leak GU that the reffners
themselves were behind the claim tina,
the trust profted by the maintenance
of sugar duties while under the new
tariff the trust and its fellow refiner'
will get their raw sugar cheaper ant
will get rid Of the home competition
that has cut largely into their profits
in recent years. The ingenuity be
hind the idea of c~apitalizing it's owl
discredit. in order to get what it want
ed Is typical of the trust that devised
the corset spring addition to it's scale,
In order to escape payment of its due
!. to the government. In the final stage
of debate in the senate, several demo
cratic senators including Walsh o
Montana, and Newlands Of Nevada. de
!, clared that free sugar would be o
benefit chiefly to the trust. but Xix
their colleagues they were bound b,
|, the caucus edict In favor Of free suga
|, to vote Tor this provision. The consols
. tion the democratic senators have is +
|, point out that for years the sugar trus
/ fooled the republicans with its differ
, entail duty 20 that they are NOT tn
! only ones to Be taken In.