Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-08
GEORGIA BOOMS
OVERT URNED
BY WILSON
Shifting of Patronage to CabI-
net Heads Gives Grief to Pie
Counter Brigade.
BY JAMES 8. NEVlN.

WASHINGTON, March Tine or
der of President Wilson turning over
the question of patronage largely to the
various heads of the government de-
partments has thrown measure or
CONSERVATION into the ranks Of the
Georgia officeseekers and many Of them
today are asking where, after all, they
are at" in the matter.
Various plum arrangements framed
I'D through long and weary months OF
planning and manipulating for Mr..
Wilson'S benefit have been knocked into
something of a cooked hat, as Mr.. VIII
son himself would put It, by the new
rule referring all such things to the
cabinet secretaries,
One promising Georgia boom In par
ticular was to be laid before the new
president today. and now it must be
laid before the postmaster general. a
person to the boomers all but I'M
known.
William J. Harris, of Cedartown,
wishes to be fourth assistant postmas-
ter general. He Is chairman OF the
state Democratic executive committee,
and was one of Wilson's campaign
managers in Georgia. Moreover, he
has a backing composed of both VIII
son and Underwood men, as those
things we're determined last fall Inc
lob he wishes is the most important IN
the service. next to the postmaster gen
eral himself. as 1t carries with it more
patronage than any one office under the
government. The fourth assistant has
more to do with passing finally upon
the qualifications of postmasters than
all the remainder Of the department
put together
Harris boom, however. was carefully
planned to go to the president in per-
son. 1t never was calculated for the
new postmaster general; he merely was
supposed to go through the motions OF
appointing.
Whole Program Changed.
Mr.. Wilson has changed all that. The
entire matter now must go to the de-
partment chief for his disposition with
out any hint or suggestion from the
white house.
Lee Worsham of Georgia, state en-
tomologist, who wishes to be assistant
secretary of agriculture and who Is be-
ing backed heavily in that ambition by
the Georgia delegation finds his boom
in the same fix as the Harris boom.
1t must now go straight to Secretary
Houston, a man practically unknown
to Mr. Worsham's friends. However,
as that matter must be settled quick,
it is planned to go there with 1t today,
and it may be that by tomorrow that
problem will be solved. Worsham has
the Endorsement of Walter Page, of
New York, for this position and that
is regarded as the most powerful sin
gle Endorsement he possibly could have.
Pleasant Stovall, who is slated for
minister to Switzerland, old school
mate and college chum Of Wilson,
whose friends expected him to be
named right off the reel. is now UP
against Mr.. Bryan. And so it goes, all
the way down the line. All applicants
must cut out the white house and go
straight to the cabinet heads for pat
ronage.
Senator Smith Powerful.
Senator Hoke Smith unquestionably
holds the master key to the patronage
situation in Georgia. His influence with
cabinet heads will quite equal his in
fluence with the white house. Indeed
cabinet officers. as a rule, are most
willing to listen to senatorial sugges-
tons. particularly suggestions from
senators close to the throne, because
the departments are so dependent upon
senatorial favor in their general lines
Of work
In the Hooper Alexander fight, fol
instance, the transfer of the fight from
Wilson to the department of justice Is
regarded as operating in Mr.. Alexan.
der's favor. If Senator Smith insists
upon the Alexander appointment ant
it may be that nothing short Of Mr.
Alexander's withdrawal will give pause
to the senatorial determination In tn,
matter, the DeKalb county man un
doubtedly will land. Senator Smith
word will go very, very long way will
the department of justice. He is yer.