The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-03-25
HANDLING OFFICE
SEEKERS ABLY.
VIEW PRESIDENTS RULING 1s
WORKING wBLL-JoBs FOR
DEMOCRATS ONLY.
BY Ernest @. walker.
Nail Special to The Advertisor.)


yet in Washington, including some
rom Hawaii. but that arrangement of
President Wilson about not seeing them,
Except by invitation, stands. It is
working out tremendously we'll Now
many are asking why other Presidents
have not done likewise. The aspirants
are crowding the ante-room of cabinet
members. some of these aspirants have
)een grumbling because they could not
20 straight to the President, but on
he whole the prosecution of one IS
laims to place under the public ser
vice before the members of the cabinet
g working out quite satisfactorily,
even to the asplrants themselves. Any
how, the public applauds, for the pub
ic generally has small interest in of
ice seekers beyond assurance that the
places are filed by competent men,
That it lghtens the burdens upon the
President is obvious. The two or three
Or more hours day that he would give
o those seeking commissions now goes
% other duties. He is not exhausting
himself in listening to appeals, but is
:, going over general questions affecting
the country at large. At the beginning
of an administration these general
duties are especially onerous and more
than ever so now, when so many pro-
blems are looming ahead.
Heretofore members of the cabinet
have generally been consulted before
important nominations were made The
process has been that the President
would see senators and representatives
of his political party, accompanying
office seekers, would hear what they
had to say and in due tune take the
matter up with that member of his
cabinet under whose department the
particular office in question came.
4 mere would ensue consultation and de-
cision. Now when a Democrat seeks
to be made collector of customs he goes
not to the President but to the secre-
tary of the treasury. Mr.. McAdoo list
ems to the many applicants, gets an idea
about the qualifications of all concern
ed, notes who has the official endorse
ment, and then takes the papers and
his own recommendations to President
Wilson. Then the final word is spoken
and the nomination forwarded to the
senate. 1t is thus also with such i'm
portant offices as ambassadors, although
President Wilson had some men in mind
for the chief places.
President Sees Too Many.
In nine cases out of ten an office
seeker on a visit to the President has
little opportunity to make any parti-
cular impression. The President has
seen many other applicants and is nat
urally wearied by their opportunities.
On the other hand the applicant finds
the cabinet member with more detailed
information about the situation, with
more time 20 give to his case, and bet
ter equipped to consider the particu-
lar points which an applicant has to
urge in his own behalf.
There are sceptics who say that Pres
ident Wilson will not be able to hold
out with his order against seeing office
seekers and they also predict that when
ever he yields in one instance he will
be gone. Should he yield once and the
word to that effect should get around,
u those who have called and been polite
ly turned down will be mad and those
who go there on similar errands will
have a precedent to drive home. The
Florida senators were the first to try
the President out and the result was
so politely disastrous that others have
been deferred from attempting it
themselves
Exceptions Unlikely.
But Washington is getting the opinion
from this and other incidents that Pres
ident Wilson is man who adheres very
closely to his announcements and that
he is not likely to make exceptions.
He comes to his conclusions often times
very quickly. The pronouncement
against the visits of office seekers as
such appears to have been suggested
and decided upon within few minutes
of his first day in the White House
Offices, although it is more likely that
the President must have had the idea
in the back of his head for some time.
His purpose to let the members of
the cabinet share much of the response
biity is indicated in several ways. He
has called them into consultation al,
most every day of his first week in
the White House and when all of them
have not been called, part have been
around to discuss business that per-
tains to their particular departments.
Naturally some members of the council
will be more relied upon than others,
but the process of selection win go on
as the work of the new administration
develops who shows the most aptitude
and the best Judgment. 1t has been
quite clear that tn President has no
particular favorites among the ten, hav.
Ing chosen them all for particular ser.
vice and assistance to him.
Democrats Only.
1t is equally apparent that the Offices
are to be filed not only with Democrats
but promptly filed Names of assist
ant postmasters general were quickly
agreed upon and almost every day de-
cisions are being announced for various
other assistants TO cabinet officers.
This will make feasible the prompt
manning of the departments by men In
full sympathy with the administration
and the nominees will have early op.
pOTtunity b. learn the duties TINT are
expected OF them While Republicans
are entirely willing 20 continue IN these
Offices they recognize ne pr0pTiety OF
giving away 20 their Democratic sue,
SCISSORS. The policy seems 20 be 10
bring straight party men Of the pro.
gresslYe type into ,aese places. That.
700 meefs u4ff. 0euarai a. t,p,.l.tt...