Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-03-06
PRESIDENT WILSON
AND BURLESON

,ss (C0ntinued from page one)
progressive republicans who will vote
with them whenever a serious detection
of conservative democrats is threatened.
When it comes to the cabinet. signs
of the same political acumen are to be
seen. Mr.. Wilson knows we'll how i'm
pOrtant it is for an executive to get
along well with congress in certain mat
tcrs. History tells how the Cleveland
second administration went on the rocks
because it could not get along with the
democrats in congress-. In that cOnncc-
ton note that Representative Albert
Sidney BurlcsOn of Texas was selected
for postmaster general. Remember that
his cabinet place is that of postmaster
general and also that members Of con-
gTcSS come into contact more with tho
postmaster general than with any other
member of the cabinet. This means as
pccially members of the house for they
have much more to do with pOStmaSterS
and pQstofIiceS than senators. in a gen
eral way it may be said that the preSi-
dent has the say over patronage with
which senators have primarily to do and
that the postmaster general has the say
over patronage with which representa-
tiveS have to do. In other words, while
the senate confirms the nominations Of
pOstmasterS it is largely a perfuntOrv
duty, for the representatives of the same
party as the administration, have here
tOfOre endorsed the men who were nOmi-
mated.
Now the house democrats are to have
Il man, who has been of their number, in
charge of this big and important patron
age. His anteroOm and that of his
first assistant postmaster general will
be crowded for weeks and month with
congressman seeking the nominations Of
their men to be postmaStcrs. The plans
have accordingly been made which prom
Use to suit them tOlcrably well. Further
more, it may happen that Postmaster
General BurlesOn will be. able to take
hold very speedily in the nominations of
a thousand or more democratic post
masters for the vacancies due to the
i"iuAN vi lhN oNhdlN " NpIllIm SOIHC VI
President Taft'S belated nominations. If
he does, he will promote the democratic
general welfare and ease the feelings of
eager Office seekers in the initial DAYS
very materially.
But here is another point, worth bear
ing in mind. The head of this cabinet
place that has so much to do with a
mighty patronage business, will be one
Of Mr.. Wilson's most true and trusted
political friends. 1t is nice enough to
talk about ~POstmastcrs not being al
lowed to dabblc in politics. But whether
nominally they are allowed to dabble or
not, they are natural born politicians,
always with an eye weatherward to the
game of politics. Therefore it is that
some of our shrewdest presidents nave
had a good politician, in whom they
could put implicit confidence, at the de-
partmental helm. Mckinley and Roosc-
welt were examples worth citing.
This may not be altogether with a
view to obtaining a second nomination
for Mr.. Wilson and again it NAV be
somewhat for that purpose. Whether or
not 1T remains that the, postal employees,
including postmastcrs, are a mighty or
ganization. Alike III pure politics and
in the shaping of sentiment toward an
administration the Wagging Of 100, 900
and more postal tongues is a factor not
TO be treated lightly. They get their
impression of what is going on at Wash
ington by the talk that percolates down
ward through the official ranks. The
manner of man that a postmaster gen
eral is, as reflected in the inside talk of
postal employees. has its bearing upon
what the employees think of an admin
~istration. And in this particular, the
impression here is that Mr.. Wilson has
chosen his postmaster general wisely
and also that, as a politician, Mr.. Wilson
knows precisely what he is doing.
H - q ertvH1 - @1s 5sgst N% e@@eR5E