Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-27
Washington
w LETTER
BY Il. b. WALKER
POT SHOT AT PRESIDENT

Star Bureau.
metropolitan National Bank Bldg,
WASHINGTON, May 81.


WASHINGTON, May 81.
Senator overman's resolution for
taking all post Offices, deputy rev.
enue collectors and other stable jobs
out of the civil service. so that they
may be filled with Democrats without
further delay or bother, is generally
regarded as a pot shot at the adj
ministration There has been a
smoldering patronage rebellion gath
ering force among Democratic sena-
tors and representatives for month
or more, and it. begins to look as
though it was very near to becoming
open revolt.
When Wilson was inaugurated the
army of faithful, lifelong Democrats
and valiant party workers, grown
lean and hungry in the long period
between Democratic administrations,
moved onto Washington by common
impulse, prepared to divide the spoils.
They filled the newspapers with col
umns and pages of speculation over
whom of them would get the pick of
the jobs. and the fight ragged fast
and furious as to who should get the
pickings and who the leavings.
Gloom In Party Ranks.
For the first month after March 4,
public interest in patronage was re-
fiected by continued newspaper specu-
lation. Then, seemingly all at once,
it began to dawn upon the hungry
aspirants for jobs, their hackers. the
newspapers and the country alike,
that nobody was getting the jobs.
There was some desultory talk that
the plum tree would be vigorously
shaken as soon as the tariff bill
passed the House, and that the real
harvest would come when the meas
ure passed the Senate.
From time to time there has been
an appointment or two, or half a
dozen, but the plum tree, instead of
being shaken violently. has merely
had its leaves gently stirred, and the
golden fruit hanging up on the top
branches has all the appearances of
being wired onto the tree, SO far as
any apparent intention of the Presi-
dent to shake it down is concerned
Mailing for -POstmasterships.
The hardness of the administra-
ton in distributing the big plums,
such as ambassadorships, deputy
secretaries, commissionerships, etc,
was bad enough, but it wasn't these
jobs that were in the greatest de-
mand. What the rank and file hum
gered and. thirsted for was the big
shake-up when the 10000 postoftices
and several thousand other deputy
collectorships, marshal appointments
and such, were to be taken away
from the Republicans who had held
them for years and passed around
to the party workers. Quick patron
age, and enough of it to make an
appreciable meal for the boys, was
what was wanted.
And it hasn't materialized. More
over, there is no evidence that 1t is
likely to materialize. So far as the
postoffices are concerned there was
an order by President Taft placing
all fourth-class postmasters under
civil service, but it wasn't supposed
that Democratic administration
would take such an order seriously.
The consular service was under civil
service, but the faithful looked to
see short shift given the old condi-
! TONS and a half dozen other civil
service orders kicked out of doors
as soon as President Wilson and his
| advisers found out about them.
Taft Orders Still stand.
Surprisingly, the civil service or
Gers have stood. Applicants for con-
sui generalships and other nice
plums have called at the State de-
/ partment, only to be pleasantly told
! by William Jennings Bryan that 1t
was too bad nothing in that line
could be done for them. The civil
| service was in the way. Senators
and representatives have urged
deputy collectorships ond commits
sionerships, ony to be reminded tha'
these were covered by civil service
laws.
There was some hope anew in sen
| atorial breasts when it was an
nounced that Postmaster-Gcnci'a
| Burleson would start series of ex
! aminations of postmasters of al
! classes, in which the present occu
pants would have to demonstrate
their fitness to hold their jobs. Tn
popular notion, at first, was that thi
was clever way of getting aroun'
the civil service and filling the job
with Democrats without knocking
out civil service entirely; but tn
Burleson order has borne little fruit
The process of examinations Is beini
taken up leisurely. and the grist o
Democratic appointments is micro
scopic.
Senators Approve Ii.
Hence the Overman resolution
What will be done with 1t is doubt
full 1t is certain, though, that 1t ha
the hearty backing Of a good man
senators who are not at all in sym
pathy with the White House idea Q
keeping Republicans in office merel
because of civil service laws Q
peculiar fitness for their jobs.
Some of these senators are yer
frank about the sore spots they hay
been nursing since the patronag
question because tense and disaI
pointing to them. Others. aithoug
, not laxative about it, are doing
, lot of deep thinking, and feeling MOI
J than they say.