Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-04-18
ANTICS OF PLACE
HUNTERS ENL|vEN
DEMOCRATIC RANKS
EVERY Little Boomlet Has a HUI
NOR All Its Own," Adding
Frolic to Scramble.
DELAY CAUSES MORE FUN.
Mills of the Gods Grind Slowly
Appointing Powers Are in No
Hurry at All.

The Democrats are having lots of
fun with each other. Every day sees
new gossip relative to state and federal
appointments, new line-ups made, new
men spoken of for old positions, new
this and new that-and the appointing
powers proceed calmly on their way,
Mnperturbed and unappointing.
The consequence is that every Dem
ocrat in the state, little or big, with a
boomlet however small, is sitting on
top of political telephone pole, play
ing each his own little game, and so
fearful of falling off he does not make
a move. The seriousness with which
each one views his own little boomlet
is the saving bit of humOr that graces
it all-if it was not so funny 1t would
be alarming.
The Democrats have not had such
fun for 16 long, lean years--they have
not had a chance. And to those few
Democrats in the state who do not
want a job and can look on from all
angles, the scramble for jobs Is af-
.fording more good laughs than the av-
.erage vaudeville show, while in calmer
moods they pray that those who can
will fill the positions and end the ago.
ny, 80 the party may go ahead and do
those things that were allotted it to do.
But Lister has not evinced any par
ticular haste in filling the positions at
his disposal, while President Wilson
and his cabinet have displayed far less.
The consequence is that the, delay. is
constantly producing more political hu-
moresques with the leaders see-sawing
back and forth and the littler Demo
Gratis bobbing like puppets on string.
The greatest fuss of the last two
weeks has been the embroglio over the
candidate for the Seattle postoffice.
Once it was Judge F. R. Mcdonald,
one of the tried and true, whom both
Chairman Todd and National Commit
teeman Pattison endorsed in Washing
ton, In spite of Postmaster General
Burleson's fairly expressed preference
for his old friend Edgar Battle. Bat
tile 1t was whom Burleson wanted to ap-
point, whom Burleson asked the chair
man and national committeeman to en-
dorse If it was possible for them to do
so. But no-they could not. they said.
and Burleson smiles and the position
is still unified.
Whereupon Pattison comes forth re.
gently with more or less of an en-.
'dorsement of Thomas J. Casey for the
post, Casey whom the wise ones con-
.sidered joke, and the national COM
I fmitteeman's action has aroused much
criticism in Seattle. The more or less
I failure. too, Of the candidacy of Judge
! William Hickman Moore, for federal
Judge has left some sore spots among
these leaders and the King coun-
lty committee recently very gravely
urged the federal attorney general via
telegraph to appoint King sounty
man to that post, surreptitiously slip
ping in John Kelleher. John S. Jurey
and Cicero r. Hawkins as additional
candidates from this would-be ruler
/ of the state f.}f} II
! Much the same condition exists ev-
terywhere in the state, in greater or
lesser degree according only to the
prominence of the position sought and
the prevalence Of Democrats in the i'm
mediate territory. Boomlets rise and
fall like dust in the wind, political for
tunes are made and lost, choice ambi-
tions fostered or foiled, and the fun In
creases as the merry play goes on.