Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-04-01
OUT OF THE sP0ILS SYSTEM
John Temple Graves LaIGs Wilson For
His stand on Patronage Question.

tJOnn Iemple GFdEtS, H. me NC"
York AmericanJ 81
The indictments who are seeking
office under Wilson declare that in his
one revolutionary act OF turning over
the offices to his cabinet he has avoid
ed the opportunity Of rewarding them
and shifting the responsibility Of turn
ing them down.
Half of the half million men who are
seeking some sort of recognition under
the Wilson administration are basinS
their hopes upon the real or imaginary
record of personal service done 10
President Wilson preceding his nomi-
nation and during the campaign.
1t is safe to say that one-half if not
two-thirds of this ambitious army are
astonished, indignant and protesting
against a change which practically
sweeps the record of personal SER
vice and personal acquaintance out Of
consideration. 1t leaves the hopeful
aspirant TO pass his claims under tn"
cold review of a new cabinet officer,
who, perhaps, he does not know, in
stead of being permitted to plead his
merits, his service, his character, and
his campaign contribution, before the
president whom he had personally
known or personally served.
The explanation issued from the
white house does not satisfy the NAL
contents. They say that if the sitting
process by the cabinet officer elimi-
mates all but one or two applicants
the cabinet officer might as well ap-
point at once.
But there is another side, and it S
nothing less than truthful to say that
the majority of the disinterested citi-
zens with whom | have discussed this
all-absorbing question believe that Mr..
Wilson has done a very wise and very
proper thing, which it is astonishing
no other president ever thought to do
before.
The friends of the president are par
ticularly enthusiastic in declaring that
he has eliminated the presidency from
the spells system, and voluntary and
unselfishly relinquished his personal
claim upon future support of the office
holders of his administration in order
to ship himself without handicap for
the mighty battle of economic and po-
litical progress TO which he has con-
himself.
There are those who take this order
to mean that the president is indiffer-
ent to reelection, and this is an
evidence that he has agreed with Bry-
ans plea for a single term, and is
turning over the patronage to Bryan
in advance of 1916.
There are those who say that Will
sons theory of success has always dis
credited the officeseeker, and he be-
lieves that the real best road to sue
cess in 1916 is to ignore the spoils bril- /
gade and devote himself to making
laws and executing them.
And there is a keen group of prac-
teal politicians-Republican and DEM
ocratic--about the capital, who scent |
danger to Wilson in the plan, and fore
cast the forming of cliques and combi-
nations within the cabinet of the party
for 1916.
Here is some of the reasoning which
these old sleuths of the political game
give out: Wilson and Bryan must sure
ly fa,I out betore the administration
term is half over Two strong men of
strong connections and dominant per-
sonalities, accustomed to dictate, can
not get along together for four years
Of power. Mr. Bryan will never re-
his desire to be president.
EINF FIR IIVFR SILK