The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-01-22


months removes an element Of uncer-,
tainty that hampered the state lead
ers in their efforts to solidify the or
ganization for the hard campaigns
ahead
AS the administration in Washing
ton views it the appointment or
Claud r. Porter as attorney and state
chairman N F. Reed as marshal, in.
the southern district. and E. R.
Moore as: marshal in the northern
district, with the practical certainty.
that the temporary appointment OF
Frank O'Connor as United States at
torney in the northern district will
be made permanent, provides the
best solution of one of the hardest
patronage problems with which the
administration had to deal. III .
There has not been any doubt
from the first about the appointment
of state Chairman Reed. When the
nominations first were sent to the
White House in June and then were
brought back to the Department OF
Justice for reconsideration, there
was no opposition to Chairman
Reeds appointment and it was ,decid-
ed to send his nomination In, hold
ing up the northern attorney and
marshal appointments, over which
the question arose. Chairman Reed
would not hear to this. AS one OF
the referees who had shared in max,
ing the other recommendation he
refused to have his appointment
made until the others also were
made, although by adopting this
course he was kept out of Office six
months longer than would have been
the case Mr.. Reed did not press
consideration of the appointments
because of being one Of the candi-
dates himself. Congressman Pepper
than to join in making the original
recommendations because the init
mate footing on which they were
placed in their capacity as members
of the house with it's heads of the
departments making the appoint
ments was such that they did not
wish to complicate the relationship
between the legislative and executive
branches by undue activity in pat
ronage matters. 1t was left to Judge
Wade to press the claims of the ref
erees with the result that the origi-
nal recommendations were favorably
acted on with the substitution of the
name of Committeeman Moore for
Sheriff Hogan of Anamos:,
The hardest nut to crack was to
choose between Claude Porter and
Dan Hamilton. Both had in their
favor a record of accomplishment
and the fact that they had been stan
dard bearers of the party in state and
national campaigns. Mr.. Porter had
the strongest Endorsements from the
states political leaders and workers
and the administration concluded
that it was best meeting the wishes
of the majority of the party workers
in choosing him, since there was con-
sidered to be nothing to choose be-
tween the two men on the point of
ability, both being recognized as able
lawyers. Mr.. Hamilton had the rec
ommendation of many of his former
colleagues in the house, including
Secretary of Labor Wilson, and the
recommendation of United States
Treasurer John Burke. But the
recommendations within the state
were finally considered as outweigh
ing those of the party leaders from
outside the state.
Although not originally recon-
mended by the referees, T. R. Moore
was acceptable to all the state lead
ers. He was originally one of those
who recommended Sheriff Hogan, as
did many of the other state leaders,
but when opposition developed to
Mr.. Hogan and Mr.. Moore's candid
acy was announced, not against Mr..
Hogan, but against the other candi-
dates, the compromise was one that
was considered as meeting the wish
es of the greater number.
In such a contest it was inevitable
that all could not be satisfied, but at
the outset of what gives the brightest
appearance of being real democrat
ic era, it is the feeling in administra-
ton circles that the candidates who
were not named in the present in
stance will receive the future honors
due them.
The Smithsonian Institute, the
country's most famous scientific Or
ganization, adopted resolutions at it's
annual meeting in Washington last
week voicing the deepest regret at
the death of Congressman Pepper of
Iowa, who was one Of the three house
members of the board of regents.
Speaker Clark named Congressman
Maurice Connolly as the member to
succeed Mr.. Pepper, and the board
If regents on recognizing signally
lorored Congressman Connolly by
appointing him as one OF the execu-
i've committee of the three in active
barge of the Institutions affairs.
Senator Bacon, one Of the senate
leaders, and Alexander Graham Bell,
the telephone inventor, are the two
other members of the executive
board. Chief Justice White. Vice
President Marshall, Senator Lodge,
Judge Gray of Delaware and Andrew
D. White, former president of Cor
nell University and former ambassa-
dor to Germany are among the other
members of the board Of regents,
twelve in ALL Congressman Connol-
ly, who knew Andrew D. White at
Cornell and later at Berlin, when
Mr.. Connolly was attending Heidle-
burg university and Mr.. White was
ambassador, gave dinner
party at his home last Thursday at
w 3c1n Mr. White WAS pnoSt Of honor