The Washington times., 1915-04-01
lame DUCKS" FIND
WHITE HOUSE CHILLY
Politicians Not Surprised at In
difference in Giving Plums to
Defeated SoIons.

II has been a cold winter and q
chilly, bleak, frost-bitten spring for
the "lame ducks" of the Sixty-thiri
Congress.
They have found the weather at the
White House unpleasant and inclem-
ent. If 1t has not exactly been stormy.
It has at least been dismal and for
bidding. The more they have VEN
tured into the White House atmos-
phere. the less bracing, inviting and
exhilarating they have found 1t.
Early last November, there was
much said about the way in which
the Democrats of House and Senate
who had fallen by the wayside would
be taken care of by the. Administra-
tiqn. Statisticians were figuring out
just where the lame iuoks" would
roost.
Lapse Of about five months has wit
messed most of these predictions go
awry. Most of the "lame ducks" have
been compelled to hunt up places of
refuge on their own account.
Politicians Not Surprised.
Experienced politicians are not greatly
surprised over what has occurred. but
the experience has been srievous to =
number Of individual Democrats. The
fact ID that when a member Of House or
Senate gets beaten or forced out Of Con-
gress in any fashion he ceases from that
ton that he had before.
The Administration gauges the influ-
erioe Of the defeated by the fact Of his
defeat and he finds when he goes to
high favor as he was before.
Out Of the large number OF defeated
Democrats Of the recent Congress-,
many Of them were mentioned and in
few Instances did they get farther than
mention and indorsement.
A. Mitchell Palmer. Of Pennsylvania.
who ran for Senator against Penrose
81. snd q. was .sn showed wed. underi ND was gwen a
unusually fortunate. But he had run
for Senator against Penrose in the face
OF sure defeat, had been national COM
mitteen.an, and welded such influence
he could not we'll be turned down;
OF Massachusetts,, who found an un-
satisfactory condition in his district.
He had been an able and active mem
ber Of the House. and he was fortunate
sistant secsetary s. s S e9 appGes tSe Treasary: a ~
Find Little Sympathy.
But for the most part the lame
ducks found small sympathy in Ad-
ministration quarters. In most in
stances they have been Obliged to shake
tho dust Of Washington from their feet
and 60 back to whence they came.
The last Congress created the Fed
eral Reserve Board. the Federal Trade
Commission, and a large array of places
in connection with each. Many of the
defeated members of Congress hank
cred for some of these places, but the
fathers of the republic In their wis
dom put a provision into the Constitu-
tion which makes Senators or Repre-
sentatives ineligible for appointment to
any office of honor. trust, or profit
created in the term for which they
were elected.
The office Of director Of the mint was
one of those to which defeated Demo-
Gratis in Congress were attracted. Con-
gressman Bulkfey Of Ohio was one of
the aspirants. Congressman Maurice
Connolly, who led forlorn hope fight
for the Senate in Iowa against Senator
Cummins was another.
But all the lame ducks" were shooed
away. and the post was given to Rob-
ert w. Woolley, Auditor Of the Treas .
ury for the Interior Department, be-
fore any one knew he was being con-
sidered.
The moral of all this is that when In
the vicissitudes of politics a member
Of House or Senate finds himself beat.
en- there Is only one safe rule for him
to follow. This is to go back home and
live 1t down.