The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-03-17
Personally
Offensive

yer from New Hampshire, with q
very bad record from Senator Calm
gers point of view. He used to be a
Republican, yet he voted for Roos-
eveIt in 1912, and in the Senatorial
election Of 1914 he campaigned
against Mr.. Gallinger for Mr.. R. B.
Stevens, a Democrat who had been
indorsed by the Progressives. WITH
entire courtesy but with consid
force Mr.. Rublee explained t
voters of New Hampshire that
tor Gallinger was archaic.
A year ago President Wilson
his first nominations for the FEDERAL
Trade Commission. The law stated
that mot more than three commits
sioners shall be members of the same
political party" The President chose
three Democrats and two Progress
sives, Mr.. w. H. Parry and Mr.. Geo.
Rublee. A subcommittee of the SEN
ate held private hearings. Senator
Gallinger appeared before it and OBJ
jected to Mr.. Rublee on the ground
that he was personally offensive" to
him. The committee reported all the
names favorably. In executive ses-
sion Of the Senate, secret, of course,
all the nominations but that of Rub
lee were confirmed. There is no rec
ord of the vote, but it is known that
Senator Gallinger renewed his objec-
ton on the floor of the Senate. On
ly few days of the session remain
ed, and filibuster would have wreck
ed all kinds of legislation, so the mat
ter was not pressed. After the sixty
third Congress had passed out, the
President gave Mr.. Rublee a recess
appointment which is good until the
end of the present session of this Con-
gress. Mr.. Rublee is now serving as
Trade Commissioner.
His name is again before the SEN
ate for confirmation and no action has
been taken. The other Senator from
New Hampshire, Mr.. Hollis, is DEM
ocrat and an enthusiastic supporter Of
Mr.. Rublee. So we have curious
deadlock in which minority Senator
can hold up the appointment of a
Presidential appointee against the
will of Senator from the Presi-
dents own party. How does he do
| it? BY appealing to what is known
as Senatorial courtesy" Under this
rule he need state no objections to
Mr.. Rublee's character or ability. He
has only to say that Mr.. Rublee is
personally offensive" to him, and ev-
en- some Democratic Senators will re-
fuse to confirm.
The ordinary sane man is bewild-
cred at this hocuspocus which permits
one Senator to do so much damage
for it is damage. Mr.. Rublee is an
extraordinary man, and his is one of
the best appointments made by Pres
ident Wilson. He had a great part
in writing the Trade Commission law.
He understands it as few others do,
and his presence on the commission
may lamost be called essential to give
it successful start. He is not a pol
| itician nor an office-seeker. He is an
ideal public servant, and if our gov
eminent cannot use talent like his
the outlook is desperate He can think
and plan and invent; he has the gen.
Jus of lucidity, and if politics is evei
to be lifted out of the rut of routine
and little mindedness it will be be-
cause the government is composed Of
men like George Rublee. The TRADE
Commission is to deal with the mos
difficult of all problems, the relation o
government to business, and that in
tricate, delicate relationship canno
/ be worked out unless we can coun
upon men of fertility and power. l
ever there was man made for a.
office it is Mr.. Rublee.
!, Senatorial courtesy is Threatening
: to shut the door in his face. Wha
, is this Senatorial courtesy, and wha
is the best that can be said for it
, 1t springs from the question of pat
1 ronage on which the political ma
d chimes live. Many appointments hav
! to be made e'by and with the advic
! and consent of the Senate" Patron
age is power. Whoever controls it
e political master. Sometimes tn
President quarrels with members {
+ his party. To punish them he will al
!. point postmasters, collectors, and
on, who are hostile to the Senate
!, President Taft, for example, tried
!: punish the insurgents by appointin
! stand-pat Republicans in insurgel
districts. The effect of this is
build up rival machine and weake
J. the representative in his constituei
}. NV To nrotact themselves Senator