Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1916-01-07
MUST CURE CAUSE.

among other things
"In many respects | quite agree
with you relative to your article IN
the Clearwater Republican last issue
relative to the Orofino post office, but
do not agree that President Wilson is
responsible. 1t is unreasonable to
expect the president to personally in
vestigate the fitness of all small ap-
pointees, when they number thousands.
There are, however, two distinct
men directly responsible, to-wit:
Robert H. Elder, democratic national
committeeman of Idaho, and Post
Master General Burleson, Washington,
d. C..
eff the Clearwater Republican
desires to correct pernicious practices
by those authorized to dispense federal
patronage in Idaho, permit a sug-
gestion. Heretofore it has been the
practice of good politicians and good
political organizations, both republi-
can and democratic, to let the organ
ization of the party in power recon-
mend for local appointments, in
GLIDING post masters. Especially so
in states where the party in power
had no member of either branch of the
congress from that state.
This precedent and reasonable
form has been set aside in Idaho by
that faction of the democrats repre-
sented by Elder and the Nugent wing.
In fully half of the counties of Idaho,
where the county democratic commit
tees have endorsed and recommended
appointees approved by the people as
a whole, the wishes of the democratic
organizations have been set aside and
ignored, simply because such persons
as were recommended were not fac
tional followers of Nugent and Elder s
wing of the democratic party in Idaho.
"This Nugent- Elder wing has been
able to do this in all post masterships
in Idaho because Post Master General
Burleson arbitrarily ruled that ma
tional committeeman from states
having no democratic representation
in congress should have the power to
name all post masters.
Everyone knows the president is
too busy with bigger and more impor.
tant matters to give such appoint.
ments personal attention, unless hi
should have the good judgment to moi
have a Post Master General who il
unfair, unprincipled and unreasuon
able.
1.-THE great mass of both democrat
and republicans will condemn spoil
system such as Burleson and tn
Nugent- Elder wing of democracy ha
imposed on Idaho.
The above is good. 1t will draw
attention to most fragrant abuse o
popular rights Of American citizens
1t explains, from the inside, tn
working of the democratic patronag
machine in Idaho. The Republican
desires to be fair. but we can't Sc
how President Wilson can wash hi
hands of responsibility since Burleso
is creature of the president, an
whatever power he and the democrati
national committeeman in Idaho en-
joys comes directly from the president
The president may not have time t
personally investigate each individua
case, but he should know how appoint
ments under his administration ar
made, and whether or not his cabine
members are practicing the mos
vicious of un-American systems Q
politics. That much President Wilso
has had time to investigate. AS lon
as President Wilson can find time t
devote six months almost eXclusivel
to the society of Mrs. Gait, turnin
the presidency into social junket fo
personal pleasure, it is hardly prope
to raise the question of time as an es
cuse for the existence of outrageou
abuses in our post office department
The Republican can see no hope fc
reform of such abuses as otfends ldah
except the people hold the princips
responsible; except the people fore
take steps to safeguard the peopl
against abuses. In the Orofino pc.
Office case every avenue to the pres
dent was apparently closed, and tn
most vigorous protests of the peop
were fruitless.
1t is chargeable to the Wilsc
administration that is has throw
down the bars and opened the way f,
vicious machine politics, and til
Idaho case is but ore. of hundreds
Government has been taken from tn
people and turned over to Nugen
Elderism throughout the nation. I'll
public service has been abused, ne
jobs by the hundreds have bee
created, machine politics encourage
as we see it in Idaho, and the benel
cial reforms started under civil servi,
undone and trampled under foot of