New-York tribune., 1918-11-01
Democrats Give
Territorial Jobs to
carpet Baggers''
Violate Their Platform
Pledge in Cases of Hawaii
and Alaska
F avor Non = Residents
District Of Columbia Also
Used as Means to Pay Po-
litical Debts

The Democratic party's time -honored
alteration of the principle Of local self
government and its traditional opposi-
ton to carpet-bag appointments are
SHOWN by Investigations made for the
Republican National Committee to be
material for platform promises and
nothing more. Federal appointments
i'TAiaska and Hawaii have been made.
according to the investigators, with
total disregard of whether or not the
men selected were residents. and this
in direct violation of the pledge in the
Oemocratlc national platform of 1912:
1--WE believe that the officials ap-
pointed to administer the government
OF az our territories and the District
OF Columbia should be qualified by pre-
vlous bona fide residence"
lhe report of the Republican Ma
tional Committees investigation is in
part as follows
Ignore Campaign Pledge
Having been elected on this plat
form, the Democratic Administration
on ITS arrival in Washington proceeded
70 tarm out positions in the District
OK Columbia government as a reward
Tor partisan political service and in de-
nance of the law as we'll as of the party
platform declaration.
so thoroughly was the carpet-bag
principle instituted in the government
Of the District that when it came to
writing the Democratic national plat
form Of 1916 the words "and the Dis
trlct Of Columbia" were dropped from
TINS particular plank, leaving the dec
laratlon to apply merely to the officers
appointed Ill the territories
In the remarkable Hawaiian list lead
IS taken by the appointment by the
president Of D. Hastings MacAdams. of
9t. Louis, as postmaster OF Honolulu.
! Hawaii.
"Mr. MacAdams was formerly cor
respondent for st. Louis newsnaner
at the national capital. Early in the
ilrst Wilson Administration he was ap-
pointed to government position as
press agent for the Postofice Depart
lnehc, position euphemisticallv
classed as editor. In 1916 MIR. Mac
ADAMS services were loaned to the
Democratic National Committee. He
cdlted the Democratic campaign year
book Of that year. Following the cleo
ton, as reward he was appointed
postmaster at Honolulu, although he
never had seen either the city or the
territory in his life
NPpOiulccS .NOL lSIdn0erS
"Another interesting Hawaiian ap-
polntment was that made in the spring
of 1918, when the President elimi
mated sn obstreperous candidate for
appointment as United States District
Attorney for the western district of
ashlngton by making Howard Hatha-
way, leading Democrat of Seattle.
Wash, Collector of Internal Revenue
Of Hawaii. at Honolulu.
"Hawaii's Collector of Customs is
Malcolm A. Franklin, of Mississippi,
who never saw the territory before his
appointment.
"The Federal appointments FOR Alas
ka are not without their humorous
aspects. For example, James A. Sm,-
ser is now United States Attorney for
the First Division Of Alaska. the di-
vision which has its headquarters AZ
Juneau, the territorial capital
MIR. Smiser halls from Tennessee.
Immediately upon the appointment Of
Thomas Watt Gregory as Attorney
General of the United States Mr.
Smiscr sought to be appointed United
States marsha for the eastern dis
Gregory favored him enthusiastically
ut appears that in Mr.. Gregory's
early boyhood Mr. Smiscr's father
/ had befriended Mr.. Gregory and had
assisted the present Attorney General
to gain his primary education How
ever, one of the United States Senators
from Tennessee had a candidate Of his
own for the position of marshal, and
became bellgerent in his attitude
when he learned that the Attorney
General was promoting the candidacy
of Mr.. Smiser
"The Senator took the matter direct
to the White House. Subsequently.
the Senator's man was appointed to
the Tennessee marshal job. and the
Attorney Generals man, Mr. Smiser.
was sent to Alaska as District Attor-
ney.
''President Wilson's most recent ap-
pointment on the bench in Alaska was
that of William, A. Hohlzheimer. a
practising attornew of Seattle, Wash
now Judge Of the second division of
Alaska at Nome.
Several of the other appontees for
Alaska. all having nominal residence
there, were appointed primarily at ths
instance of Southern Democratic
Senator'S and Representatives. they be-
ing former residents of the Southern
toko