The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-11


have any effective voice In any leg
islatlve decision.
This Legislative ollgarchy did re-
gard everything north Of Mason and
Dixon's line as political booty and
did 50 treat everything north Of Ma
son and Dixon's line. It made no diff
ference, as the World says, that in
three or four Northern States there
were more Democrats than in the old
South. They were north OF Mason and
Dixon's line; that was enough.
But the rest Of the Democratic Gov
eminent was OF the same spirit and
on the same errand. All the cows got
into the garden.
There never was anything more
hypocritlcal. there never was anything
more palpably false, than the attemW
to lay the whole blame of this sec.
tional raiding Of the country north Of
Mason and Dlxon's line on the legs-
latlve Oligurchy alone. Mr.. WILSON'S
friends have tried to excuse. but. can
not excuse, the political outrages. the
financial profiieacy and the economic
crimes Of the Democratic Government
on the ground that they were the de-
plorable result q the seniority legisla-
tive rule of Congress, which gave
every important committee to the
Solid South--tO the Kitchlns.
Was 1t legislative seniority rule
that made Mr.. WILSON cram his Cab!-
net with material from the, Solid
South? Good. bad, or Indifferent. men
Of the South must predominant In the
Cabinet mastery of the country. There
fore, there was for Secretary Of the
Treasury the clear visloned, able,
courageous MCADoo--0ut OF Georgia;
Secretary Of War, BAKER-product OF
West Virginia; Attorney General.
GEEGoRy--from Texas: Postmaster
General, BuRLEsoN--of Texas; Secre-
tary Of the Navy, DANIELs--of North
Carolina! There had been at first the
strong, outstanding GARRISON for Sec
Rotary Of War, but he was of New
Jersey. The ollgarchy could not toler-
ate anything like that, and he was
frozen out.
Was it a legislative seniority rule
that packed every administrative de-
partment from cellar to garnet with
officeholders of the Solid South? Take
look at single exumple--the Post
Office Department
Chief Clerk, MCARDLE. Texas; AS
sistant Chief Clerk, SMITH. Tennes-
see: First Assistant Postmaster-Gen-
eral, Rooms, Maryland; Second AS
sistant Postmaster-General, PRAEoEB,
Texas; Third Assistant Postmaster
General, DocKERY, Missouri; Solici-
tor, LAMAR, Maryland; Superinten.
dent Division of Foreign Mails, MAD
Dox, Kentucky; Superintendent d.
vision of Money Orders. MATTHEWS,
Oklahoma Superintendent Division Of
Postmasters' Appointments, HoDogs,
Texas; Superintendent Division Of
Railway Mail Service, DEFINING,
Georgia; Superintendent Division
Dead Letters, MCLEAN, Texas; Chief
Inspector, SrTToS, Missouri. |, ;
Was it a legislative seniority rule
that put flock of hungry politicians
from the South on the job Of apprRls-
ing railroads north OF Mason and Dix
on's line? Was it legislative senior
lty rule that made the Internal Rev
enue Department, collecting KITCHENS
taxes. practise petty larceny against
the taxpaying public north Of Mason
and Dixon's line?
Congress did give up the 81 per
cent. north Of N:son and DiXon's line
TO the ID per -. in the Solid South,
yes. But 50 did President WILSON.
1t was not one rich province that had
been conquered for political spolia-
ton. 1t was more than thirty prov.
inces fabulously rich, containing more
than 81 per cent. Of the population.
that had been conquered by the IL per
cent. and, whether in the legislative
or in the administrative ouSarchy,
they all went 10 It!
And such n spectacle Of partisan,
sectional, punitive government was
never before seen in the history Of
this republic, when in its depart
ments, bureaus and Offices swarmed
like files the children and favorites
of that oligarchy, unframed but vain
glorious, incompetent but lmpudent,
scatterbralned but vengeful.
Vast business enterprises must have
their affairs directed for them by min
! compoops who. outside of their new
political jobs, never knew enough to
earn n living.
4 railroad executive got from some
Washington understrapper an arbl-
trary order impossible of execution.
and because he hesitated 10 carry 1t
out of went his head. a nlanufac.
turer or merchant was commanded
by some sectional pinhead to do some
/ thing preposterous, and before he
could discuss the matter the shutters
were put up on his business. A news
1 paper publisher was told to file reams
and reams OF reports with petty