Evening star., 1919-03-23
FIFTY YEARS AGO In THE STAR

vented A T. Stewart from accepting
the secretaryship Of
Law Barred the Treasury in Gen
~ ~, Grants first cabinet
a. M. Clapp. caused general
search fifty years ago among the old
statutes relative tc eligibility to fed
eral Office. One of these was unearth-
ed in connection with the nominatioS
to be public printer OF a. NJ Clapp.
The Star of March IS. 1869, says:
"a legal objection, similar in char.
acter to that which operated against
the appointment of Mr.. A 7. Stewart
as Secretary of the Treasury, is found
TO exist in connection with the cleo
ton of Mr.. a. NJ. Clapp of the Buffalo
Express as superintendent of public
printing. for which position. it will
be emernhered, he was nominated by
the republican caucus on Monday last.
me joint resolution in relation TO
pubic printing. approved June 23.
1860. provides that neither the super
intendent nor any other officer ap-
pointed under him shall, during his
continuance in office, have any inter-
est, direct or indirect, in the publica-
ton OF any newspaper or periodical.
or IN any printing of any kind, or in
any binding or engraving, or in any
contract for furnishing paper or other
material connected with the public
printing. etc.-the penalty for q vio-
iation being Imprisonment in the pen
itentiary from one to FIVE years and
fine of $500. OF course, the obstacle
thus presented can be removed by the
withdrawal on the part of Mr.: Clapp
from all connection with the Express
establishment. but 1t is doubtful
whether he would be willing to sever
his relation with an influential public
journal and an extensive and profit
able printing establishment for the
uncertain tenure and inadequate pay
OF the Office in question. Four thou
sand doliikrs year. at the will of
any body Fof men. however dignified
and respectable, is a very poor ex-
change for what successful news
paper man of the present day would
have to give up to secure it,
Gen Grants indisposition to con-
suit the politicians closely in the mat
ter of making ap-
Candidates for pointments topub-
n. lie Office did not
forelgn Jobs. check the pressure
for federal positions. Washington was
a-boil with office-seeking ferment fifty
years ago. The Star of March IS, 1863,
says:
THE rush for foreign appointments
under the present administration ex-
ceeds by far anything within the
knowledge of the oldest inhabitant,
and is much greater in proportion to
the whole number of places to be
filled than for any other class of Of
fees. AS an illustration, we may state
the fact that there are already known
to be more than one hundred appli-
cants for the consulship at Frankfort
alone. This is, of course. an eXcep-
tional case and the desire to fill this
particular place probably grows out
of the fact that it is one of the most
lucrative of it's class. but the rush
in this direction indicates pretty well
the willingness just now manifested,
everywhere to serve the country
lustration. that there are about three
scores of applicants registered from
the southern part of Ohio, while the
town of Mount Vernon, in the central
part of that state, is said to have
some half dozen ablebodied candidates
in the field. Other sections and places
do nearly as well-or badly, as the
reader chooses. In a majority of cases
the candidates want first class places,
but it is supposed a good many will
compromise on a position Of minor
Importance If rendered at once. And
this disposition will probably increase
as hotel bills grow longer and faith
in my member grows weaker"