The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-03-02
Song
Uncovers Truths
tcopyr.gh. By The IntelliSeneer.)
by DAVID LAWRENCE,

vy,SlIIN,;TuN. u. c. March l.
L.r,rrIi,, LANES farewell address, writ
I'm 10 I.r.SldruI Wilson. but IN FcaI'NS
intended for lhr American people - "
ing yariuuSly interpreted as CFANt CFAN'S'S's'
az The Wilson Administrations IN VIM
,..J ..,y..u wears. but mostly as an
inliri,Drnt OF the public service ltScit'
;n which h. Spcn: twenty years GnaTV
EsnuhIican a. well as Democratic Su-
miniStrauon. ., "a.
When the departing secretary OF tn'
INTERIOR however. charactertEeS ot'Sia'
Washington as "a combinatto1 OF ponti,,
cal caucus. drawing room ana ctNI'
servIce bureau containing StaNeSII, ., u y
who arc politicians and poilticians VIZ
are not statesmen. he expresses nli
which a good many officials stitl IN
service would like TO exercise. Tor tnere
are two kinds OF men in the govern.
nent-- those who realize preSen.
methods arc inadequate and insuHiclci,s
and those who don't want To- realiZe II
because IL might dlStuEp PeAS'""'
party aspirations. s;-
dency. He happens TO nave oeen oos
in Canada. de can't go higher IN 'ns
ladder Of politics. he is re..L.hs ,,h -,
.nrivate business. He carries with MN
no yrudgos no resentmcnts. no bitter
ness or Disappointment What he says
therefore can't be taken as personal. ou'
impersonal. Yet he has started some
thing that may get 10 b. personal he-
rnrc mis- presidential year is out. For
his statement may focus public attcn'
ZION on tho topSY-turvy condition or tns
ruAIic service today. and start psople
thinking about hotter types Of men for
the next electoral contests.
The Real Trouble.
II Mr. Lane had been disposed to be
psrsonal. indeed. ne might have put ms
finger on the handspring OF the trouble
-presidential politics. The SoVernmcu'
is fairly seeping with x. Here IS the
situation in nutshell;
In the department OF justice is a
presidential candidate. \: Mitchell
Palmer. attorney general. He may be
giving little thought TO II, as the bust
ness OF his office demands attention. ou,
his suoordinateS are working tooth ano
nail for the support or delegates 10 the
Democratic convention.
In the war department are many
friends OF General Leonard Wood ~he
are by no means asleep at the switch
Moreover. there are Officers IN the wai
department eager 10 keep on good terms
with the Republican congress. who lit
orally fear Investigations and are there
fore proceeding with a superaoundancs
Of caution in matters OF claims whlcr
is holding up the bills OF Legitimate
he afraid Of everyone" was Mr. Lanes
way Of expressing the broad principle
Of excessive timdity in public service
In the treasury department Secretary
Houston is not himself candidate oil
yerSed in the ways of politics. But his
dcpartr1cnt is honcyCombcd with poll
tics. Here are big organizations Of red
oral ofTicc holders who can have n greai
deal - Il" with the getting OF delegates
20 IN" democratic national convention
MANY friends OF former Secretary Nc
Ndou are s,,l! in the treasury depart.
furnr. and of course they are playing
tho rr,sideutial game just as hard a-
the friends uf any other candidate. ir
other departments.
AS TO Burleson..
In the poStonicc department ls The
master politician. Albert Sidney BGrlc,
Eon. whose idea OF public service is &C
show a surplus a. the end Of the ycal
fOr tho poStoCicc department. no matter
how many railway mail trains are cut
on or how much thus affects rural ol
urba nmah service. As for presidential
politics. Mr.. Rurl"sou has enough power
to make or break would-be candidates
In The Whit" House itself IN" atrnu
srherc og pn,itics j. scarcely loss DIS
guiScd though admittedly Il doeSn'
turn so rnuch upon whether or not Mr.
Wilson will 3" a candidate fur Z thirc
tern, "a upon tn" d"Sir" to retain lead
,rShip Of tho democratic party durinc
nc u.N, frw months while the treaty