Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-15
"v0TELESS" WASHINGTON
INTERESTED IN HARDING

tdozens of men for every job throng to
Washington fer fear some other fel-
low will beat him to ~"
In visioning this influx of party
workers willing TO be rewarded with a
good office it must not be overlooked
tn t hundreds of inaugural visitors
sta y over for several months to frater-
me- with the new Officials and to
watch tire process of installing the
new regime.
! The new resident has power to ap-
point ambassadors and ministers and
, corsuls to foreign countries. justices
| of the supreme court and all other
officers of the United S'ates not def
| nitely appointed in some other way
, by law. After the inaugural there
is always a large group of willing
workers and contributors standing
around to be "loo ked over" for these
appointments.
From this the rest OF the country
can see that the official population
is of considerable size,-and also that
| eyehy four years the nations capitai
becomes a dumping ground wherein
the rest of the country gets rid tenn
porarily at least. of a large number
of hand Ito mouth politicians, as well
! as sending here the best talent they
have to offer to help Uncle Sam In
running the nations business. Wash
iington sees intimately the process OF
winnowlng the wheat from the chaff
and herding aside the goats"
In the social life of the nations
capital. fully as much as in political
and official circles and far more than
in any business relations does the
change of administration bring
, changes. Just as soon as the new
regime can get settled begin series
of receptions, dinners, teas, etc, so
that the new officials and their fam
ilieS can meet each other and n few
other right" people. This entails
| more work and rivalry over frocks,
flowers. cooks and buffers than people
back in the states can imagine.
To get this fun picture one must
realize that Washington society is
broken up into certain groups-the
residential set. the congressional set,
the diplomatic circle. the official cir
Gle, etc. The army and navy circle
there are Sc senators, 435 represen-
tatives and five delegates and com
missioners who are quite properly
quite naturally pays considerable at
tention to who the new secretaries of
war and the navy may be, and later
to ingratiating themselves with the
new cabinet officers.
Again reverting to the congression-
al situation; the people throughout
the states should remember that
there are 90 senators. quite properly
very big men back home" and who
find in Washington the stage on which
they let their ambitions make brave
display. There are 2,164 officials and
employees of the House and senate
with an annual aggregate compen-
sation of s3.2SS,000 who must be
,sketched into the picture of the nat
ional capital after q congressional ell
ection.
The rest of the country can have
its few weeks of campaign and can
march with chest out TO the polls and
register the freeman's ballot for the
peoples choice" but Washington
must find the residences and hotel ac-
commodations. must feed and cloth,
must provide golf clubs and theatres
for these favorites of the people who
90 have the vote In Washington.
too, are 80 ,618 employees of Uncle Sam
who must adapt themselves TO the
whims and capries and idiosyncracles
of these incoming officials in order
that they may continue on the gov
ernment pay roll to exc out a living
for their families.