Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-18
How to Dispose
of Public Office
The Observer
The Observer.

J ever. from the field CT political ac-
dvity. and comparatively unknown to
many Of the present generation OF
local statesmen who rule this little
commonwealth. and those who
earnestly seek the job at each elee-
] tion. He is an old-time Republican.
and during the days when the "Stal-
i wart" and Half Breed factions of
Delaware Republicanism struggled for
i party mastery and the spoils of Fed
cral patronage. he WAS leader of the
| "Stalwarts"
i We'll, | sec the Republicans arc
4 In a big fight over Federal :.
remarked this former leader, as our
talk naturally drifted towards affairs
1 political. And what a fight IL is go-
/ ing to be, now that the party is back
in control of the nation. as well as
/ the state. after nearly eight years of
wandering ir the dry desert. with not
a postofilce in sight for any Repuh-
/ lican. and not nearly enough good
offices in city or state to go half
way around"
MY. it reminds me OF the old DAYS
cf forty years ago." he continued
when the 'Stalwarts' and Half
1
4 first one side and then another on top.
/ we fought each other 80 hard that
We never had strength enough TO
4 fight the Democrats at election time,
and thus were kept insthe background
/ throughout the State until Addicks
came here and showed what money
would do in winning elections. And
! his lessons have lasted to this day.
! New the Republican party Is again
/ split into two factions, for all the
world like the old 'Stalwarts' and
/ Half Breeds and other men have
/ succeeded Levi c. Bird and Anthony
Higgins, the respective leaders Of
those former factions. And again there
is bitter snarling over the juicy bones
of Federal office. And again, | fear
the party will become Sc widely split
/ open by this continual fighting over
| official prizes that its strength viii
/ wane and the Democrats will secure a
/ f~otkold in tn, State once more. They
haS the State in The old days, and
/ L 5pt il. Federal patronage did not
bother them. except incidentally dur
| ing the two Cleveland administrations.
and they ware four years apart. And
il is easy to sen that ths eight years
of Wilson weakened the Democratic
party very materially by the strug-
GIGS for Federal patronage that IL had
TO settle,
Now the Republican party has The
Federal patronage. in addition to the
local patronage in New Castle AID
Sussex counties. and the juicy pick
ings of the Wilmington administration
ssss. /. E..fns rax.sar off.
that come. up for DISPOSAL. Federal.
State, county and city.
"Sec If he Republican part.a docs
not suffer severely next year. because
of these fights for office. Patronage
never is a source of strength To a
political party, and always a cause of
irritation. The minority party is in
the better condition 10 make a winning
campaign by reason of not being
bothered with this chief bone of con
Itention."
Here the old gentleman paused and
seemed TO be in serious consideration
for awhile. ."I have been out Of the
political game for a long time" he
finally said, ''but l have read politics
and studied politics. here in Whining
ton and Delaware. right along. And
IL have conceived plan. with respect
to the distribution Of all public Offices
which. / firmly believe. would be a
good thing for political parties T.
adopt / believe it would make Of
ficial patronage source of strength
TO a party, a real asset. instead of be-
ling a continual interference WITH
party management and a threat of
defeat"
What is it?" ! asked.
Now, don't laugh at lne and set me
down as q silly dotard." he answered.
but here is my scheme:
When an office is TO BE- given out.
would have the party committee:
city, county or Stat. according 20 the
grade-open the list 10 all aspirants.
subject only tC a Civil Servics ex-
animation of some practical kind,
merely to establish their qualifications
and thus avoid the risk of entirely in
capable men slipping in. Then / woulj
arrange for all who passed this ex-
animation for an office To submit them |
selves to some game of chance-draw
ing or cutting Of cards. the throwing |
Of dice, tbs. drawing of numbers, or |
any other device that would afford |
fair field 10 every competitor and al |
low undue advantage to none. | would |
let pure luck decide. the winner, and |
ne good sport could afford 10 kick at |
losing.
Il believe my scheme would work |
we'll, and certainly it would save an
enormous amount of tins labor and
trouble to candidates. their friends, the
party leaders and all others concerned
And it would relieve the party organi-
cations of a most annoying cause of dis
satisfactionsand revolt. II were young
il the game ] certainly would endeavor
to have this plan of disposing official
patronage put into practical operation"
Perhaps it would be a good plan. At
any rate. the part leaders and poll
ticians may take it under cousidera-
ton, if they choose.
Railings Made Safe.