Evening star., 1921-04-29
WHITE HOUSE NOW
MECCA
Heated Patronage Fights
Center About President as
Court of Last Resort.

President Harding is not permitted
to give all his time and attention to
high brow" problems OF information
al and domestic Importance. numerous
and grave as they are; the politicians
won't let him. Don't picture his pri-
vate office as the cloistered sanctum
where gather exclusively statesmen
with portfolios and legislators with
great plans for saving the country.
Vary it with scenes of excited poll
ticians. clamorously setting up as
serted rights to patronage and state
control.
For the President is the court OF
last resort in a number of exceeding
ly vexatious state contests among
factions for control Of the party ma
ch:nery up to and including the next
campaign. 1t is only fair to say that
it is not alone the patronage at
stake; the patronage is just the test
the contending factions
Missouri, Wisconsin. Oklahoma.
Georgia, Tennessee and Texas top the
list OF states where factional fights
are raging. In the three republican
states the conten ntion is strongest and
at times seems almost hopeless. Hi
nois presents milder case. which
promises susceptibility to adjustment.
Harmony Forms Contrast.
Standing out in charming contrast
to these states are Kansas and In
diana, where the republicans got to-
gether out of court, arranged their
patronage squabbles among them
selves and presented slate to the
administration with the suggestion
that the President need not bother
himself further than to send in the
nominations. which would be entirely
satisfactory to the factions.
Missouri republican factionalism is a
hard nut The kernel of it seems to be
whether Jacob l.. Babler is to dispense
the patronage and control the state or
whether Senator Spencer and repuoil-
cans Of other factions shall have rec
ognition. The decision will be shown
when the President sends in the nomi-
nation for the district attOrneyShip for
the western district Of Missouri and il
he renews the nomination of Charles G.
Madison, presented at the last session
of Congress but not confirmed because
it was objectiOnal to Senator Spencer.
Missouri Compromise Looms.
A Missouri compromise" Is possible,
and. in course Of suggestion. by giving
Mr.. Madison something equally as good
and letting Senator Spencer fill the at
torneyship. That course would be sat
isfactory to the senator. it is said. but
the Babler faction would still be ag-
grieved. 1t is asserted that the republi-
can national committee last year prac-
tically repudiated Babler. but his fol-
lowers, who are numerous. now refuse
to accept the ban Of outlawry. Presi
dent Harding wants to hold Missouri for
the republican party and is trying his
best to iron out the troubles.
The Oklahoma contest between the
- lot
mitteeman, Jake Hamon, and the op-
posing faction is still seething. The
latest returns of the progress of the
feud are discouraeing and of nature
to give great comfort to the demo-
Gratis. who confidently look forward
to regaining the state. the loss Of
which was to them one OF the bit
terest pills they had to swallow in
the last elections. II any one could
devise a plan to unite the Oklahoma
republicans factions. the administra-
tion probably would be grateful
enough to offer. like the fairy god
mother. three wishes. all to be
granted.