New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-01-21
MARION PILGRIMS
DECEIVE SELVES
EXPERIENCED POLITICIANS DO
NOT BELIEVE HARDING HAS
MADE ANY PROMISES.
WISH FATHERS THE THOUGHT
President Elect Undoubtedly Follow
ing Example of His Predecessors in
Retaining From Making Direct
Pledges of Appointment or Policy.

Ing Example Of His Predecessors IN
Retaining From Making Direct
Pledges Of Appointment or Policy.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Washington.-Every four years, or
at the outside every eight years. there
is a heavy pilgrimage TO the home of
the President-elect by the Democrats
or by the Republicans. This year Is
no exception to the rule, and Washing
ton is watching with mingled interest
and amusement the going forth of the
pilgrims to the shrine of the incoming
N at Marion.
If the pilgrims of the past were to
be believed, and if the pilgrims of the
present are to be believed, Presidents
elect Of the United States are the
greatest promise makers in the world,
and likewise If there is u thought that
the promises are to be fulfilled they
must have memories which are like
the %prOverbial ones of the men whose
minds are like wax to receive impress
! siOns and like marble to retain them.
1.-The wish Is father to the thought
is a saying as old as that which has
to do with impressiOnable and retain.
Ing mentalities. Washington believes
that In nine cases out of ten the pill
grims who come away from Marion
thinking and saying that things are
to be thus and SO" In almost every
case are persons TO whom 1.-THE wish
Is father to the thought"
To 60 no further back than 1896,
William Mckinley met the pilgrims
face to face and talked with them
and, If they we're to be believed, prom
Used them many things. Woodrow
| Wilson In 1913 met thousands of those
whose steps were New Jerseyward
bent. Washington In the past heard
the same tales then concerning the
certain accomplishment of this thing
or that thing, and of the promises
that had been made on this matter or
that matter, or on the appointment OF
this man or that man.
SkepticaI About Promises.
Today in Marion the scenes of 9th
er days are being re-enacted and
Washington craftsmanship and near
craftsmanship looks on smillngly and
under breath speaks of the day when
the pilgrims are to wake up and To
get a somewhat sharp sense of disil-
lusionment.
All fhn old VEaghinutnn nnlitI.innS
say that no P~resident-elect ever makes
n direct promise until just before he
can drop the 'elect" and write his
name with the prefix President. At a
town In Ohio today, as at "A town In
New Jersey In 1913, there are arrlv-
Ing day by day politicians who know
what they want, doctrinaires who
know what they want, theorists who
know what they want, advisers who
know what they want to say, and
scores of others who think they know
what they want but probably don't.
So far as one a determine. all of
these pilgrims on returning from Ma
rion, as they or their like returned
from the other places in the years
gone by, have a deep-seated convlc-
ton that they have carried their
points either in having advice accept
ed or In securing the promise that
somebody or other is to get a high
place In government. Washington says
there is nothing to IT,"
Up to the present time the lists OF
men who are certain to be appoint
ed to cabinet positions has reached
that number which the I'salmist puts
down as the allotted years of a mans
life, three score and ten. There are
only ten cabinet jobs. II sixty men
are TO be placed congress will have Ia
do some hurry-up Legislation IN order
TO provide departments enough to 20
around.
Praise Doesn't Mean Appointment.
Sometimes Presidents-elect are COM
PEELED In self-defense. and to save
their regulations for veracity, to is
sue specific statements In denial that
they have promised Dick that Tom
shall have this job. or Harry that Bill
shall have that job. In Washington
The old stagers say that If a Presi-
dent-elect tells a petitioner in behalf
of Bill that Bill is n good fellow, the
petitioner instantly takes IL for grant
ed that Bill is going to be secretary
Of state. or secretary of the treasury,
or be made ambassador Extra ordinary
and plenipotentiary TO the Court Of
Saint James. or consul general at Lon
don. or m%inistering angel TO the Hot
tentots.
Within a short time the names of
four men have been given as Of those
who are certain TO be appointed sec
rotary of Subsidiaries L. Hughes.
Philander Chase Knox. David jayne
Hill and George Sutherland. Not all
Of these gentlemen can occupy the
chief chair at the Presidents table at
the same time. Ii has beer suggested
In Washington that they might serve
a year each. thus satisfying all the
gentlemen concerned and probably
those others who are sticklers for
rotation I'm Office.
Who Will Be H~ardine's se~cretsry7
President-Elect Harding has not yet
named definitely the man who Is to
be his secretary when he takes pos
session of the White House in
March. Gossip has II that either
George Christian. the senator's present