Arizona republican., 1921-04-17
Rally Round The Plum Tree

those who is to be taken care of You will, at the right time apply for mally for a clerkship worth about four thousand a year. and in due course will be appointed to respon sible position in the folding room at two thousand.
 Personal and political loyalty are the great considerations. Efficiency cannot be too closely considered. One absolute essential for any man who would ise in American politics is that lie show great loyalty to his friends and a fine sense of personal obligation. This may not make for efficiency in the government service. but 1t gives the great game of poli- tics friendly atmosphere and it pro- duces some startling changes fin per sonal destiny.
 Making Diplomat
 For example there was certain secretary of state who had an old friend in a little town in the west He Mas under some deep personal obliga- ton to his old friend, who was typical sinall-town lawyer. When the sscreiary of state took his high posi- ;ion IL was fully understood by both of them that the old friend should have almost anything he wanted. As 1t happened, he wanted nothing for himself. But he had a son. This son had been through high school and | had sold soap in Mexico and Central America. The old friend wanted his son appointed to a diplomatic post in Latin America. It was immediatelv | promised. The old friend got a lot of l literature on Latin America and after devoting whole Sunday afternoon | to the matter he choose a Central American post which paid sIO,0O0 a year, and seemed to have a prettv ! If-a fr1I I went there a minister. And the fun | ny part of 1t Is that he made a nret- | " good diplomat as American diplo- mats go, and has risen in the service or course, good many such stories could be told that do not have such happy endings.
 In general, the patronage business Is certainly an unhappy one. Ask | any newly elected congressman There are posts for which he has a hundred applicants. To appoint the wrong man may mean his defeat. To appoint any man means to make 9s
 men angry. Indeed. many a prom lslng career in congress is wrecked simply by the accumulated animosi- ues or disappointed seekers after fa- | vors Tor the congressman to push aside personal and party claims and choose whom he considers the best man is | I-HPOS9i 'ie-lhat Is, if he hopes for re-eiecton. There are soma
 friends who must be cared for. There
 are staunch, lifelong party men who
 must be cared for. Worst of all
 mere are the widows Of such men
 who always seem to inherit the de.
 serVlngness of their spouses undf.
 fnlEisntd, and who have the addition.
 al claim of their feminine helpfulnes,
 ana their numerous progeny.
 | And vet the cOpc-reSsmap r,,-o .r--.
 patronage. They always opposa an,
 reduction in it. They do not seem f, grasp the simple fact that if tbe,
 mad no patronage cares at all tbs,
 would be infinitely better off Whe,
 Ffesldent Taft put all of the fourth.
 Class postmasters into the classifie, service. thereby simplifying the nat : ronaSe problem enormously. tho con
 srcsstnen protested. They have pro tested at every reduction of the mai ronaSc roll. And vet it has been re l duced, little by little. Office seekin, IS not what il was in the days n President Garfield who was HteralI, | killed by il. The trouble is that ar 7 almost undiminished army of patriot 5 seeks the greatly reduced list of iohs . ' Perhaps all the jobs will be put unde If tho merit system some day