Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-03
HARDING TIRES Of
PATRONAGE ROWS
The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER


WASHINGTON, April 30.-With
the Harding administration about to
enter it's third month, patronage
pleas and squabbles still are en-
gaging most of the presidents time
and there are increasing indications
that Mr.. Harding is getting mighty
tired Of it. The pulling and hauling
of politicians for preferment, the pill
grimages to the White House of con-
testing delegations, bundles of cor
respondence about jobs, and the air.
ing of fractional fights in a half
dozen or more states are things har-
RAISING the president and preventing
closer attention to big national and
international problems.
Despite the efforts of the presi-
dent to pass. along patronage trou-
bles to members of his cabinet, as
President Wilson succeeded fairly
we'll in doing, Mr.. Harding has dis
covered that job-hungry Republi-
cans regard him as the court of last
resort and he sees almost daily one,
two or half a dozen delegations inter-
ested in the candidacy of somebody.
Where the Republican organization
in a state is a unit of patronage
matters, the presidents task is not
so difficult. In number of states,
however, the Republicans are fight
ing among themselves and various
factions are struggling for ascend
ancy and the presidential ear.
Missouri, Wisconsin, Georgia., Ok
lahoma, Tennessee and Texas are
among the states where rival fac
ton are Fostering the president.
GEORGIA Controversy
There is a smattering of Repub-
lican insurgency in North Carolina,
where former Senator Marion Butler
is at outs with the national commit
as made UP by the regular organlza-
ton.
So annoying have the various fac
tional rows become that President
Harding recently served notice on
Oklahoma Republicans that unless
they could get together he would
wipe off both states and make per
sonal appointments" He has also
made one such appointment, that OF
former Representative Charles Burke
of South Dakota as commissioner OF
Indian affairs. Oklahoma could not
agree on an Indian commissioners SO
the president ended the row by 60
ing out to South Dakota and pluck
ing an appointee from that more
tranquil state.
In Georgia, for instance, the sit
uation is complicated because of the
Henry Lincoln Johnson, a colored
man. Johnson is standing on his
patronage rights while the Lilly
White" part Of the party organiza-
ton is urging the president to name
white patronage referee.
In wisconsin Senator LaFollette
and Senator Lenroot do not get
along in patronage and other mat
ters and the president has his trou-
bles there. Senator LaFollette, as
an example, tried to prevent the con-
| firmation as interstate commerce
commissioner of former Representa-
tive John J. Esch, who does not be
| long to the LaFol1ette wing of the
Missouri also presents difficult
situation for the presidents unscram-
bling. The question in Missouri Is
whether Joseph l.. Babler, OF St
Louis, hitherto one of the Repuh-
lican bosses" of the state. shall
control slice of the patronage or
whether Senator Selden P. Spencer
shall be dominant. 1t is claimed that
Babler was practically repudiated by
the national committee because OF
testimony brought out last summer
by the senate's campaign expense
investigating committee, but the
Rabler faction refuses to be side
| tracked.
Getting Annoyed
These factional differences are but
| typical of the many to engage Presi.
dent Harding's time. 1t is estimated
that well above one-half of the
presidents time since he assumed
office has been devoted not to inter
national affairs, reDarations, Mexico
| reconstruction, tariff and taxation
| but to patronage.
| Those p1OSe tho rre Si0pnt he.
'lieve the ysee increasing signs of an
noyance in the inner sanctum at the
| White House. The president is still
seeing delegations of politicians. ant
in many cases off1ce-seekers them
selves, but it is believed that the
time is near when President Harding
will shut his dooDs against the i'm
Fortunate pie" hunters and pass
along most of this vexatious bust
| ness to members Of his cabinet.