Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-16
C. D. P. LEADER To J
ADVISE HARDING IN !.
PARTY Patronage

ny DAVID 1AwZENoH
Ueased Wire Service to The Journai.]
Copyright, 1921

~ . .
Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, %. June IS
President Harding has decided to
lean heavily on the new chairman OF
the Republican National COMMITTEES,
John T. Adams, of Iowa, and hence-
forth will seek the advice and coun-
sci of Mr.. Adams on matters of pat~
Mr.. Harding has had more than
the usual run of engagements with
persons interested in recommending
friends for Office. He has found it
difficult to give undivided attention
to important matters of adminitra-
ton because Of the avalanche Of re"
quests for time to present the vir-
tues of candidates for jobs.
Will Hays, former chairman of the
national committee, and now post.
master general, and Harry Daugh-
erty, pre-convention manager for Mr..
Harding and now attorney general,
both have been besieged by Office
seekers or their friends, so that the
work Of the postoffice department
and department of justice necessarily
has been effected. The heads Of
those two big departments can't give
all thei renergy to the administers
tive side of their tasks when their
minds are taken up with matters OF
patronage.
Choice Of Harding
IL.
was largely instrumental in the SO.
lection of Mr.. Adams and it was Mr..
Harding who felt the necessity for
having the party machinery in the
hands Of one who was not himself
identified with the government it,
self. Mr.. Adams is the personal rep-
resentative of President Harding on
all party matters. He is the active
head Of the Republican party and will
continue to be for at least four
years which means that his will be
the task of keeping the party organi-
cations happy and interested in the
next Republican fight.
Everybody who knows practical
politics realizes that a skillful ham
ding of patronage questions is es-
sential to party enthusiasm. The
Wilson administration made its first
real blunder when it delegated to the
heads Of the different government de-
partments the job of handling office
seekers.
Many of Wilson's cabinet members
foy,o to-.
as are some of Mr.. Harding's secre-
taries. The boys back home" who
came to Washington to get jobs for
hungry constituents, didn't even
know the cabinet officers. They FREE
quently were ignored altogether and
didn't have personal interviews with
the powers that were.
Up to Local Organisations
Mr.. Harding is trying to avoid that
kind of thing. He wants every party
worker to be stimulated to keep on
working. So he has placed the whole
responsibility for appointments on
the local Republican organizations.
which in turn, must cooperate with
the national Republican organization
of which John T. Adams is the chief
executive.
If the local Republicans make q
poor recommendation, or If the man
they recommend turns out poorly, it
will be a reflection on the local or.
ganization and the Harding admins
tration will feel justified in the fu-
ture in looking to other Republican,
in that particul.- vicinity for ~~''-
teal advice.
But the thing which MIR. Harding Ia
eager to have established is an eff
fective working organization in which
the local elements in the Republican
party will cooperate with the nas
tional headquarters.
Adams to Move to Washington
Mr.. Adams will maintain perma-
nent headquarters here and will move
his family to Washington. He will
be at the beck and call of the White
House and will keep in close touch,
not only with party matters, but with
the pulse of the country on public
questions as reflected in talks with
the pilgrims who wander in from day
to day from various parts of the
country.
Mr.. Adams probably will do less
travelling than his predecessor, Mr..
Hays, largely because there is not
SO much necessity for it. He hirn-
self doesn't believe in "drives" and
organization work when there Is no
fight in progress. He will keep in
touch with what Is going on, but will
not start active campaigning until
there is occasion for 1t.
Meanwhile Republicans who feel
they are entitled to consideration in
matters of patronage had better get
acquainted with Chairman Adams and
put their case before him. His word
will count from now on.