The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-22
Disciplining Of La Fol-
lette First Step Against
Insurgents
AXE DUE TO FALL
ON MANY NECKS
Hundreds Of Officials,
Friends Of His Foes, To
Be Let Out
By RAYMOND l.. .CLAPPER
LEASED Wire to Age.Herald)

WASHINGTON, Dec. Fl. = At
last the time has come when Presl-
dent Coolidge can begin to pay OF
,old scores with the political unfalth-
full, and he is proceeding to do so
with considerable zest.
Four-year terms of many hundred
postmasters, district attorneys, United
States marshals and other political ap-
pointees are beginning to expire in
large numbers. During the next year
the President will have an opportunity
to exercise the tremendous political
power which the White House holds
through distribution of this federal pat
ronage. Some vacancies are always oc-
curing, but most of them roughly coin
eide with the presidential term.
Already Coolidge has rtarted to dis
cipline insurgents. They are beginning
to writhe under the punishment. 9th
ers ar trembling lest they will be
obliged to pay for previous offenses
against the White House.
Senator La Toilette was the first to
be dashed when the President, a few
days ago, appointed some forty post
masters in Wisconsin, all of them men
recommended by La Follette's chief rival
in the state, Senator Lenroot.
Lenroot is up for reelection a year
from next fall and each man he can
place in a federal political job strength
ems his personal organization upon
which he must depend for reelection.
Backbone OF Politics
The question of patronage may seem
| insignificant to the average person who
paws little attention to political affairs
except at election tine But it is the
bone and sinew of politics. Patronage
makes the party go. Politicians find II
difficult to continue in their chosen pro
fession without it.
The game is played this way: A
President, during his four year term
must make several thousand apoint-
ments. He cannot possibly give person
al attention to each vacancy. so, the
custom has developed by which the
President appoints men recommended to
him. Senators and congressman OF the
party in power usually make the recon-
mendations for vacancies falling within
their respective states. Where the SEN
ator or congressman is of the opposite
PARTY, the recommendation usually
comes from the national committeeman
for that state. So senator's and con-
gressmep, and national committeeman
are thus able to reward their friends
and political supporters. This power
to reward faithful political service en-
ables them to build up and maintain
their machines.
But if the senator, or congressman
or national committeeman, is insurgent
and crosses the White House too often
the President usually throws all avail
able plums to some rival of the offend
er, who is often broken politically as
a result.
Punished Repeatedly
La Toilette has been punished TINS
way repeatedly, but through his contro
of the Wisconsin state government he
has had the opportunity to keep his own
machine going despite the loss of feder-
al patronage. Some other insurgent re-
publicans like Ladd and Frazier have
been denied the usual patronage since
they have been in the senate.
| The practice, the mere fact that the
President holds this power over the
heads of senators and congressman is
sufficient. to keep the rank and file on
goo4 behavior. When a regular strays
froI the reservation, it usually j be-
car ,e of unusual pressure in his state
an the White House. knowing that he
, W | be back i'll line when the next test
comes, is not disposed to resort to such
an extreme form of punishment as the
revocation of patronage privileges.
There are also number of defeated
senators and congressmen-the lame
ducks"-who hope the President will
appoint them to we'll paying sinecures
in the diplomatic Norps, >or on the in
Vulnerable useless boards and commits
sions which do little except draw their
pay, and make out expense accounts
These unfortunate casualties of politics
are often used rather heartlessly by the
White House to do unpleasant chores
in congress. If he expect to get ap-
pointments after their terms expire
| thav con do nothing hnt Ohey orders.