Milford chronicle., 1928-09-21
OuR WASHINGTON LETTER
CFTOm National Editorial ASSOciGfiOHl
Especial TO cHRONICLEl

V OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
GFyOnu National Editorial ASSOcidtiOEl
Especial TO CHRoNIcLEl
= Washington, September 19-Poli
. tics an dthe vagaries of political life
create a real problem for real estate
= operators in Washington. The leases
' in the District of Columbia are usu-
ally drawn from October 1, which is
moving day" here. Consideration is
now given to the fact that an entire
ly new administration, either IIoOV-
er or Smith, will come into power
March 4, and official Washington
will be topsy-turvy again. The pat
ronage system, so important to pol
itics, will be placed in operation so
that the party "house-cleaning will
mean the return of hundreds to
their home states after their forced
retirement from public office. The
uncertainty makes it difficult to sign
long leases when the November vote
will probably change the perspec-
tive.
Though the office-seeRers are al
ready establishing contacts in the
Hoover and Smith camps as a fore
runner to patronage, it is expected
| that the leaders will be swamped by
demands for places on the Federal
payroll. A research agency reports
that the President of the United
States appoints approximately 10000
persons a year, with the concur
renee of the Senate. The chief
prizes are Cabinet portfolios with
assignment to posts as ambassadors
next in demand. Men of means who
have served the victorious party
well and faithfully are the recipi-
ents of the choice diplomatic posts.
The cost of keeping up a front" as
an ambassador is far in excess of
the modest salary given by the Am
erican government.
Party tacticians are giving care |
full study to methods of attack. Con- |
servative leaders are mindful of a |
comment of Lord Bryce on Presi- |
Dental campaigns and attempt to
avoid "errOrs which are capable of |
being magnified into offenses." One !
of the mai nproblems is to keep ov-
er-zealous Senators and minor poll
ticians from making unauthorized |
statements. AS an illustration of |
the simple faith of propagandists in |
small and ostensibly insignificant !
items is the latest photograph of the |
President posing with Secretary of
the Treasury Mellon and the Repub- |
lican candidate, Mr.. Hoover. The
layman would never consider such
a photograph as a Vote-getter, yet
this week the opinion was expressed |
that the reproduction of the photo |
graph of the "big three of the G. o. |
p" would have a wonderful effect !
on the voters. Curiously the same !
photograph taken few months ago |
would be "just another picture" of |
little psychological value. Politics |
apparently stirs the imagination at |
certain times.
The opening of the fall term of the
Supreme Court of the United States
next month is calculated to stimu-
late the hosts of lawyers who main
tain offices here. The docket is
heavily laden with important cases.
Attention is also directed to the an
nounced retirement of Mr.. Justice
Oliver Wendell Holmes from the
highest tribunal at the age Of 81.
This distinguished jurist was seri-
ously wounded while serving as
captain in the Union army in the
Civil War. He was appointed to the
Supreme bench by President Roose-
welt in 1902 and is still hale and
hearty. His retirement during the
term of President Coolidge will be
observed by all politicians and the
legal profession, because appoint
ment to the highest court is an hon
or reserved for a few in a genera
ton. Even former President now
Chief Justice Taft was quick to ac-
cept the post.
The Senate and House Office
are practically deserted
these days with their occupants
back home in an endeavor to hold 8
their places. The few secretaries
and clerks remaining here are busy
mailing circulars and reprints of
speeches designed to aid the cam
1aigns. 1t is sometimes helpful to
AXE the secretaries to the home dis
rict because they can spend their
ime telling the neighbors what an
parsonage represents the
district at Washington. The postal
avs allow legislators and Federal
departments to mail hundreds of
ons each year without cost but the
axpayer foots the bill.