Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-23
Politics at Large
By C.. Could Lincoln.

e. Brlttcn, secretary OF the tlOrlQa he
publican State committee. The Presi-
dent was replying to irate members Of
| the Florida organization who protested
, the appointment by the President of
Federal district attorney for Florida
who had not been recommended by the
| State organization. The principle laid
down by the President may come as
stunning shock to machine politicians,
! but 1t will have a strong appeal to the
people at large.
Mr.. Hoover, ever since he entered
sought TO make his position clear with
regard to Federal patronage, not only
| in the South, but in all parts Of the
| country. He is more concerned with
| finding the men most qualified for Of
| flee than with putting into office men
| not qualified who have the backing of
political leaders. 1t will be recalled
/ that two years ago, when President
| Coolidge had practically taken him
self out of the running by his 1T do
not choose" statement and Mr.. Hoover
was looming large on the horizon as a
| probable nominee of the Republican
party, it was reported many times that
| the politicians did not care for Hoover
and feared he might not BE- wiling to
play the great game OF politics accord
| ing TO their accustomed rules. Never
theless the Republican party nominated
| Mr.. Hoover and the people OF the coun-
! try elected him.
It appears that the Florida organiza-
ton has recommended half dozen
candidates for appointment as Federal
attorney for the State during the last
six or seven months, but that they
! have none of them been approved by
the Department Of Justice. which has
been upheld in this by the President.
The President has since the beginning
of his term laid great stress upon the
| need for proper enforcement OF the
| laws. 1t may be expected that he Will
lean over backward to get the best
men he can to help carry out the laws.
In this matter the United States at
| torneys are key men. Mr.. Hoover, in
his search for an Attorney General,
picked an erstwhile Democrat, solicit
| tor general of the United States, how
ever, appointed by a Republican Presl-
dent. Some of the politicians threw up
| their hands at the selection OF a Demo-
crat for this post. But Mr.. Hoover ap-
pointed Attorney General Mitchell on
| the recommendation of former Re
publican President, now Ch1ef justice
| of the United States, and the recon-
mendations of other members OF the
Supreme bench. Mr.. Mitchell had bsen
practicing in the Supreme Court and
the justices were we'll qualified to pass
upon his qualifications.
| y
Mr.. Hoover has no idea of breaking
up the Republican party. He believes
| in party government. A paragraph in
his letter to Mr.. Britten of Florida, how
] ever. sets forth his ideas very distinctly
regarding what the administration
should and should not do with regard
to building up the party. He said;
1T Is the natural desire Of the admin
istration to build up and strengthen the
Republican party in the State OF
operation with the State organization
! If the organization presents candidates
who measure up to my requirements OF
public service. This is an obligation
! in the interest of the people OF the
State and the first tenet in that pro-
gram Is that no longer shall the laws
Of the United States be 1outed by Fed
eral officials; no longer shall puonc
office be regarded as mere political pat
ronage, but that it shall be public
service"
| For years efforts have been made
| sporadically to build UP a Republican
party in the South. But the chief bust
ness of the Republican organizations in
most Of the Southern States has been
the disposal of Federal patronage. IN
! deed, there have been times when II
was charged that this was the sole bust
ness of the Republican organizations,
and that the leaders of those organiza-
tions were not in sympathy with the
upbuiIding of Republican party strong
| enough to elect members of the House
| and Senate, knowing that they would
lose their handling of the patronage pie
counter. The Republican organizations
however. continued to deal with patron
age matters and to produce delegations
to the Republican national conventions
ready to support the candidate FOL
President who was most likely to CO.
1 operate with them in the matter OF
patronage, or whose hackers had plant
ed the greatest amount of money In
these Southern States in the preconven-
ton campaigns. Scandals in the dis
position of Federal Office are not new
but they came to light during the last
two years in startling manner, and
President Hoover has determined there
shall be an end of them. Perhaps the
Presidents methods may go further to-
ward building up. real strong Repub-
lican party in the South than those
| which have been followed in the past
The people of the South are more like
ly to respect political party which
| seeks to give them good government
so far as the Federal Government Is
concerned-than q political party which
sells out to the local organization lead
ers when 1t comes to appointing Federal
officers. It's an experiment worth try
lican leaders in the South are threaten
ing dire vengeance, even to the extent
of holding a convention in Georgia OF
elsewhere, for organization purposes
with the idea in the back of their heads
that they will send a solid block OF
Southern delegates to the next national
convention to oppose Mr.. Hoover unless
he yields to their demands in the mat
ter of patronage. If Mr.. Hoover gives
the country good Government, how
ever, when 1t comes time to nominate a
Republican candidate for President In
1882 the attitude of the recalcitrant Re
| publican leaders in the South Is not
likely to make much difference In the
outcome.
y X * x
Senator Edge of New Jersey is ex-
pected to resign his Senate seat on or
before the opening of the regular ses-
sion of Congress-. December 2. He has
been selected by the President for ap-
pointment to All the vacancy caused by
the death of the late Myron T. Her
rick, Ambassador to France. He is
likely to sail for his new post around
the middle of December, it is said.
Senator Edge, member of the Senate
finance committee, has stuck to his
present job while the tariff bill has
been under consideration. That meas
ure may be put through the Senate
by the close of the present special
session. though that is doubtful. But,
whether it is or not, Mr. Edge is ex-
pected to leave the Senate and 60 to
France and the Governor of New Jer-
sey will appoint a Republican as his