Evening star., 1947-12-19

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holding COM ~ 3NZ
missions from -zs1Mh~
four Presidents ~Vzw
and spending ~ III
much time here IN
between ofnce
holding and
conventioning, ~
and in dtplo-
matte service, Jossphas Danisss.
I feel that Washington Is a second home. In
sense 1t belongs to all Americans. 1t has
pull upon all who have yen for politics and
a flair for public service with an tndeflnable
attraction for ali who have once breathed It's
atmosphere I love 1.-THE "cave dwellers"
whose hospitality I have enjoyed: its beauty
more stately than any Of the worlds famous
capitals; its public officials and bureaucrats;
and, most of all, like most Americans love to
see the wheels of Government 60 round. So
come back, cheered by troops Of cherished asso-
Citations and fond memories.
Out OF long experience and study Of the ca
reers Of national leaders 1t Is my mature con-
viction that no man since Andrew jackson
ever willingly left the White House. Theodore
Roosevelt was not the only willing Barkis"
who died hoping to be given new lease on
residence in the Executive Mansion. There's
an appeal OF the place-about the great ONCE
of President which "does something" to man
and few privileged to hang up their hats there
have been happy after It's doors were closed
to them.
No matter how much, like Cleveland they
declared that they looked forward with Joy to
laying down their onerous duties, or, like Cool
idge, hoping his II do not choose to run" would
result in being drafted, each and every one Of
Chief TyarY,fiVeS has heen enannOred with
the power and glory Of the greatest Office in
the gift of mankind that not one has contem-
plated a change of residence except with regret.
It is not only men who have lived in the
White House who have yearning to live in
that residence, but there is an impression that
on Capitol Hill-and in some statehouses-
the presidential bee has stung others into
desire to move into the White House. Once
bitten by that bee there is tradition that no
man ever RECEIVERS from it.
The first President under whom I held ONCE
was Grover Cleveland. In the 1892 campaign.
I, with many other Democrats, had Joined In
the song thai put him in the White House:
-Four more years Of Grover
Then we'll be in clover
Out they co. in we CO.
-Four more years OF Grover"
Deserving Democrats f1ocked to Washington,
I among the number in the near panic year Of
1893 to hail the realization Of Growers return
to the White House, with patriotic desire to
lend hand.
Pros and Cons of Merit System.
It was in my apprentice days in the second
Cleveland administration that first knew and
had a runin with Theodore Roosevelt, then civil
service commissioner. The abuse of the doc
trine "to the victor belongs the Spoils" had
caused Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roose-
welt to wish to remedy the abuses by substl-
tuting civil service examinations so that clerical
and some other appointments to ONCE would
be free from politics. The reform as to clerical
and like appointments, though not without its
evils, was an Improvement This was true even
though at the first 1t was weakened by giving
life tenure to those who owed their appoint
ment to political influence.
The pendulum now has swung far-too far
from government by party men to government
by men who do not think enough of the obliga-
tions OF citizenship to even vote, much less
take an active part in shaping public policies.
In the old days, the doctrine "To the victor
belongs the spoils' was carried to an extreme,
but bad as 1t sometimes was, it had the vlr-
tue of insuring government all down the line
by responsible party which could be driven
from power by abuses. Today the pendulum
has swung too far to government manned by
men who, If they have any political principles,
manage to conceal them.
Today. when the term Communism" is heard
oftener than any other word in the English
language. I distinctly remember when I first
heard that word used in public discussion. 1t
was when Cleveland was preaching the gospel
of tariff reform. He charged that the Repub-
Ican policy was founded on communism OF
pef."
There was another tariff story in the Cleve-
land days that had wide currency. One night
Mrs. Cleveland aroused Grover from his slum-
Der by saying, There are burglars in the house.
The House had passed good tariff bill,
which the Senate was emasculating and shap-
ing it into one Mr.. Cleveland characterized as
party perfidy and party dishonor."
Half awake he said to Mrs. Cleveland: There
are no burglars in the House, my DEAR but
you'll find plenty of them in the Senate"
Conversion to Woman Suffrage.
I remember as boy hearing an emotional
Christian give his religious experience. He re-
lated how on a certain night at a certain hour
In a certain place peace came to his soul.
In somewhat the same manner was born
into the new light of faith in woman suffrage.
I recall the place and the hour when going to
a woman suffrage meeting in Washington to
scoff, remained to pray. 1t was summer
night in the late '90s. I was taking dinner
with friend and his wife at the old Ebbitt
Hotel.
: How would you like to go to hear Carrie
Chapman Gait tonight?" the lady asked. Lets
60 to hear the pussy cat"
II do not like her name or her cause"
I replied.
She said, Neither do I, but I'd like to hear
her speak"
We arrived at the crowded small hall late and
had to stand while the lady, with unanswer-
able logic, called unbelievers in the cause to
repentance and acceptance of her creed. No, I
did not 60 to the nourner's bench and rise pro-
Tossing a new faith, but did find myself car
ried along by the force Of the heights Of her
great argument so irresistibly that had q new