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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1904)
r it 3 DECEMBER 2, 1904 pors applauded, although not so vigorously as thoy had p'raised before. As soon, howover, as the cam- paign opened thoy began to find fault with Judgo Parker. They began to descrlbo as elements of weakness the Very things which thoy had pointed to before the convention as elements of strength, and before the campaign was over they wero abus ing him like a pickpocket and applying all sorts of epithets to him. The moro forcibly ho attacked tho republican position the moro bitter became the republican condemnation, and when he pointed out, what everybody ought to know to be true, that tho president could not finance his campaign from the treasuries of the trusts without putting himself under obligations to them, expressed or implied, the republican press with one accord denounced him as a slanderer and falsifier. Before the elec tion the republican papers began to prophecy that Judge Parker would bo beaten "worse than Bryan was." When the election was over they consigned him to oblivion without a tear or a funeral wreath. The experience of this campaign ought to bo S lesson to those democrats who are tempted to take advice from republican editors and leaders. The democratic party can not strengthen itself jy following the course that tho partisan republicans point out. The democratic party, if it is democratic, must expect to arouse opposition. Republican praiso of a democratic leader is not the best recommendation ho can have. In fact, It Is rather complimentary than otherwise for the republicans to assail a democratic leader. First, it is evidence that ho 3s prominent enough to attract their attention, and second, it is evidence that they fear the effect of his attack upon republican policies. It is time for the democrats, to counsel with each other and to avoid the .snares and traps that are constantly . being set by the republican leaders. JJJ The Postmaster Problem TJie following letter was written by President r Roosevelt in reply to a letter from Congressman Gardner: White House, Washington, Oct. 28, 1904. My Dear Congressman: I have received your letter concerning tho appointment of a post- ; master at Haverhill, where Attornoy General Moody, your predecessor, who has served in my cabinet successively as secretary of the navy and now as attorney general, has recom mended that tho present incumbent be re-appointed; this present incumbent being a man admitted by every one to have tho character and capacity which fit him for tho place, and being, from all I can find out, entirely satis factory to the people of Haverhill. He was appointed by President McKinley, at the sug gestion of Mr. Moody, then congressman from fhnt. district. You spea c of your "privilege of naming tho Haverhill postmaster." In your letter to Mr. Moody you say: "It is not a parallel case in Massachusetts to those other states where ' senators select the postmasters. In Massachu setts it has been understood that a congress man shall selectthe postmasters in the cities and towns in his own district." To clear up any possible misapprehension, I would like, at the outset, to say that the senators do not "select" postmasters in any state, while I am president. I consult them always, and in tho vast majority of cases act on the recommen dations they make; but the selection is mine and not theirs, and time and again during tho three years I have been president I have posi- tively refused to select individuals suggested to me for nomination as postmaster by vari ous senators. If I am :.ot satisfied with the character and standing of the man whosfc name Is suggested to me, I never nominate him. I understand perfectly that under txe first article of the constitution the senators are part of the appointive power, and that they have the same right to reject that I havo to nominate, and that, therefore, tho appoint ment must represent an agreement between . them and me; and as the acquaintance of the senator with his state is always much greater than tho knowledge of the president can pos sibly be, it Is tho normal and natural thing that I should listen to his advice as to these appointments, and I -generally uo so. But I stop listening to it as soon as I realize that he . is advising me wrongly. While it is impossible to avoid making mistakes in nominating thou sands of c ndjdates to local ofllde3 oh the ad vice of hundreds of different advisers, yet I The Commoner. never knowingly nominate a candidate whom I think unfit or to whoso candidacy I think there is good objection; and tho question of unfitness I regard as one to bo determined by my judgment and not that of tho senator. My practice during the last throe yoars has been exactly that sot forth In this statement; and I may add that repeatedly I havo refused to nominate, at tho request of somo senator, a man to succeed some public servant who I felt had particular claims to bo renominated, or whom I regarded as markedly superior to his proposed successor. ' S'o much as to my relations with my con stitutional advisers. But tho relation of a congressman to these appointments rests not upon law but puroly upon custom. It has boon found in the actual working of our government that, as a rule, tho congressman Is tho best man to consult about tho appoint ments which como under his special ken. S'oineoap must bo consulted, and as a rule tho congressman is tho man whoso advico is most apt to bo that which can bo followed with advantage to the community, and there fore to tho party. But this is a mere custom, and I havo never hesitated for a moment to deviate from it whorever circumstances aroso that satisfied mo it was wise and proper and Ir. tho Interest of tho community to do so. In scores of cases I havo been obliged to dis regard the recommendations of congressmen for all kinds of reasons. Usually I have dis regarded thom because I havo believed that the man recommended to me was unfit. Occa sionally I havo disregarded them because I felt that tho man who was In ofilce was so consiiCuouMy fit that ho ought to be retained. Holding in mind that the recommendation of the congressman is merely a matter of cus tom, I wish to point out to you that it Is also the custom to pay heed to the wishes not only of cabinet officers, but even of sena tors of the opposite party, and occasionally to tho wishes of congressmen of tho opposite partyrin tho case of nominations to ofilce In their own towjis. In such cases I have some times nominated tho man requested by a dem ocratic Senator, for instance (always provided I regarded him as fit for the position); and even where I havo not done this I generally consulted him about the man whom I did appoint. That I should consult one- of the members of my own cabinet in reference to the pctmaster of his own city ought to go without saying. After carefully considering all tho clroum s stances I feel that the wise and proper thing ' is to nominate Mr. Pinkham to succeed hlra- ' self. I intend to nominate aim because he is a thoroughly fit man, who has been an ex cellent postmaster, who Is of good standing in the community, whose retention In office will undoubtedly be agreeable to tho bulic of the patrons of the office, and whose re-appointment Is asked for by tho attorney gen- eral, himself a citizen of Haverhill, who, when in congress, as your predecessor, se cured tho appointment of this man to ofilce by President McKinley. I regret to have to take any action which will be displeasing td you; but I do not see how I can avoid doing so in this case. Sin cerely yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT. Hon. A. P. Gardner, Hamilton, Mass. While this letter presents a complete defense of the pr' .ident's position under existing laws, also presents a splendid reason why the appoint ment of postmasters should be taken out of tho hands of the president and placed in tho hands of the people of the community. As long as the re sponsibility rests upon the president he must be the final judge of the relative merits of aspirants. He can not afford to turn over the. appointments to the postmaster general, and If he did the post master general could not intelligently consider the number of cases that come lT' can the president farm out the appointment of postmasters to senators or to members of congress bo long as he is responsible for their appointment he mult, to the best of his ability, discharge his duty ana examine the merits of each case But how can the president look into the merits of eighty thousand cases? How can be hiform him self as to the qualifications of the candidates? How can he ascertain the wishes of the patrons? K ne worked ten hours a day and decided ten cases an-hbur-and that' would be only six minutes to each case- he could only review thirty thousand cases In a year. Whon you mako allowance for tho tlmo necessarily dovolcd to other work and for tho necessary interruptions it is apparent that tho president can not really consider any largt proportion of tho cases. Ho muct rely almost en tirely upon senators and mombcrs of congress, and theso may havo axon to grind or private reason for their recommondatlon. If tho law is so changed that tho president, while rcsorvlnrj tho power of appointment and romovaJ, is restricted to tho ap pointment of candidates named by tho votora, tha president will be rollovcd of an enormous burden, congressmen and sonatorn will havo moro tlmo to dovoto to public affairs and tho various communi ties will bo given tho officials of tholr cholco for this position which Is not only a responsible one but ono with which tho commimlly comes into closest contact. JJJ Pushing Th Commoner An Arkansas circuit judge writes: Yesterday Mr. met me and said ho wanted Tho Commoner. I remarked that if flvo would club tho prlco would bo CO ccnUi. Somo twenty or moro camo to mo and handed mo their monoy, nnd I then mado a couple of hours' exertion and secured, I bollovc, sixty 'names. Almost every man requested me to get your last week's Issue, containing your edi torials just after election. If posslblo send each now subscriber that artlclo. In a few days tho judgo spnt In another list and within two weeks forwarded a list of twenty two brought by a democratic farmer. Altogether tho judge has sent In over ninety names since tho election and ho lives In a town that has not moro than 300 or 400 votes. What Judgo ..as done many of Tho Commoner readers are doing and thousands of oth ers could do. A democratic newspaper Is the least expensive literature that can be circulated. Tho Commoner Is Issued every week; It fortifies demo crats with arguments which they can use in their discussions with republicans; It gives to republi cans Information which thoy can not secure through their own papers, and It prepares young men for Intelligent citizenship. Besides its edi torial department It has a home department for tho, family, a page of humor and an interesting summary of the curront news. You can Incroaso Tho Commoner's Influence by Increasing its circu lation -will you do It? Get up a club of five or more, or pick out a liberal minded republican among your acquaint ances and make him a present of a year's sub scription to The Commoner on condition that ho promises to read it. If every present subscriber will take the same interest that the Arkansas judge has Tho Commoner will guarantee that the democratic party will be a reform party from now on. The attention of all readers of The Commoner 'is directed to the special subscription offer: According to tho terms of this offer, ca-ds, each good for one year's subscription to Tho Com moner will be furnished In lots of five, at the rate of ?3 per lot. This places the yearly sub scription rate at CO cent. These cards may be paid for when ordered, or they may be ordered and remittance made after they have been sold. A coupon Is printed below for the convenience of those who desire to par ticipate In this effort to Increase The Common er's circulation. THE COMMONER'S SPECIAL OFFER Appllctli It Subscript! Carda Publisher Commoner; I am interested la ! creating The Commoner' circulation, and de tire you to tend me a supply of subscription cards. I a?ree to me my utmost endeaTor to Mil tbe cards, and will remit for them at the rata of CO cents each, when sold. 5 10 15 20 25 50 75 100 Nam a Box, or Streat No. . J3tata Indicate tbe BUirber of cards wanted by mart: logX opposite one of the numbers printed end ol this blank. you believe the paper U doing atcork t7iai mmits, encouragement, fin out tha above coupon ami mail it to Tli Commoner, Ltacola, Neb. 11 ft. J n&-.