Fair Play

FIGHTING FOR SPOILS.

Our Pecksniff President and the Two Senators from Illinois.

There will be two influential gentlemen at the meeting of the next Congress who are likely to make President Harrison put in a very uncomfortable time. They represent the great State of Illinois in the United States Senate, and they claim the right to determine certain Government appointments in that State, according to the views once held by the President when he was a Senator. Senator Farwell is particularly exercised in mind over the way he has been ignored as to Illinois appointments. The President never consulted him or Senator Cullom about the Minister to England or the collector at the capital of the State. Hence, both Senators are in an unpleasant frame of mind at what they consider an implied insult. Mr. Farwell has already expressed his sense of the situation in very emphatic terms: "I am tired of shilly-shallying, and, as I remarked to the President the last time I saw him, I have no desire or intention of getting down upon my knees and begging for favors." It looks very much, then, as if there was a sultry time ahead for Baby McKee's grandpa from the Illinois corner of the Senate. Indeed, there is excellent ground to believe that the administration will be subjected to a fire of hostile criticism from many leaders of its own party for its failure to satisfy the demands of the boys. Even Wanamaker's lord high executioner does not expedite business to suit them, although he has already beaten the record. We may look for the obliteration of the surplus in a short time after the fifty-first Congress convenes by reckless appropriations and free scope to the horde of jobbers that the return of the spoils party will bring back to Washington. Harrison may be obliged to throw open the doors of the treasury, as well as of any choice offices he has left, to satisfy all comers—particularly those two Illinois Senators whom he has unfortunately offended. It is not the pleasantest thing in the world to hold the bag in a grand party grab game.—Albany (N. Y.) Argus.