Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1908 — THE DEAL COMPLETED. [ARTICLE]

THE DEAL COMPLETED.

Indianapolis News (Rep.). It will perhaps oe remembered that Mr. Daniel J. Keefe, president of the International Association of Longshoremen, was conspicuous in the late campaign as an antagonist of Mr. Gompers. Keefe and several other labor leaders participated in a conference at the White House, the purpose of which was to make a break in the labor vote in time interest of Mr. Taft.. It was charged at the time that the President had promised to appoint Keefe Com-missioner-General of Immigration to succeed the late Frank P. Sargent. The story was indignantly denied by Keefe, and on behalf of the President. It is true that one man present at the interview refused either to affirm or to deny the story. From his reticence many Inferred that, in spite of the denials, the appointment had been promised. Yesterday Keefe was appointed to the place.

The meeting between the President and Keefe took place October 3. Shortly afterward the Democrats charged that a deal had been made by which in return for the appointment Keefe was to support Taft. On October 14 Keefe said: The president did not offer me the position of Commissioner-Gener-al of Immigration directly or indirectly then or at other ’time. The dispatches of the same day carried the following statement from the patient and long-suffering Loeb: While no formal -statement was issued from the White House, Secretary Loeb denied that President Roosevelt promised the office of Commissioner-General of Immigration to Daniel J. Keefe, president of the International Association of Longshoremen, in consideration of Mr. Keefe’s action in declaring for Mr. Taft. Mr. Loeb added that what Mr. Keefe said in denial of the story was absolutely correct.

Now, of course, it is true that Keefe may have been appointed to precisely the place to which it was said he would be appointed, without any antecedent promise of the President. For purposes of denial an "understanding” is much more convenient than a promise. It seems certain that Keefe knew some time before he was appointed that he would be appointed. At some definite time the President must have made up his mind. We have no doubt that each man thoroughly understood the other prior to the election. Remembering the strenuous efforts that were made by Mr. Roosevelt to break down Mr. Bryan’s labor following we are inclined to think that those who charged that the deal was made on October 3 were right.

•It occurs to us that the Senate has an important duty in this matter. Before it confirms the appointment of Keefe it should investigate this story of the supposed deal. We ought to know if the President of the United States really did promise a high place in the Federal service in return for political support for bls candidate. The thing has an

unpleasant look. Keefe, as we have seen, denied the story, and by his denial he admitted that the arrangement would have been wrong, and discreditable to both men. Be-> fore Keefe is confirmed it should be made perfectly clear that his appointment is not the result of a deal. The Senate should insist that Mr. Keefe show a clean and honorable title to the very important position to which he has just been appointed.