San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-08-06
NO. 34.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular corrsspondsnt.
WASHINGTON, July rs. 1886.


er OF the general land Office has a.
firmed the right Of entry under the
public land laws and decisions Of the
supreme court Of lands heretofore
withdrawn by voluntary action Of the
general land Office, for railroad in
demnity purposes, where no require
ments of law existed for making such
Withdrawals. The effect Of this de-
cision, il sustained by the secretary
Of the Interior, will be to restore TO
entry under the homestead and other
laws, many million acres Of public
land which have been kept out Of
market for many years because
claimed by railroad corporations.
The successor OF MIR. Foster as
minister to Spain has not yet been
decided upon. When Mr.. Foster left
here for Spain to negotiate second
treaty, the appointment was post
poned until his return. Tho report
that he will shortly be here has re-
newed the hopes Of persons anxious
to secure snug foreign berth. The
Spanish mission is considered one Of
the most desirable, and there are now
more applications on lile in the state
department for it than there were for
any other Office.
The special delivery postal system
provided for by the last congress will
be put in operation in the course OF a
month or two at about a dozen Of the
principal postoffices of tho country,
Including New York, Boston, Brook
lyn, Philadelphia, Chicago and WISH
ington. The details OF tho system
are now being formulatedat the post
office department. The law provides
that the attachment to a letter bear
ing the legal postage of stamp Of
the denomination OF ten cents, shall
entitle the letter to immediate deliv.
cry at free delivery Offices to be des-
ignated by the postmaster-general 1t
is believed that fifty messenger-boys
will be required at the New York
postoAice, and twenty-five at each Of
the large stations in thai city. While
no doubt is entertained that the gys.
tenn will pay it's expenses in the end,
it is feared that year or more may
elapse before the public will avail IT,
self Of the new system to On extent
that will adequately compensate the
messengers employed
The failure of John Roach will
lead to volumes of argry controversy,
in which he will appear on the one
side as a martyr to partisan malice,
and on the other as corrupt specu-
lator who has at last got his deserts.
Mr.. Roach had an ambition to bear a
relation to the government similar to
that sustained by the Krupps to Ger
many. Hc aspired to be the great
representative American shipbuilder,
and he pursued this purpose With an
aggressive personality that divided
the community into friends and OPP
ponents. His relations TO the gov
ernment, during the long ascendancy
of the republican party, made him
almost necessarily, in his way, poll
tician, and on this account he was at
q serious disadvantage when the
democrats came into power. The
step he has now taken has been
harshly construed, but as no one can
help seeing that bis business is de-
stroyed, it is 1nkind TO put an un-
friendly construction on the failure.
And in any light in which il can be
viewed it is hard to see how the clos
ing Of great industrial institution
and the throwing OF a thousand or
more men out Of work can be regarded
as anything less than public ca
lamity.
It will be interesting to see what
effect the assignment will have on the
policy OF the government in the prem
ises. To recover any money ad- =,
yanced to Roach on the Dolphin ac-
count will now be very difficult and
perhaps the simplest course that Sec
retary Whitney can adopt viii be to
take the vessel, for better or for
worse, and to provide for the speedy
completion Of the other ships
1t is learned that Secretary Whit
ney has decided that the eighthoar
law shall hereafter be enforced in the
different navy yards-that Is. the en-
ployes shall receive ten hours nay for
sight hours labor. Heretofore they
have received eight hours pay for
sight hours labor. The general or
Ger directing the change has not
been issued yet. out Information OF
he proposed change has been re
,oived at The Washington navy yard
md presnmabiy al the other ysris
The er.minstion o. applicants for
ore.nEnships at The Washington
ard is still IN progress and . nun
VI have been e1Arnlhed by tbe i's-rsi
~. 49, a A, re.urrrni1a TIE rar1