Omaha daily bee., 1888-05-27
A BLOWHARD PUBLIC PRINTER
The Investigation Shows Benedict
to be Incompetent.
STATUE OF ROBERT DALE OWEN.
News for Those Interested in Mission
airy Work in Heather Lands
Carlisle's ailments-Con-
suIar Matters.
A Poor Public Servant.

brought before congress in impeachment pro-
ceedings he will stand condemned as q pub.
lie servant before those who have watched
the investigation which has been in progress
for two or three months by the house com.
mittee on printing. Mr.. Benedict went into
office with a great blare of %trumpets. He
proclaimed hat the administration Of his
predecessor, Mr.. Rounds, was incompetent
and corrupt, and insinuated that the men UNI
der him were not proper persons TO remain in
the employ of the government, and they were
put out. As soon as this congress convened
he began to blow about his economy and his
superiority. His own bowls attracted so
much attention that it created suspicion. AL
ready the Investigation has shown that Mr..
Benedict is incompetent. Men connected
| with the inquiry say more will be proven. 1t
was shown last week by the testimony of the
most reputable men in Philadelphia, that
Benedict accepted paper that fell from eight
to twelve pounds below the government
standard, which is from twenty to forty per
cent lower than was offered by other con-
| tractors, and that the price paid was from
| ten TO twenty per cent more than the proper
| grade could have been bought for. II was
shown that the superintendent of the paper
| warehouse and Benedict's brother, who are
members of the board of paper inspection,
| went to Philadelphia and dined and wined
with the paper contractor at the lattcr's eX-
| pense, and that Woodbridge, chief clerk Of
the stationary division of the postofice de-
| partment was with them, aud that his ex-
penses were also paid by the paper con-
tractor. If Mr.. Benedict escapes from this
Investigation with any reputation he will be
exceedingly fortunate.
An effort is to be made to secure unani-
nous consent of the house for the considera-
ton of Mr.. Hovey's Joint resolution, which
has been favorably reported from the com
mittee on library, appropriating $4,000 for
the purpose of erecting, on the grounds or in
the building of the Smithsonian institute,
this city, a statue of the late Robert Dale
Owen. Mr.. Owen was several times a men,
Der of the Indiana legislature, was one of the
constitutional convention that framed the
constitution of that state, and was a member
of the Twenty-ninth congress subsequently
he was minister to Naples, Italy. There is
an interesting story in connection with the
| claim set up for showing why a statue should
be erected in memory of this man. James
Smithson. q son of the duke of Northumber-
land, England. on the 26th of October, 1895,
by his last will and testament, bequeathed
to the United States of America his prop
| erty to found at Washington city, under the
name of the Smithsonian Institution, an es-
tablishment for the increase and diffusion of
knowledge among men," When the bequest
was received Dy unc OnlUeu OUdbcS, JUNE,
| 1929, it amounted to a little over $500, 900, and
was accepted as a trust under an act of con-
gress. Fol many years this large sum was
in the vaults of the United States or under
its control, and several unsuccessful efforts
| were made in congress to pass bills to carry
the trust into execution. In the Twenty
| ninth congress, December 10, 1S45, Robert
Dale Owen introduced "a bill to establish
| the Smithsonian institution for the increase
and diffusion Of knowledge among men,
| which, after a long debate and bitter opposi-
| ton. was to some extent remodeled by a
| substitute, and became a law April 80, 1916.
| The vote in the house on its final passage
| stood s. ayes to rs nays. MIR. Owen was re-
| garded as the champion of the measure, and
was appointed chairman of the board of re-
gents July, 1916. From the date of his APP
pOintment to the completion of the Smith
sonian building he devoted all his time and
energy to the organization and completion of
| the work.
Few men could have been found in any
| country whose talents, education and sympa-
| thies would have so well qualified them to
CARR out the munifcent beouest of Mr..
Smithson. Mr.. Owen was a ripe scholar,
had Travelled much and was familiar with the
best institutions of Europe. He was fond of
| architecture and was one of the most active
| members of the board of regents in forming
the plan for the building. During this per-
iod and growing out of his labors, he pub
lisbed his work on architecture.
United States Consul Straus, located at
COnSUlnLluODlc, turkey, hdo WIlUJCn ii lCUbCE
to the state department whic will be read
with interest by all who care for the Ameri-
| can missionary work in heather countries.
In the course of his letter Mr.. Straus says:
Il have recently visited Cairo, Jaffa, Jeru-
salem, Beirut, Merslne and Smyrna, and
conferred with our consuls in the several
| districts :also with the governors and COVER
nors-general of the respective vilayets in the
empire. ] desire to acknowledge the univer-
sal courtesy | met with on the part of these
| officials and to express my satisfaction as to
| the very pleasant relation existing between
| them and our consuls. While at Cairo his
highness, the khedive, showed me every
| possible courtesy. | had so arranged my trip
| that Knight be mt Beirut at about the time
| the order for the reopening of the schools
of the American Presbyterian board
| of missions in the vilayets of Syria,
and Beirut was to go into effect. / am graf
flied to report that fifteen of said schools had
been reopened in anticipation of my arrival,
and that orders were received from the porte
for the immediate reopening of the five addi-
tional schools in the Syrian vilayet the day |
left Beirut-namely, April T. These are
pretty much all-if not the entire number
that the missionaries care to reopen al this
time. Such was my understanding of their
wishes when they waited on me in a BODY
while at Beirut to express their gratihcation
upon the RESULT
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