The National tribune., 1888-01-19


tect and TO defeat. They made this on non-par-
tisan grounds, for they said that land reform
was in no sense party issue. The President
promised to investigate the matter and give
them an answer within day or two.
NOT FAVORABLE 10 CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The Civil Service Reformers are much dis
couraged at the appointment of J. c. Clements,
of Georgia, Chairman of the Committee on Civil
Service Reform. He was the second on the
committee in the last Congress and succeeded
TO the Craftsmanship by seniority, but all the
same be as strong opponent of REFORM and in
the last session he was the only member of the
committee who dissented from the report In
favor of continuing the system. He claims
that the law is not valid; that the examinations
are theoretical and hair-splitting tests of no
particular value, and continually reiterates his
belief that all the employees of the Government
should be taken from the dominant party.
DEPARTMENT CLERKS
I heard a funny thing day or two ago, which
set me to thinking that if the Lord had spared
me the sons be gave me / would much rather
] have seen them engaged as conductors or driv-
ers on street-car lines than to have them be
clerks IN any Of the executive Departments
here.
In one of the Departments is gentleman,
now well advanced in years, who has imme-
/ date charge Of flock Of lady employees maids
and widows-who make life a misery to him.
! ! dom see how the deuce he stands it, but he
/ does and probably his 30-odd years OF clerkshlp
/ helps him out. l wouldn't take charge Of such
g flock if I was paid twice his salary.
But to the story. This Chief has been in
Office since away back in the SOS and has be-
come yeritable machine in the transaction Of
/ his business. lie has fondness for light read
1 ing, and is never SO much delighted as when
/ he can carry home new novel to peruse. A
remarkably bright, pert and rather witty
Gently remarked: Nonsense, ladies; I'm not
afraid of Mr.. Blank. ] can do anything want
with him, or make him do anything want
/ him to. bring him new Seaside novel every
week"
Now, that's just it. Any man who drifts
into Department position here soon loses his
! personal identity and becomes merely part
of the huge machine of administration. He
1 goes there full OF ambition and with the full
! intention of leaving IN a few years to pTac-
/ tice law or incidence but when he has gradu-
! ated in one of the excellent law or medical col
/ leges here he fears to make the plunge and go
out into the world to battle with his fellow
men in the strife of life, and hangs on to his
sure income" until some change of Admins
tration comes to give him yellow envelope
and leave him stranded. He has meantime
married, in his younger years. some bright,
! pretty GIRL whose desk was near his own and
when disaster comes he has two three, or may
be half dozen youngsters TO look after If he
was alone In the world he could walk to his
old home; but what can he do? He cannot
desert the wife and babies, and still hopes to
be reinstated." The Senators and Represent
atives who backed him in years agone have
been RELOCATED to private life. and he has been
SO attentive to his desk duties and his little
family that he has not cultivated the new
corners. He finds that they know him not,
and he turns despairingly for other work to
feed the dear ones at home. If he went home,
4 to the old home, he would find himself stran-
ger even there. ] venture to say that to-day
men now employed on the street-cars of this
city could be found who are fully competent
by education and training to fill any position
In the Executive Departments from Secretary
clear down the official ladder. Don't let your
boys take Government clerkships.
THE w.R.c
Last week Commander J. B. Burke, Depart
ment of the Potomac accompanied by few
comrades, installed the new officers of Potomac
Corps, W.R.C., Of his Department, as follows
President Mrs. Joanna Turner; S. V.-P., Mrs
Albertine s. Odell; ]. V-P., Mrs. Elizabeth G.
Months; Sec, DIR. Mary C. Wooster; Treas.
Mrs. Elvira Bliss Sheldon: Con- Mrs Frances
A. Burger; A. g., Mrs. Mary N. Paige; G.. Mrs
Mary j. Rush; A. G., Miss Adelaide Grinsted
Mrs. Ruth G. Blasland, being absent, was not
sworn in as Chaplain.
After supplementary business an invitiou
from Morton Corps No. 1 (eolored), was accept
ed by all, adjourning to Morton Post room
where colOred and plain comrades and sis
teFs witnessed the public installation and en-
joyed their hospitality in the true loyal spirit
characteristic of days Of old, when the United
States Government was afraid to accept this
faithful loyal element into the ranks.
The yigit to Potomac Corps, W.R.C., of Mrs
Van Valkenburg Of Oshkosh, Wis., on Monday
night Jan. 9, was opportune in every respect
! L ffprr If .I9 !.
. lady, who is President Of Oshkosh Corps, No
80, and Department Chaplain of Wisconsin
, she gave the ladies much encouragement il
charity work. and saw the new officers installed
! first in Potomac Corps, then in Morton Corps
? No. THE latter cOlOred), carrying home witt
, her some ideas Of the women Of race Away
loyal.
ALFRED TERRY.
2 The news circulated last week that Maj. Gen
Alfred Terry was seriously i'll, brought grief t
the hearts of very many who served under tina
gallant officer during the war; for doubt nue.
] If any commander in those days was so believes
I by his subordinates as be. When the brillian
: and witty Col. Halpin, as az Miles 0'Reilly,
! wrote the song In praise of Terry, the refrain
5 :" Here's health to Alfred Terry; gallant
: handsome Alfred Terry, our well-beloved com
( mander of the old Tenth Army Corps" voice
: the feeling Of every man in that gallant corps
G Fortunately, the condition of Gen. Terry
Q health is not so desperately serious as the frs
e dispatches asserted, but he is very sick froI
; kidney troubles, and goes to Florida to see if
y change of climate viii benefit him. He ha
= served very nearly 20 years in the trying Win
? ter climate Of ST. Paul and Chicago, and Ia
{ taken four-months' leave now to spend tn
d worst Of the Winter South.
:. GEN. DAVID McKTBBIE.
While the Army Register records that Gel
: David B. McKibbin was cadet of the Wes
: Point Academy from July l, 1876, until til
: end Of October, 1913, very few knew, eve
; among his army comrades, that part Of that pi
I riod he spent ia service in Mexico When
!. wrote something recently about the soldiers
: the McKibbn family, didn't know myself
r. his experience IN the Mexican war, but sine
: then my attention has been called to an OF
7 order of those days, a copy of which lies befol
: me now, viz:
u HEADQUARTERS VERA CRUZ, February, 1913.
= Orders No. 3.
2 Cadet AfcKibbin is appointed Acting Militai
"a Storekeeper 10 the command about to march &
O. and occupy OTizaba, and he will, upon the props
acquisitions receipt for and take charge of the
n8unition for the same.
y, BY order Of Col. BAEEHEAD, Commanding.
a (Signed) :. s. FAHBEsFoCB,
= First Lieutenant. 4th Art, Adjutant.
,e How under the sun he came to go bullying {
y to Mexico / don't know, but his service the
n came IN good stead to him in 1855 when Il
-Eoira &c cor h.