Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1889-02-15
EXECUTIVE WORK.
Row 1t Is Divided IntNl Departments in
the United Ces.

| How 1t Is Divided IntNl Departments in
the United ~ oes.
The great mass of work imposed
upon the executive power of the gov
ernment-9mbracing SO many distinct
subjects and requiring SO many thou
sands Of agents to perform-must be
arranged and treated in an orderly and
systematic manner. To expect the
president to give it his close personal
attention and directly superintend the
doings of each agent would beabsurd.
The magnitude and diversity of the
work demand its separation into parts
and the general supervision or manage
ment of each part must be intrusted to
a separate officer.
On this business basis and in accord
ance with the design of the constitu-
ton congress has divided the work
among seven executive departments.
each in charge of general officer, or
head of department, known respect
lively as the secretary of state, the sec
rotary of the treasury, the secretary of
war, the attorney general, the post
master general, the secretary of the
navy and the secretary OF the interior;
and the work of each department is
still further subdivided and distributed
among bureaus and divisions and
minor offices, in charge of lesser heads
or chiefs, designated as commissioners.
superintendent, directors and by vari-
Gus other general or special titles. An
executive department. then, properly
means ono of the grand, divisions Of
government work boldly marked out
or suggested by the express provisions
of the constitution.
These grand divisions readily ar
range themselves. The sovereign re-
lations of the republic with foreign
powers, and its official intercourse
with the governments of the states at
home may be regarded as one distinct
grand division; accordingly we have
the department of state. The coinage,
currency, revenue and general fiscal
affairs suggest another great branch Of
work; hence we have the department
of the treasury The mention of
armies suggests work that in time OF
trouble is likely to tax the energy of
separate division; thus we very APP
propriately have department Of war
IuO prosecutor vi OuClScS dBdlHSl
the United States, and other judicial
matters wherein the interests of the
republic are concerned constitute
general division, Represented by the
department of justice The postal
service, as one of the most intricate
and important branches of government
work, certainly forms another grand |
division; therefore we have the post.
office department. Maritime proteo-
ton, like the military or land defense,
forms a separate division; and thus
we have the department of the navy.
The various matters of domestic con
Germ not covered in these other de- |
partments but contemplated by the |
constitution, such as the census, public
lands, patents and odds and ends may
be conveniently grouped into another
general division; and thus we have
the very miscellaneous yet not mis-
named, department of the interior.
To some of these executive depart
ments are intrusted matters which, on
their face at least, do not strictly be-
long to the grand division to which |
they have been assigned by law. For
instance, the, weather bureau is bu-
reau of the war department; the work
being intimately connected with the
peaceful interests of agriculture and
commerce, it is very generally de-
manded that it should be taken from
military control and placed elsewhere.
st. Nicholas.