Homer guardian., 1889-12-20
Two Secretaries of War.

y
trlous predecessor, Jefferson Da-
vls, was an act which showed
quite clearly the measure of the
Harrison administration. The
sccretary's letter to Mayor Shakes.
pesr, though courteous in tone
and temper, was rather an excuse
for the bitter and malicious sec
tionalism Of that element Of his
party which he is most anxious to
propitiate, than q solid reason for
refusing, on the part of the GOV
ernment, to pay simple mark of
respect to one of the most illus.
tricus men of the century and an
ex- Secretery OF War.
Secretary Proctor's course in
this matter, however, is worthy
only OF contempt and ridlculc,
and the southern people can we'll
afford to laugh at such an expo.
sure Of the character of the Harri-
son administration and of the
temper Of party, whose only
achievements IN craftsmanship
have been the enfranchisement of
the negro, and the prescription,
disfranchisement and persecution
of the exPresident Of the Confed.
eracy. The American flag may
not on this occasion be displayed
over the War Department at half
mast, but nevertheless the name
Of Jefferson Davis will live IN his
tory until the end of time, and
his memory will be revered as
that of q patriot, soldier and
statesman, while the Ben Harri-
sons and Proctors will be forgot
ten, or remembered only in con-
nection with the infamous meth
DDS Of corruption by which they
obtained position, or their names
survive only in the dry catalogues
OF Presidents and Secretaries
whose little hour of power was ut
terly barren of any measures Of
wisdom or craftsmanship.
And yet, in the power of this
little inconsequental Secretary,
one Of the very smallest of the
breed Of placemen who were
spawned in the cesspools Of a rot.
ten administration and turned
loose upon the country by Dud-
ley's Blocks of Five and Wana-
makers corruption fund, TO refuse
a tribute OF respect to such q man
as Jefferson DAVIS, we behold the
burlesque Of politics. Mr.. Davis
was one Of the greatest Secretaries
Of War the Republic has had since
its foundatlon:Pr Proctor is perhaps
the smallest.
So far, the only notable thing
Proctor has done IS his refusal to
pay a simple and usual courtesy
to the memory of an lllustrieus
predecessor. Mr.. Davis, as United
States Senator, was one of the
orlginators of the system of Pacific
Railroads that has since develop.
ed the then desert and unlnhabit-
able wildarnesses of the Great
West and the Pacific slope into
magnificent Territories and States,
now containing more than half
the wealth and population of the
whole country; and then, entering
the Cabinet of President Pierce,
as Secretary Of War, he formed,
| directed and censummated the
plans Of the surveys Of the several
Pacific routes, and he may be said
to have, by his sagacity, thorough
knowledge and wonderful execu-
tive ability in this work, created
our Whoie system OF Faclnc Rall-
roads.
Jefferson Davis achievement in
this work alone, entitle him to a
lasting place in the history Of the
country and the affections Of the
American people. But this was
only part Of his labors; and.
amongst others, he introduced a
new and greatly improved system
of infantry tactics into the army,
together with iron gun'carriages,
| nded muskets and pistols and the
use of the Mimic ball.
Altogether Mr.. Davis admins
tration of the portfolio of the
Secretary of War was characteriz-
ed by the highest craftsmanship,