The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-08
WILL STAY TWO YEARS
JUDGE TAFT DOES NOT EXPECT TO
GOVERN THE FILIPINOs.
Says He May Soon Return and Re-
sumo Practice of Law-PrOpOsed
Memorial Arch.

H Taft, president of the new Philip
pine commission, left Washington tonight
for his home in Cincinnati. To a repre-
sentative of the Associated Press the judge
to-day stated he would not remain In the
islands longer than two years. and that
on his return to this country he would
resume the practice of the law. He would
not, he said, be appointed at any time gov
ernor general Of the Philippines. He real
lied that the mission of the commission
was a most difficult one, but he had strong
hopes of being partly instrumental in CIV
ing to the Filpinos civil government and
code which would secure to them the
fullest possible measure Of liberty and Sc
curity to life and property. This. he
thought, was worthy the ambition of any
man, and although he did not doubt the
work in contemplation would be beset by
many serious difficulties, that fact would
not deter him in the least No great work
had ever yet been accomplished without
hindrance and he felt sure the end sought
fully justified the effort. He had no I'LL
terror motive he said, in accepting the
presidency of the commission, and he had
no other thought than to return to the
practice of his profession at the end of the
two years. which, he believed. would be
occupied in completing the work in hand
The Atlantic Contracting Company, ]. F.
Gaynor president, has filed two suits In
the United States Court of Claims against
the United States, one for sos, 797 and the
other for s249.342 These suits have grown
out of the contracts entered into by the
company with ex-Capt. Oberlin M. Car
ter, corps of engineers United States army,
for work alleged to have been done by the
company in connection with improvements
in Savannah harbor anu Cumberland sound,
Georgia. go
Through somebody's carelessness two of
the twelve-inch rifle cannon which were to
form an important part of the defense Of
Puget sound and to be located at Fort
Flagler, Wash, have been injured to an
extent that may impair their usefulness.
Captain Clark. of the ordnance department,
has been ordered to investigate the affair.
Mr.. Grosvenor has introduced a bill for
the erection of a memorial arch at Chat
tanooga, Tenn. The bill carries an appro-
priation Of 100000. The Chickamauga and
Chattanooga National Military Park Com
mission, in a report to the secretary of
war, expresses the opinion that Chatta-
nooga is an appropriate site for the arch,
giving these reasons:
First-Because all of the great armies of
the North and the South were either en-
gagged there or numerously represented,
namely: On the Union side, the Army of
the Cumberland. two corps from the Army
of the Tennessee and two corps from the
Army Of the Potomac, while on the Con-
federate side were the forces of Bragg,
made up of his own army, Longstreets
corps from the Army Of Northern Virginia
and large forces from Vicksburg and from
Joseph z. Johnston's command in Missis-
sippi. The present and absent on the rolls
of these commands, all of whom or their
friends are interested. are: Union, 1S9, 500
soldiers: Confederate, 141.000 The total or
CARNATIONS engaged were $50, of which S4S
were Union and 33S Confederate.
Second-Every State in the Union at the
outbreak of the war east of the Rocky
mountains had troops engaged in the bat
Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and
Delaware. In the mobilization at Camp
Thomas for the war with Spain New
Hampshire and Vermont were represented,
and troops from both sections rallied there.
This assembling of troops at Chickamauga,
where fully one-quarter of the entire army
was gathered, is deemed by the park COM
mission to further emphasize the appro-
arch of nationality, since there were
camped side by side under one flag sol
dierS from Minnesota and South Carolina,
Vermont and Tennessee, Michigan and
Georgia, Arkansas and New York. Maine
and Mississippi.
Third-The commission points out that
Chattanooga is nearer central and nearer
the center of population than any of the
hoinU mid hat
Maine and Texas, between Minnesota and
Florida, between the lakes and the gulf.
and between Kansas and the Atlantic.
Fourth-The plans of the commission,
which has long been cooperating with Gen.
Grosvenor in the matter, contemplate
bronze tablets presenting a complete roster
of all commands engaged on each side
down to regiments and batteries, with their
commanders; a roster of all state commits
sioners and their Governors who have as
sisted in the work of establishing the park,
and a roster OF the Congress which author
lied the park and of the Congress which
authorized the arch as it's browning work.
President and Mrs. Mckinley gave
dinner at the White House tonight to the
members of the Supreme Court. Those in
vited to meet the guests of the evening in
cluded members of the judiciary commit
tees of both houses Of Congress and
others.
The nursery stock interests of the coun-
try have been represented here of late in
an effort to secure legislation against the
spread of the San Jose scale and other par
asites which infest plants, buds. fruits and
nursery stock in general. After confer
ences between them and the Agricultural
Department and the house committee on
agriculture, the latter body to-day reported
a bill providing a system of government
inspection of such stock coming from
abroad and also that of American growth
when intended for interstate shipment.
A minority report has been made to the
House on the bill for the election of sena-
tors by the people. 1t concurs with the
principle of the bill. but urges direct cleo
tons without awaiting legislative approval
for change of system, as proposed by the
majority. The report states that there is a
widespread public demand for the election
of senator's, in part impelled by a ''sense
of righteous indignation aroused by accu-
sations of alleged methods sometimes en-
ployed by gentlemen whose ambitions lead
them to seek seat in the United States
Senate" Under such circumstances
Messrs. Rucker and Zegler, who signed
the report, say the time has come when the
exalted position of United States senator
shall not be open to the suspicion OF being
purchasable.
United States Consul Skinner. at Mar
seilles reports to the State Department
that there is a coal famine In France. This
is attributed to strikes among the French
miners, the withdrawal of British miners
from the colieries to join the army, the
demand in Great Britain for domestic coal
for manufacturing purposes and hurry or