The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-05-21
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.


named after Washington, twenty-one
after jefferson, twenty-one after Jack
son, and sixteen after Lincoln.
Secretary Root has approved n plan
by which Brigadier General Breckin-
ridge, inspector general of the United
States army, will proceed to the Phil
ippines for an extended tour of in
spection. The start will be made about
June Goth, on the transport ingalls,,
leaving New York by the Suez canal.
One of the most interesting places in
Washington for tourists has been
point at the soldiers home, where the
dome of the capitol could be seen dis
tlnctly at n distance OF three miles
through several hundred acres of inter-
vening forests. 1t has been called
1.-THE Capitol VISTA" and the guides
and hack drivers always take their pa
irons there. Occasionally the growth
of foliage would obstruct the view in
the springtime but the officers of the
soldiers home would cut the branches
away and have 1t kept open. When the
atmosphere was clear and the sun was
bright n good photograph could be oD-
tanned, and probably no other view in
Washington has had so many films
wasted upon ii. But the attraction is
gone. The capitol vista is permanently
closed. for the great frame of the new
government printing office has risen
Immediately in front of it and entirely
shuts off the 2iew of the dome.
An extensive resume of the organiza-
ton and varying conditions Of the
Philippine native police force is CON
tained in a statement by the War De
partment Because of the poverty OF
the municipalities, the Philippine Com
mission appropriated S150,OOO to pro
vide increased pay for the body and
offered, through General Macarthur,
further incentive in the way of In
creased compensation for cases or
meritorious and faithful service. Late
reports indicate that an efficient and
loyal force of native police has now
been organized, with prospects of fur
there extension and increased ability.
The total force numbers 6,349 officers
and men, n great many of whom are
on the "meritorious list and receive
additional pay. The body is concen-
trated principally in northern Luzon,
although the Niscayas, Mindanao. Jolo
and southern LuZon have police forces
of considerable strength. In many
towns the men are fully uniformed.
A committee of the National Civil
Service Reform League which was Sc
lected to investigate the present condi-
ton of the federal service suggests n
change in the method of appointing
Indian agents which might be COM
mended on principle even if it We're
not shown to be advisable by particu-
lar abuses of the office. The appoint
ments as they are made now are
wholly political. Senators from states
in which reservations and agencies are
located back their favoriteS for the
position. and the choice Is decided by
the old spoils test. 1t may and does
happen that good men are sometimes
appointed under this system that it Is
mere chance, as it must always be
where influence, not worthiness, is the
determining factor. The change that is
proposed is that appointments shall be
made "by promotions from the super
intendents of Indian schools and from
other high grades of the classified In
dian service, and by details from the
army"
Attorney General Knox gave his first
official opinion to the Cabinet in con-
nection with the return of the Wash
ington relics to the heirs of General
Lee. He has made a thorough invesd-
CATION of the circumstances under
which these family heirlooms came
into the possession Of the government,
and his report to the President and his
colleagues was that Washington did
so much for this country that we ought
not to steal his silver" The Lee heirs
nave not yet called for the relics, and
1t is hoped that they will have the
good sense to leave them in the ma
tional museum, where they have been
exhibited for the last quarter of a CEN
tury, in order that the public may
have the benefit George Washington
Curtis Lee, TO whom the President
has ordered them returned, is an aged
man, over ninety and almost blind, liv-
ing retired life in a little farm house
down in Virginia. His only brother is
farmer near West Point in the same
state, and the other heirs. Mary and
Mildred Lee, have no fixed home, and
spend most of their time in travelling
and visiting friends. They have there
fore no proper place in which the relics
can be exhibited and will be compelled
TO store them. The most important
and valuable of the relics are set of
china presented to General Washing
ton by the Society of Cincinnati, his
walking stick and his watch.
The Industrial interests of Cuba are
beginning to perceive that their only
salvation is in the annexation of their
island to the United States, writes
William E. Curtis to the Chicago Rec
ord. They have learned of the efforts
of the secretary of agriculture to i'm
prove the conditions of the planters of
Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippine
islands, and realize that competition
from those islands is likely to prove
disastrous to Cuba in the markets of
the United States unless her planters
can be admitted on the same terms.
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