The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-27
Washington Day by Day

the bookshelf of every lawyer and ev- erybody else who has a bookshelf there is a certain book which is accepted as is spoken. This remarkable production of a most remarkable genius is far-famed for It's legal learning and its scientific social and domestic lore, and to every mind sufficiently enlightened to laugh and continue wise this book is ever held really reference. Needless to say the noble work referred to is the cele- brated Pickwick Papers, which Is a sort of second Blackstone and Coke com bined
 The fact that every given individual adult is either man or woman Is pre- sumpttve evidence that everybody Is fla miliar with this great compilation of wisdom, the Pickwick Papers Therefore everybody is well acquainted with the legal and spirituous facts concerning that justly celebrated case in which Old Weller's friend engaged the lawyer who straight of took various hot drinks and between each gulp gobbled of My friend the Lord Chancellor" quite one of the most beautiful incidents in the long and illustrious history of the bar from Moses to Philander Knox.
 And this Is precisely what we arc try ing to reach, "my friend the Lord Chan cellor," otherwise Attorney General Philander Knox, keeper of the Presidents 8 conscience and other things. It may be plainly stated, without legal bubbles and without any degree of the spirituous enthusiasm of Old wellers friends law yer, that the Attorney General Is up against a case which gives bright prom ise of taking its place with the Pick wick Papers amongst the truly great classics of the law.
 The public Is familiar enough with the scandals, troubles and short tcomings of the Navy Department under the rule of Long, Crowninshield & Co. Happily Long retired and Crowninshield was sent to fields of mischief far away, and since Secretary Moody assumed office there has been apparent partial restoration of public confidence in this department. Yet fortnight ago, maybe longer, as was fully set forth In this correspond ence, Secretary Moody and the President became unexpectedly confronted by a very grave situation in the navy, one calling for the exercise of the greatest tact and wisdom in order that the de- pertinent might be saved from the blight of a new scandal greater than any that had been developed under the Peck sniffian Long and the bully Crownin- shield.
 Upon a day of delight there broke Mont Peleean thunder, and out of the grim spectre of Precedence in a large "P."
 There Is In the Navy Department a general board" What 1t does you will have to ask the policeman. It is com posed of Admiral Dewey; Rear Admiral Taylor, chief of the bureau of navigation, the office Crowninsheld dishonored; and Rear Admiral Bradford, chief of the bu- reau of equipment.
 It came to pass some weeks ago, after great Crowninshield had sailed away to insult the Italian government and thereby make war possible. that the general board'' assembled in the persons of Ad- miral Dewey and Rear Admiral Bradford, presumably for the purpose Of smoking two cigars. Then and there Bradford had the temerity to sit at the right hand of Dewey. Taylor, who was away from Washington fishing for black bass or something else got wind of Bradford's bold affrontery as displayed in sitting where he sat-alongside the much-mar- ried Dewey-and so the angling Taylor swept down upon Washington with the velocity of "Pennsy" traln-swept, and hfded his time.
 The general board sits once a week. On the night before the second meeting after mighty Crowninshield's departure from the shores he loved so we'll that he wished to stay on them and never go 10 sea, Taylor must have been long restless before he fell into troubled sleep, for 1t is matter of official record and high est consequence that he arrived late at the Navy Department on the Hateful morning Of the Mont Peleean thunder. He found Dewey seated Tn the middle seat, and upon the right hand of Dewey sat Bradford, precisely where he sat a week before when Taylor was away fish ing. Taylor mildly suggested to Bradford that Bradford had Taylor's seat. Brad ford said no--it was his own seat. Taylor expostuiated Bradford remained as if glued to the leather-bottomed chair. They had a considerable sailor-lilse quar- rel and became much excited. e.s
 Now, admiral" said Taylor finally, T appeal to you if 1t is not your Taylors right to sit at your right?' -9 are
 Now, admiral" said Bradford, T ap peal to you if 1t isn't the right of your Bradford to sit right at your right?'' s.f
 Dewey decided in favor qf his Bradford. meeting of the general board. and as soon as adjournment was reached he ran away to tell pepper" all about 1t. In other words, Taylor appealed from Dewey to Secretary Moody. At once approaching the gravity of the situation. Moody be- came as excited as @ hen that had lost a chick. Taking copious draughts of gov ernment ice water, cooled by natural ice at the contract price of twenty-two cents five mills the pound (artificial ice five cents cheaper), Secretary Moody rushed across the road to the White House. He found the President in the tantrums, as usual, but he did not hesitate to place before the supreme commander-in-chiefo of the navy the facts concerning the threat ened new scandal about precedence. The aoid frax,eraI ap1v ClarrraS ood