Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-25
BITS OF wAsH1NeroN LIRE.
Minor Scenes and Incidents sketehsd
on the spot.

EtEhtA AM0 AMeAuNhNA eANNNhNN
on the spot.
Several army officers back from the Phil
lipines find themselves in a pretty pickle.
While serving in the Orient far from home
and oppressed by the loneliness Of the sit
uation. with mo one to love, none TO
caress" they forgot the girls they left be-
hind and entered into marriage contracts
with native girls One Of the number re-
Gently returned shook the contract wife
as he would an old glove, and was about
to wed his American sweetheart when an
insurmountable barrier confronted him
The Filipino wife chased him across the
Pacific and put in an appearance at an
inopportune moment. About the same time
the War department issued a ruling hold
ing that all these Filipino marriages are
valid and binding in the United States
The unfortunate officers explain between
sobs that they supposed the marriage con-
tract was to continue only during their
stay on the islands. And they acted upon
| that theory when they abandoned the ma
tive wives, without the slightest considera-
ton for the fate Of the deserted women.
What charming innocence! What an amaz
ing standard of moralsl
It is oficially learned that the ak will
swing AT Nne Otnbub OElCo ph etAs - w
capitating about 100 clerks. This is due to
the failure of congress TO provide for the
employment Of the entire force, for which
provision was made when the permanent
Census bureau was established. There are
now more than 700 clerks in the ONCE.
Congress provided for about $40. The diff
| ference represents those who will go.
Director Merriam and Appointment Clerk
| Langley are about to take up the ques-
tion Of reduction. For more than a month
| there will be scramble for influence
among those who do not care TO be dis
| charged
omcers of the army on duty in the War
department wear uniforms the same as
! If they were on duty at military posts
| Occasionally an officer Is found who does
| not appear in uniform, relates the Post
! but IL is only for day or two at most.
! The practice has resulted in making nearly
every room occupied by officers dressing
room, where wardrobes are kept. Most
| officers dislike very much to appear on the
street in uniform; 1t makes them too con-
! spicuous. Uniforms for use in the depart
| ment are kept in a wardrobe, and the ofn-
| GERS put them on when they arrive In the
| morning, take them off and don civilian
| dress to go to luncheon, and upon their
| return in the afternoon and departure for
home later go through the same process.
| They don't like it. but 1t is an order. For
people doing business at the department
| It is much better, for a stranger knows
whether he is talking with an officer or a
| clerk, and If familiar with the emblems
can tell the rank of the officer.
Several attempts have been made to have
an order issued in the Navy department
which would direct officers on duty there
to wear their uniforms, but the officers
have always made 1t plain that such an
order would not be best.
| ut Is all very we'll" said an oficer Of
the army $50 far as discipline is con-
cerned, but uniforms are not needed In the
department or about headquarters in city.
In garrisons, where the uniform is worn
all the time, and where all men are SOL
diers, It is, OF course. good practice and
essential, but II is a great annoyance in
other places, where only a few men are
in uniform out OF several hundred thou
sand"
The troubles which Postmaster General
Payne is having with the investigations
| Of alleged irregularities that are going on
in his department cause him to suffer from
the wit of other cabinet officers, Soon
| after Rre5luenL ftOOSSNSil lell hOi hiS "OSh7
ern trip some paper announced that much
of the important work Of the adIninistra-
ton would devolve upon Secretary Root
In fact, II was said that he would be
"acting president" II there could be such
an ohice, while the president is in the
| country.
Following this announcement Secretary
Root received letter from woman say
ing she was about to be dismissed from
the Postofhce department. She felt sure
that he. as "acting president" could have
her retained in the department and she
most humbly besought him to use his in
fuence She asserted that her dismissal
was the result of a conspiracy on the part
of those in the department who sought tc
run things for their own interests" The
communication was sent to General Payne
with this line written by Secretary Root:
postof1ce scandals. Why don't you re-
formf E. r.
Another Root story is told In the Wal
department Colonel Edwards, chief of tn,
Bureau Of Insular Affairs was getting uI
the certificates for the Philippine paper
currency and was considering various mer
whose portraits should be selected al
vignettes for the different denominations.
what I want" said Colonel Edwards
ARE portraits Of prominent men who ar,
dead"
"why don't you take Bryant" asked Sec
retary Root. ..