The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-06

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE)

VsONCLUDED NUN rlhSI fAdE.D
Has that party to-day any principles? Can
anybody tell? why, even in the House there
seems TO be clash Of authority and dual
leadership. for after Mr.. Williams. the gen.
tleman from MISSISSIPPI, the leader, mas
his say 1t becomes necessary for the gentle
man from Missouri (Mr. De Armond) to
express his opinion on the same proposition.
Have you noticed that?
Civil-service reform, past, present and
prospective, was the subject of discussion
at a White House dinner one night during
the past week. The gathering around the
board was a distinguished one and was
confined exclusively to men now serving on
the Civil-service Commission and to those
formerly identified with that body. The
chief figure of course, was President
Roosevelt, who was a civil-service commits
sioner under Grover Cleveland. The din
ner was given by the President in honor
of John X. Proctor. In addition to Com
mssioners Proctor, Cooley and Green, three
former commissioners were present. One
of them William Dudley Foulke, the
irrepressible reformer from Indiana; an
other was James r. Garfield, chief of the
Bureau of Corporations in the Department
of Commerce, and the third w. A. Roden-
berg, who represents an Illinois district in
Congress. Rodenberg's appointment to the
commission was one of the cruelest jokes
ever perpetrated on that federal body Just
previously he had voted in the House of
Representatives for a bill proposing to
abolish the Civil-service Commission. 1t is
the proud boast of civil-service reformers
that Billy Rodenberg, rank spokesman,
became an ardent advocate of the merit
principle after a brief sojourn in their
midst. The ''civil-service' dinner at the
| White House attracted good deal of at
| tention in Washington and the opinion is
| freely expressed that many unkind things
| were said about the "spoils" hunters.
| is expressed that the complications over the
| site for the proposed army post at Indian
apolis will soon be adjusted. The impor-
lance of having the project completed is
recognized by every member of the State
| delegation, and Representative Overstreet
will have the cooperation of his colleagues
| in any plan that he may propose to adjust
| the present difficulty. The plans of the
War Department for the building of the
| Fort Benjamin Harrison are elaborate.
| They provide for post that will rank with
| the best in the country, and one that would
| make a great attraction for Indianapolis.
The establishment of the post would mean
] a large expenditure of money every year
| in the city and State. The social phase of
| the question should not be overlooked.
Army officers take an active part in the
social affairs of the cities wherein they are
| located, and this IN itself is an item of i'm
| portance to merchants in the cities where
| army posts are now in existence. Repre-
/
amount of work in connection with this
project, and he is hopeful that some plan
| may be adopted by the department which
/ will prevent the delay in constructing the
post that now threatens a result of the
| demands of John Roberts, the owner of one
| of the tracts embraced in the army post
| site.
| William Dudley Foulke, Of Richmond is
| still in Washington. His health Is some
what improved. The Indiana man is taking
things easy and is getting himself in trim
| to do some effective work In behalf of Pres
| ident Roosevelt. There Is warm personal
| friendship between the President and Mr.
/ Foulke and the latter could undoubtedly
land some choice federal plum II he were
| so inclined. Some weeks before Mr.. Foulks
| resigned from the Civil-service Commission
| il was stated that he would retire for the
| purpose of looking after the Presidents in.
terest in several States in the middle West
SO far Mr. Foulke has done no work OF
| this character, but IL is believed that hs
| He is not a candidate for any federal posi-
ton at this time. but If President Roosevelt
| is reelected IL Is safe prediction that the
| Richmond man will get whatever he asks
| for.
| At the request of Josephine Z. Henry,
] widow pensioner OF Boston, the commits