The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-08-20
WASHINGTON THURSDAY AUGUST 90 1908

taken in them and The hard work he has
done with CongresSt to bring about legis-
lation to the advantage of the National
Guard and the advancement OF the well
fare Of the State troops. 1t has been the
ambition of Secretary root to make the
| militia of the country strong reserve
| for the regular troops. and to have them
| equipped with the latest and best there
| is in arms and supplies and to be trained
| and drilled in modern methods, so that in
case of an emergency the National Guard
may become a fighting cforce Immediately.
The Secretary Of the Treasury received
a few days ago check for 500 from a
firm of attorneys in Philadelphia. with
please find 500, being the amount of
money which was paid rOn the 10th day of
December. 1868, by the United States
Government as additional bounty to sol
der. He considers that he was not en-
titled to this money by reason of an act
| from participation in this bounty who had
reenlisted, which he had done. He wishes
to make restitution Of this amount
The serious aspect of affairs in the big
Post Office building, to some people, does
not seem to deprive other people of n
sense of the humorous in official life. A
A>VEtH SdEOuId IkOD-
bin recently recommended that four po-
stions in his office be filled thus: "As As
sistant Postmaster, Stella Lincoln Rob
bin; as stamper, Alexander Achilles Rob-
bin; as assistant stamper, George Wash
ington Robin, jr., and as clerk, John A.
Logan Robin" This seems to have been
n little too much Robin for Superintend-
ent Waters, of the Salary and Allowance
Division Of the Department, who sent the
paper to the First Assistant Postmaster
General, after having written across it's
face: "When the Robbins nest again.
Birds or hOgS?" The First Assistant Post
master-General read and pondered Rob
bins recommendation, and then wrote be-
low Superintendent Waters Endorsement:
1--WE will call a halt on Robin, of this
place in old N. G.
As we have already elsewhere in the fes-
tive p. o. D.
This Robin has the right, no doubt, to
fix his family,
But to fix them all in the same old nest,
is too much FL. 0. G."
IN. B.-See Section 8, Civil Service
Regulations.
R. ]. WYNNE."
The result was that Robin was notified
that only two Of his young Robbins could
draw salary in the Rocky Mount family
post office. He naively retOrts: II thought
it we'll in accord with the policy of the
Administration to have employees of post
Office of the same political belief, and the
Rocky Mount post Office. as conducted by
me, certainly meets with all the require
ments of this standard"
Postmaster General Payne Is about to
issue a new order that will be of much
interest to newspaper publishers and sub
scribers. His plan is to swear in train
men as Federal employees and commits
sion them to handle packages Of mail on
trains that haven't the usual mail facil-
tiles. This will assist materially in the
delivery of second-class mail and will prac-
tically make all passenger trains mail
trains. In time Of Strike such trains will
be under control and protection Of the
Government, and cannot be stopped or
interfered with by employees or their SYM
pathizers. In this day Of labor upheavals
it is better to have passenger trains under
Federal control: for, aside from the justice
or injustice Of the strike. the general pub
lie should not be made to suffer.
Consul-General Guenther. at Frankfort,
Germany, says the army mule will be re
placed by the zebruia, across between the |
horse and the zebra. The zebrula, on ac-
count of its form and general bodily condi- |
the hardness of the hoofs
is especially adapted for all transport |
work heretofore performed by mules.
1t is not believed here that Congress
will take kindly to the plan for placing |
the Government Printing Office under the |
jurisdiction of the Department of Com
merce and Labor. 1t is suggested that, |
had the President and Secretary Cortel- |
you lived longer In Washington they might |
that at least one President |
tried to bring the biggest printing concern
in the world under his control and failed. |
The office was started by Congress in Or
der to put an end to the jobbery that OBJ
tanned when the Executive Department |
had all its printing and binding done by |
private parties. No document can be
printed there without the order Of Con-
sress.
Washingtons distinguished citizen and |
successful gas monopOlist John II. Nc
Lean, periodically shows his hand in the
politics of Ohio, his former home, and al
ways with instructive energy of purpose.
His old feud with Tom l.. johnson has
recently cropped out in the contest at Gin
cinnati over delegates to the Democratic
State Convention. The johnson wing of |
Herbert s. Bigelow. the evangelist-poli-
tician. whom johnson nominated for Sec
rotary of State last year, and who was
defeated at the polls. Bige-
lows followers will send a contesting del
egation to the State convention. The Nc
fight cost the Democrats
many votes last year, and will doubtless
do so again. Mr.. McLean's friends are
fighting his battles, believing that Johnson
usurped control of the Dem
ocratic machinery, and further that he
failed to give Mclean loyal support when
he ran for Governor several years ago.
Joseph w. Folk, Prosecuting Attorney
at st. Louis, is a probable candidate ON
the Democratic ticket for Governor of
Missouri. No man has ever been more
generally praised for efficient service. He
fiinched at nothing: neither wealth nor po-
litical influence nor social connections had
power to stay his arm or to dull his Wis
ion. The worth Of his service lies not only
in the cleaning out of his city and State,
but in the example he has been setting
for the people Of every city and State
in the Union that is the prey of corrupt
politicians.
Mr.. Bryan's indorsment of Mr. Folk, as
all the qualifications for the
office of Governor (which any good Demo-
crat could DESIRE" probably removes all
prospect of any other than purely doodle
ring" opposition to his nomination for
Governor. For this much the country NJ |