The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1904-01-21
FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
rrespondencc to The Commonwealth.

Correspondence to The Commonwealth.
WAsuIgGToE, D. c., Jan. 10, 1904.
The Washington Humane Society
did great amount of valuable work
last year in preventing cruelty to AMI
mails, and now it goes before the com
IaisssoEers and earnestly advocates
curiew Jaw to compel ali children to be
oat OF the streets after nine O'Clock. Is
1t not il the interest OF higher ciyili-
zation?
The last few days have been field
days IL the Ssnate subject, Panama.
The chief actors have bsen Carnack,
Tenn: spooner, Wis. Teller, Co!.,a:d
Newi;snds, New. The latter has made
what is little less than d sensation in
what WAS virtually his maiden speech
IL tbs Senate, Ii which he withstooa
the combined attack of Senators Spoon
e, Plat, Allison and Deliver, and
emerged undoubted victor. His cen
tfsl allegation was that, in preventing
Co.um bi;s from landing troops on her
own territory to put down an alleged
lnsilrfection there President Roosevelt
not only nonlinaliy and technically,
but actually wagea war on thYt repub-
lie and therein violated international
law, the comfy OF nations, the treaty
With Columbia Ct 1886, and the Cen
stitu;icn CT the United States. The
Presidents hackers denied this in loud
tones but were put to flight by the
presentation OF kilograms from the al
lzlinistfation Ihatrlcting tho naval
commanders in Panama to prevent the
landing ct any Columbian troops
THE administration is not slew in
giving desirable places to Republican
Office seekers but whom an Office is
suddenly vacant, which offers little
chance of obtaining money fer the par
ty but is full OF peril, it is Immediately
bestowed upon some deserving Demo.
crat." Some snch Offices are always
given to the minority party. Gen. Jno
G. Black has been appointed the third
member ofNtbe civil service commits
sion, and the two Republican members
have unanimously elected him to the
undesirable position Of president, feel
ing that the responsibility tor its decis-
Inns and blame for Is mistakes would
naturally fall or him. Before be was
in his seat the house went through the
annual farce OF voting to abolish the
whole civil service outfit, but it put it
ba-E next day By a call Of the roll, as
usual. So ell is lovely again.
There are good many men on both
sides Of the House ready to give the
civil service law kick whenever there
is a chance. They denounce it as a
fraud and Q hunhug they declare. bat
it promotes medio3ricy by encourag-
Ing lazincss and ineficiency; that
while called 'coEnpetitive," 1t really
prevents wholesome rivalry and abol-
lshes ambition. Il good many mem
bers Ct both parties deny that the
''nerit system has any real merit,
and insist that the victorious party,
bearing the responsibility, ought to
have the Offices. I suppose this opin-
Ion is held by the majority of the
members OF both Houses, hut they
think the people believe in the system
ana when it comes to a s.roll-calI, they
are afraid to abolish il. General Gros-
venor told your correspondent, eau
thorlty goes with responsibility. This
whole opera bouffe Will be swept away
in time, and it won't take long time,
either"
Why should republic rejoice in &C.
ceDting a bronzs statue OF ono of the
most arbitrary and despotic OF kings
President Roosevelt has informed the
German am bassador that our country
will gladly accept statue of Frederick
the Great for this city, and that he
has decided that the statue should
have the most prominent, best adapted
site III the entire war college grounds.
il VIII stand on the esp,anade near the
entrance to the college" As there
IS at present no entrance, no esplanade,
and no war college, this is all cutie
misty, but the war college has been
dedicated on the arsenal grounds and
there the statue will be erected and
UNVEILED (dedicated to liberty, 1 sup.
pose in the fall. Why not on that
date when he sent an Insulting mes
sage to the American Colonies by the
British minister, in LIT, and turned
toethe grewsome banquet ON the car.
cass OF dismemLered Poland?