The National tribune., 1904-03-31


called out the Senator who got it last.
Isn't it brilliant!
"a. Don't you know if you know n
thing you should never say you don
know!
'B. IL know do not know a thing.
don't you know ! know enough to know it,
and that should say l don't know!
"A. don't know"
The mistake Of naming one OF our States
Washington is felt almost every day,
and in almost every Department OF the
Government. 1t is like New York. Every
resident of the Empire State has to say
"Yclk State unless lie lives in New York
City, and so 4 resident of the far north
west corner of the Union domain has to
say "Washington State or undergo a
sort of catechiSm to locate himself, for
there is the width Of the continent between
the two Washingtons that are best known.
Senator Foster. Of Washington State,
illustrated this the other day. He said he
lived in washington" and the man to
whom he was talking asked: Which
Washington do you mean? Tax-eating
Washington. or tax-paying Washington?'
Spain is going to send for the old Span
ish guns left in her Notifications IN Porto
Rico Spain was told long time ago to
come and get the old stuff. as the United
States didn't want it, and did want to get
it out of the way. but Spain thought she
could force he United States to buy the
ordnance. Not much! The United States
is giving better guns to old soldier GENE.
teries all over the country. just to get them
out of the way; so, failing in her plans,
Spain has asked for the guns, and Secre-
tary Hay was requested by the War De
partment to see that the transfer of the
obsolete ordnance is made.
Secretary Shaw is asking: What's the
Civil Service law between friends?" He
has on the temporary rolls of the Treasury
Department two widows with three or
four children each, The time for their
temporary employment-:'O days-is up.
and Secretary Shaw has been notified by
the Civil Service Commission that these
temporary appointments should be shelved.
and the Commission permitted to certify
some one from the list OF eligibies.
Secretary Shaw fatty says he will not
discharge the two women. He declares
that they would be left penniless with
hungry, half-clothed children depending
upon them, and that he will not stand for
that kind of cruelty. The Civil Service
Commissioners asked what they were go
ing to do about it, as the Secretary of the
Treasury was clearly violating the Civil
Service laws.
"YOu may make yonr protests, gentle
men," said Secretary Shaw. You will
have done your duty when you have made
those protests. but l think the two clerks
will hold on just the same. They are the
only instances that know of in which
have violated these sacred rules OF yours
and think will keep on violating then"
-
And so the matter stands. And now,
"What will the Civil Service Commission
do about it," is very pertinent inquiry.
1t can't do anything, to tell the truth
about it. 1t is as helpless as a one-legged
hen. 1t can futter and beat its wings.
and that is all that its protests will
amount TO. Civil Service has gone mad,
that is all. 1t started out to be a very
respectable sort Of safeguard. but
Cleveland. in a rage. when he found that
he weuld not get four more years in the
White House. bianketed a lot Of minor
Offices under the Civil Service rules, and
made the whole business odious. AS a
matter Of fact, the Civil Service Commits
sion is good deal OF a fgurehead. When
ever a member of the Cabinet cares to in.
terest himself in the advancement of
clerk. that clerk is advanced. No matter
whether the clerk "can" pass the exam
ination to go a grade higher or not. he
docs" pass it, and he gets the higher
salary.
And now it is the Mexican War. A
camp Of Danes OF the Mexican War"
has been organized in Washington. Its
membership is comprised Of descendants
Of commissioned officers in the Mexican
War. The name of the Washington or
ganization is Scamp Contreras," in honor
Of the battle Of Contreras. fought Aug. 20.
1S47. The officers of Camp Contreras are:
District COmmandant, Mrs Louisa Kena-
day Hare; First Vice Commandant. Miss
Mary Desha: Second Vice Commandment,
Mrs. Howard 4. Johnson: Third Vice
Commandment, Mrs. Diana Kearney Pow
ell: Secretary. Miss Alice Reynolds: Cor
responding Secretary. Miss Mamie Heth;
Treasurer. Miss Aimee Powell; Registrar,
Miss Marie Stockton Barnes: Historian,
Miss Elizabeth Bryant Johnston. These
ladies are all prominent in the Daughters
Of the American Revolution.
There came near being war in the
State Department the other day. 1t was
Diplomatic Day, and there drove up to the
portals of the gingerbread building which
houses the War-State-and-Navy Depart
ments, the carriages Of the British EN-
bassador. the Russian ambassador, and
the japanese ambassador. Now there
isn't any reason on earth why these three
gentlemen may not meet OH q perfectly
friendly footing. for none Of them had
anything to do with bringing on the war
beyond the seas, and. as good Christian
gentlemen. they all deplOre it, but they do
not have to go round wrnging their hands
and saying so. Just the same. how to get
those three Embassa into the pres.
ence OF the Secretary Of State without
making two Of them wait together in the
reception room was a problem as tough "A
met the hunter with the fox and geese
which ne dare not leave together while he
went across the river, yet could not take
them with him. The powers that be man
aged 1t somehow, but the whole force OF
the Department Of State was nearly down
with nervous prostration before ali OF the
distinguished representatives Of scrappins
nations were out Of the building.
No new White House Stables this wear.
Col. Symonds. Superintendent OF Public
buildings and Grounds, has been laboring
TO get Congress to make an appropria-
ton for this purpose, but to no effect. II
is said that the present location is damn
and that the Presidential horses snffer
| from this. The stables are not in a yery
good location, and they certainly do moi
| reflect credit on a rich Government like
ours.
II