The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-11-23

Congress for the last several years has
appropriated $3.50, 600 for this purpose,
but a portion of the amount is used
for foreign experiment work and other
kindred matters The bulk Of the 49,
1000 packages Is subject to the order
of Senators and Representatives for dis
trfbutfon among their constituents, the
Secretary of Agriculture reserving one
fifth of the entire amount to supply the
statistical crops correspondents, the
Weather Bureau, and for other pur-
poses.
In addition to those of the vegetable
and flower variety. the Department
sends out quantities of cotton, forage.
and field seeds to localities to which
they are best suited and from which it
is thought good results may be obtained.
The office of Recorder of Deeds of
the District of Columbia is now in the
classified service, placed there by the
President last week.
Representative Adam Bede, of Min
nesota, but native of Ohio. and a per-
sonal friend of Gov. Herrick says that
Secretary Taft crossed the wires in
his Ohio speech, and caused the down.
fall Of Gov. Herrick. the regular Re-
publican nominee. I'm the minds Of
most people" says Representative
Bede. che (Secretary Taft was the
Bede is of the opinion that Secretary
Taft was not aware Of what he was
saying when he made the sparks fly in
that Ohio speech. but he knows now.
The way each succeeding Postmas-
ter-General monkeys with the Post
Office Department would lead one to
believe that some day it would get
down to a business basis. 'Some day"
Postmaster-General Cortelyou has just
taken his shy at 1T, and has boiled down
the duties. shuffied them around and re-
ing to cut some paying positions clear
out. That of Postage Stamp Agent
is one of the offices that is to go. 1t
pays $4,000 year and is held by John
P. Green, the eminent colored politician
of the Buckeye State. He has held this
position for nine years. The duties are
said to be nil, the office a sinecure, and
the salary one of the softest snaps un-
der the Government He was appoint
ed by President Mckinley. The office
has been in existence for half century,
nearly, but it is said to be as useless as
a wart on the end of the nose. And
that is why prominent colored man is
to return to private life, and the Post
Office to lose one of its places of emolu-
ment.
A grandson of Elliott Shepard, of
New York. while over in France run
ming races with his automobile ran over
q girl and Killed her. 1t is said not to
be his first offense with automobiles
he is supposed to be automobile crazy
but he got it a little worse than usual
this time. though not half bad enough.
He was fined by the city. ordered TO pay
$4,000 to the girls relatives. and SEN
fenced to six months in prison. He did
not mind the money. He was, like Shy
lcck. in the end, he would have paid
thrice the bond had they left him his
freedom. So he appealed to the State
of France, and it refused
to weaken on the Imprisonment. Then
States. and the State Department has
butted in. Just why, no one can tell,
for the man deserves all he got. He
had had two or three serious lessons,
and got off with fines. This time the
Paris authorities decided to give him
he would remember and be
warning to others.
The President has given that dis
charged chauffeur a square deaP' and
by his own order reinstated him. Wal
ter S. Elvidge, an electrician in the
employ Of the Department OF Commerce
and Labor, was summarily discharged
by the President about three weeks ago
because he, while driving an automo-
bile for the Department of Commerce
and Labor, got in the way Of the Pres
identfal carriage, and did not obey the
signals or shouts Of the Secret Service
men In plain clothes who were accom-
the President on wheels. Mr..
EIvridge said that he did not know
what the Secret Service men wanted as
their orders We're conflicting. and as
they were I'm plain clothes he did not
know what right they had to order
him around when he was on the right
G mfr dfy1u hi
business strictly. He also says that he
did not recognize the President, whom
ha had never seen.
The President was exceedingly an
noyed, and on his return to the White
House Immediately ordered the chauf-
feur discharged. and then he issued the
Row famous order which is considered
to nullify the Civil Service Rules. so
that no Government employe can feel
safe I'm his position. as 1t gives the
President or any Cabinet officer the
light to summarily dismiss any en-
ploye whom ,hey believe to be incom-
petent, or fnsubordinate. The President
does not think that his order is harsh
or that it revolutfonizes things. and the
Civil Service Commissioners say that 1t
does not change the status Of affairs in
the least. But employees ask IL 1t does
not why was II issued? Mr.. Elvidge
thinks that it is harsh. because II cut
him off absolutely from all defense
He went to the Department OF Com
merce and Labor the next day after the
incident, and was told that the Presi-
dent had dismissed him, and when he
asked what for, was given no chance
to explain. Mr.. E1vidge sat down and
wrote to his father in Pfttsburg, Pa, a
plain statement of the affair, and how
he was unable to get sny work here be-
cause everybody asked him where he
worked last and why he was dismissed
and on hearing that the President had
fired him, would not employ him.
Mr.. Elvidge, ST.. sat down and wrote
letter to the President in which he
simply asked a square deal for his son.
saying the President had assured every
body that they should have a square
deal" He told the President that he
was a veteran of the war Of the rebel
lion. and that his son, the offender, was
veteran OF the Spanish-Amerfcan War
with fine record, and then inclosed
the sons letter with his own and sent
them to the President. The President
evidently felt the appeal for the square
DEAF and the reinstatement OF young
Elvidge Is the result. The young man
has an invalid wife and some little chill
dren, and had only been at work about
enc month when fired. There is general
rejoicing that the President has recon-
Sidered his action The order stands