Smyrna times., 1905-07-26
SHORT, SHARP AND SNAPPY.

the fears OF those who did not regard
him as amenable to political influence.
At the same time his action is wei.
coined by the officers of the navy who
nave the good of the service at heart
and 1t unquestionably meets the appro-
batlcn OF respectable citizens who be-
heve that contracts are made to be
hved up to even if the contractors have
political pail and the contracts happen
to be with the government. Secretary
honaparte reversed the decision of ex-
secretary Paul Morton and has re-
FUSED to sanction the transfer from
Charleston of civil engineers Walker
and Harrison, who had rendered them.
selves Objectionable to the contractors
on water front work there, by refusing
TO allow the work to be camped. in.
slsting the concrete should be mixed
with stone of the size called for in the
specifications and that quaker" stone
fronts should not be put in the sea-
walls. Misinformation, political pull
or both led Secretary Morton to agree
to the transfer of the young engineers
who were trying to do their duty and
were thus making themselves unpop-
ular with the contractors. Secretary
Bonaparte ordered second investiga-
tlon of the case and emphatically re-
fused to have the engineers removed.
In this he has been upheld by the
President. Government work both
under Republican and Democratsc ad-
ministration has too often been re-
garded as merely a good opportunity
for stealing. That is the plain name
for it, though the act may be CLOSED
over according to the taste of the thief.
There are hundreds of thousands of
contracts and subtracts all over the
country for everything from floating
dock to an army overcoat. Some of
these contracts are being honestly car
ried out but there are too many ofthem
where the contractor is making both a
legitimate profit on his work and an
iliegitimate profit on not doing his
work properly. 1t is good thing to
have cabinet officers who will see that
work in their department is done sac
cording to the drawings" 1t encour
ages their honest subordinates and as
to their dishonest ones, if they are so
fortunate as to have them, we'll it rem
ders them careful.
Ex-Representative Funston must
have used awful language in Kansas
to have been arrested for infammatory
utterances. Kansas had already heard
Jerome, LaFollette and Lawson with
out going for her gag or handouts.
With the Western Union cutting off
its returns from race news and with no
more private tips going out of the Ag-
riculture Department to New York, it
is a bad outlook for the company s
next dividend.
With Secretary Metcalf faYoring
Chinese exclusion, Secretary Root after
Immigration revision and Bonaparte
advocating Afro-Americsn emigration,
it looks as though the Cabinet wanted
this country all to itself.
1t is announced that the Theatrical
Trust is to have strong, independent
competitor next season. Pity some
body can't parallel the beef and Goa
trusts.
Sea serpents off the New England
coast may take notice that they are go
ing to have warm counter attra ctioni
at Portsmouth after that Peace Com
mission gets to work.
Considering the Department of Ag
riculture covered such a wide variety
of crop reports, it is no wonder thu
automobile agents were able to do
good business down there.
o Russia is reported to be looking fo
q submarines abroad. She ought not t.
4 have any trouble if she would Jus
{ drag the Sea of Japan.
# Dowie has just paid off 100000 il
5 debts. the courts discharged hin
# from bankruptcy and it is safe to sa.
i the creditors did not ask how he cam
by it.
Kansas promises to raise a bumpe
;. corn crop. Mr.. Rockefeller thinks tina
- is a good deal less harmful than wha
she tried to raise with him.
\ Secretary Bonoparte has refused t.
a accept railroad passes. Probably thi
is in Difference to the bulk Of Secretsr