The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-30
EIGHT PRISONERS ARE SHOT
 TO DEATH BY A GEORGIA MOB

lars came and It proved to be definite offer of a position as president of large holding company. connecting sev eral other propositions with certain stock benefits and other advantages t himself. which. with the salary. mad 1t equivalent to s50.000 year: tha he did not at once accept the offer, bu delayed it for a few days in order t cable the Secretary of War. durinf which time the parties increased thei proposal between $1o,000 and s15,0o0 year. making 1t equivalent to s6o,0oo o' ses, 900.
 .THe stated that the position was ar especially attractive one and such a! he had only hoped to obtain after tn' completion of the canal and then onll after years of further service on th' Isthmus: that the duties of the new position were especially agreeable, and afforded opportunities to make money through investments. etc; further. that the position was such a good one thai he did not consider that he could de- cline it; that life on the Isthmus wal lonely and accompanied with risk tc himself and wife, and that was another reason for accepting better offer; but that his new duties would not require all of his attention for the next two months and that the parties had agreed
  in the meantime always provided 1t did not take him from New York to the Isthmus.
 Could Retire at Option.
 He referred to the Presidents order approving the original commission and In which the President had stated that the commissioners would hold office subject to the due fulfllment of their duties fand he stated that tbis made the office subject to termination by the President and that consequently he (Mr. wallace) considered that the hold CT of the office had an equal right to retire from it at his option at any time.
 Concluding, he stated that while ht was thus severing his connection with the canal work, he was willing tc make up his canal report. and he would. If desired by the Government continue to serve as a commissioner but not as chief engineer in charge oi the construction work on the Isthmus
 'Mr. Wallace followed his personal half an hour regarding conditions or the Isthmus and the work on the ca nal. When he finished, Secretary Tafi thus addressed him:
 "Mr. wallace--I am inexpressedly not only because you have taken this step but because you seem so utterly insensible to the sig. nificance of your conduct. You come with the bald announcement that you quit your task at a critical moment. or the eve of important work and in ths midst of reorganization plans under which you accepted your position, witt your department unprotected in or. ganization. and when you know. too that my public duty does not call m, to the Philippines for several months I must be allowed to remind you tha when you were employed by the com, mission little over a year ago vol were only receiving s1b.0o0 per annun under your former position and thai your salary was fixed at the flgure ae manded by yourself, S25,000. That wal for constant service on the Isthmus where the construction work was tc be performed. You know that the risks to yourself and to your family If they went with you, were in the work you assumed an obligation to do. If you had not desired the position you need not have sought nor accepted 1t, but understand that quite the con- trary was tn cease.
 Endorsed by Wallace.
 "when the President found 1t nec- essary to make a reorganization of the former commission you were con suited in the frankest manner about every feature of the reorganization and were encouraged freely to express your opinions. The new plan of or- which include your appoint ment as commissioner was warmly accepted and endorsed by you and you your hearty approval of 1t In the most unequivocal manner, not only to the President and myself. but 10 members of the commission and It's You co-operated in the work of reorganization and accepted the po- sitton assigned you under the Presi- dents order of April 1. The President and myself relied upon this fact in up the plans and the other members were selected with that in view. Now. within twelve days after your arrival upon the Isthmus. you send me cable which, read in the isht Of what you sa ytoday, signifies iour practical acceptance of an offer ,t another position Inconsistent with me performance of your duties on the .Ssthmus. S l am astonished that you 'hould be so disregardfuI of the snien- lid opportunities of a position which would have made you famous tha world over by the performance of 'our duties of chief engineer.
 For mere lucre you change vour ,osition over night without thousht of ne embarrassing position in which vo,, 'iace your Government by this action Sneh i the engineering forces on the stnmus are left without a real head m mnu your department Is not perfected fin rganization; when the advisory board f engineers Is to assemble undar cati f the President within two months nd when am departing for the Phil, ppines on public duty. All this vou inow as we'll as I know it, but it has lot had the least influence on your ac- lon-you have thought of yourself. and 'ourself alone. I consider that by very principle of honor and duty. you were bound to treat the subject differ ntly. You have permitted the Pres dent and all of us to proceed in full onfidence that you were to perform he function of chief engineer. and now. n an hour, you drop your great duties nd throw them back upon us as if 1t we're matter of no consequence and II this for your personal advantage olely.
 Mrfl Wallace. do not agree with our idea of your rights. nor with your ica as to your duties. I do not agree hat the Presidents original order, giv- aithful commissioner. gave you the ight to abandon your duty at a criti- al moment.
 A Moral Duty.
 More than this. your duty in the is not measured by your mere egal contractural rights. It should e measured by high obligation of ublic office with a sacred allegiance to be Government: 1t should be his honor nd his pleasure to serve. You were. therefore, in honor bound by all that as preceded to continue to perform our duties upon the Isthmus until such me, a year at least, as would have af- orded us reasonable opportunity to se- sct a competent successor and prepare i'm for the great duties of that of-