The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-30

Significance of your. conduct You come
( with the bald announcement that you
desire to quit your task at q critical
moment, on the eve OF important work
and in the midst Of reorganization
plans under which you accepted your
! position with your department upper
/ fected in organization and when you
1 know too that my public duty calls me
( to the Philippines for several months
I must be allowed to remind you that
I when you were employed by the COM
mission a little over a year ago, you
were only receiving $4,000 per an
mum under your former position and
! that your salary was fixed at the sum
demanded by yourself, SZ5,OO0- That
was for constant service on the 18th
mus where the construction work was
to be performed and your services
were required You knew the risks TO
yourself and to your family, if they
went with you in the work you as
sumo an obligation to do. If you had
not desired the position you need not
have sought nor accepted 1t, but IN
derstand that quite the contrary was
the case I can refer more positively
to recent events within my knowledge
When the president found 1t necessary
| to make a reorganization Of the former
commission you We're consulted IN the
frankest manner about every feature
of the reorganization and were en-
couraged freely TO express opinions
Indeed your voluntary suggestions
from the Isthmus embraced the pro-
posal that you yourself be made
member of the commission and chief
engineer on the Isthmus. The sub
stance Of the plan of reorganization as
afterward embodied in the presidents
executive order of April I. was cabled
to you by me and you cabled me your
fullest approval of it and your thanks.
for it included the appointment of
yourself as a commissioner, as you had
solicited, and a member Of the execu-
tive committee The new plan of or
toe TO- IL nv
you and endorsed by you when you ar
rived in Washington. and you express
ed your hearty approval of 1t in the
most unequivOcal manner, not only to
the president and myself. but to mem
bers Of the commission and its counsel
and just before sailing for the Isthmus
you called upon US and voluntarily
thanked me in the Warmest terms for
what had been done in the reorganiza-
ton Of the canal work and in position
given you You cO-Operated for all
these weeks in the work of reOrganiza-
ton and accepted the position assigned
you under the presidents order Of
April l. The president and myself re-
lied upon this fact in making up the
plans and the other members were
selected with that in view Now, with
in twelve days after your arrival upon
the 18th mus. you send me a cable
which read in the light OF what you
say today. signifies your practical ac-
Ceptance of an offer Of another posi-
ton inconsistent with the performance
of your duties on the IsthmuS- am
astonished that you should be disre-
gardfuI of the splendid opportunity OF
the position. which would have made
you famous the world over by the hon
Orable performance of your duties Of
chief engineer.
For Mere Lucre-
For mere Iucre you change your po-
sition over night without thought OF
the embarrassing position in which you
place your government by this action
when the engineering forces on the
Isthmus are left without a real head
and your department is not perfect in
organization; when the advisory Joard
Of engineers is to assemble under call
of the president within two months and
when I am departing for the Philippines
on public duty. All this you know as
well as I know It, but II has not mad
the least influence upon your action
you have thought OF yourself and your
self alone. I consider that by every
principle Of honor and duty you were
bound to treat the subject differently
You have permitted the president and
all of Us to proceed in full confidence
that you would perform the functions
Of chief engineer ana now IN an hour
you drop your great duties and throw
them back upon US as If It were mat
ter Of no consequence
Mr. Wallace. don't agree with your
idea Of YOUR rights nor with your idea
as to your duties. I don't agree that
the presidents original order giving
him the right to discharge an unfafth-
fuI commissioner gave you the right to
abandon your duties at a critical mo-
ment; but Independent Of that original
order you accepted the duties OF chief
engineer on the isthmus under the re-
cent order Of April 1st, which was made
in cooperation with you and TO suit
your views. More than this your duty