Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-04-20
tCorrespondeDce Of the Beacon.)
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WaSnluROus ~. ~ hPth 49, A~
While the President of the United States
is receiving the plaudits OF the people OF
Texas and of the Southwest generally, a
tribute to the position he occupies and
to the man Of warm, red blood, the kind oil
man who IL admired down in that Sec
ton Of our country, he Ii having lew
bricks thrown at him in the capital oil
the nation by some OF the thinking men
of Congress who have remained In the
city. No man Ii saying anything unkind
Of the personality Of the President, but
Of his acts as President in therecent past.
| spoke in my letter Of last week OF the
Panama Canal business and OF the action
Of the President in the SantO Domingo
matter as things that are being CRITICS
ed by the men who make the laws OF the
country. Some Of the Senators who
think that Congress has a right to feel
aggrieved with the President point out
his action In the Santo Domingo case,
which was taken In the face Of vigorous
opposition and the expressed wish OF the
Senate. Some Of those talking go 80 far
az to say II the President keeps up this
kind Of progress he win lose many friends
and admirers, as the sentiment OF the
country is opposed to the creating OF Of
fees with large salaries by arbitrary
authority Of any kind, even II that au-
thority il the President.
One Of his latest acts Is the appoint
ment OF G. +. Grunsky, one OF the former
members of the isthmian canal commits
sion, as engineer of the irrigation and
reclamation service, at a salary OF &c.,
900 q year. and it is ATTRACTING attention
and much criticism among the men OF
Congress who are here. They cannot un-
derstand his authority in making such an
appointment and his right to fix salary
of this kind Congress has not made
provision for an Office of the sort to
which Mr.. Grunsky has been appointed.
In fact, Congress failed to pass a bill to
create an Office of that kind. Such bill
was introduced by Senator Hansbrough,
but Congress refused to pass the bill or
make an appropriation for such salary
for a place of the kind, yet the President
creates the very Office which Congress
did not see fit to make and arbitrarily
establishes salary. Anotherinstance OF
his unauthorized action, his illegal action,
was the appointment of board OF
architects to confer with the heads OF
departments about the location OF pub
lie buildings in Washington in accordance
with the plans adopted by the Park
Commission number of years ago. Al
though there was no provision OF law
for such board, the President named
Ave or six wellknown architects as a
board and directed that no building
should be located without consultation
with them.
The President announced that the board
would serve without compensation Some
one pointed out a law which prevents
any appointee oithe President from serv-
ing free. Thereupon the President is
sued and order directing that the men,
bers OF the board be paid 80 a day and
expenses out OF the appropriation for the
buildings TO be erected. This was again
referred to as a worse violation of law
than the other, inasmuch as the laws OF
the land provide that no money can be
paid out except upon specific appropria-
ton by Congress. Attorney General
Moody informed the President that his
amendment fixing salaries was illegal,
and the President proceeded to annul the
whole thing and have a statement made
that the architects would call upon and
consult him as individuals and friends,
thereby accomplishing his purpose.
The President has been doing these
things right along. When he was CON-
PEELED to get rid Of BFistow, the Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General, because
Of the row between Bristow and Wynne,
he looked around and saw an opening
for Bristow In theeanalregion. Bristow
was given a place created especially for
him and sent TO Panama. When the
President found it necessary to appoint
a new Canal Commission and saw that
a number OF men on the old Commission
would be thrown out of employment he
took care of Grunsky in one way and Of
Engineers Parsons and Burr by naming
them as consulting engineers in the Canal
work at large salaries. What the dick
ems does he care for any old thing like
the Congress Of theeountry9 "T'ell with
It."
The President is talking very brayely
end prettily, down in the Southwest,