The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-27
remark brought forth the approving
yells, and jeff 8 popularity was might
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Fron CLERK to Postmaster.

remark brought forth the approving
yells, and jeff s popularity was might
ly increased. =
From Clerk to Postmaster.
A boy Of nineteen, took the civil serv-
ice examination in New Jersey in 1887,
and was awarded clerkship in the
postoffice department. Four years he
served in that bureau as a clerk, prov
ing himself so trustworthy, industrious
and capable that he was selected to be
private secretary in turn to the first as
sistant postmaster general, the fourth
assistant. and the chief postotfice in
spector.
At the opening of the campaign of
1S91-922, his former chief, James S.
Clarkson, chose him to be his secretary
| thruout the contest. So we'll was his
work done in both capacities, that
President Mckinley subsequently Sc
lected him--on the advice of one who
had known him in the postoffice depart
| ment-to be a stenographer on the
! White House staff.
| The same attention to his tasks,
complete trustworthiness and general
ability which had advanced him in the
confidence of the postal officials, earned
him promotion at the executive man
sion. In six months he had been made
executive clerk and in a little over a
year more he was appointed assistant
secretary to the president. Mr.. Nc
clerk to the same responsible and try
ing post. He has filed it to the full
satisfaction of his chief ever since
Reward of Merit.
In the meantime, this young man was
continuing, by self-help, the education
cut short by the civil service examina-
tion. He studied law ia one of the
| local schools, and was graduated. He
read incessantly. He made himself IA
miliar with the whole business of gov
ernmental administration, so that at the
White House he soon became vastly
more than routine clerk-a source of
accurate information and subordinate
on whose judgment his superior could
rely. ...~ ~
This is Benjamin F. Barnes, recently
nominated to be postmaster at Wash
ingtOn.
It is a mistake to assume that the
president wants to get rid of him, and
ment came as a reward of merit, and
the president is satisfied that Mr..
Barnes has fully justified this new hon
or. The chief objection to Barnes in
Washington-and it is not wide
spread-grows out of the fact that he
retains his voting residence at Vine
land, N. j., and goes there on election
day to deposit his ballot. But he has
lived in Washington for eighteen years,
owns property here, and is in every
proper sense citizen of the District
of Columbia.
1t was Mr.. Barnes who gave the
orders which resulted in Mrs. Minor
Morris being carried away from the ex-
ecutive offices one day. If anybody
thinks that the president doesn It stand
for what Barnes did in that connection,
he has another think coming. This case
was thoroly investigated, at the presi-
dent s request, by Major Sylvester,
chief of police, who reported that what
: was done in the Morris incident was
fully justified by the woman conduct
This report the president accepted
since it accorded with his own under
standing of the, case. He had the in.
vestigation made, however, as a con
cession to local interests, which had
criticized Barnes.
Champagne Appetites.
The consumption Of champagne in
; the United States is increasing at g
,, rapid rate, and today this country holds
$ second place among the nations, Great
: Britain being first and Russia third
L The greatest per capita consump tior
, is in Belgium, with the Scandinavian
y, countries second, Norway leading
: Sweden and Denmark.
!. AS showing something of the growth
h of the champagne appetite =, in thi
n country, some interesting figures hav'
8 just been published by the department
J. Of commerce end labor. In 1900, w
g drank 3,2S7,62S quarts of this seductive
v liquor. and in 1905 the total wa
> | r,,4e II
+ to Great Britain in the actual amour
J. consumed, it may afford some Of tn
- temperance people modicum Of com
d fort to know that there is no danger o
r, our wrestling that supremacy from tn
e British. That people drinks annual
l. more than twice as much as is consume
l. in this country, and its leadership
s. therefore likely to continue for lon
n time to come.
II Duties on Seductive Drink.
s. Of all the champagne that is cor
l. sumed in the world each year, tn
IS United States takes about one-seventl
The champagne trade with Japan wa
one-third more in 1905 than in 1904
and yet fifteen years ago that peop]
did not know anything about chan
= payne, Just as China and Corea kno7
u nothing about it today.
~ The tariff On champagne coming int
! the United States is &c 2-3 cents
~ ~ quart: In Great Britain it is Is cent
=; :. quart. In Russia it is 81 cents,
IS IS Germany 81 cents, Norway ~ cents,
- Sweden 80 cents, in Denmark IL cent
IL, Ia in Canada % cents, in Belgium
~ cents, in Holland 61a cents, in Italy
w cents, in Japan cents; in Greece it
", ~ imported free of duty. Brazil charg
+. a higher duty than any other countr
ID $1.44 quart. H.
as - - = - 4. s.