The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-01-04
FROM WASHINGTON, D. c.
interesting Weekly Letter
OLA Political Nature.
BY Our Regular Correspondent


Both sides to the controversy
respecting the 25th infantry are
busy gathering data which will
be presented to Congress as soon
as it meets after the holidays.
Senator Foraker has been in
Texas and in New York in busy
consultation with the members of
the Constitutional League who are
helping him fight the case for the
reinstatement of the colored
soldiers. Assistant Attorney
General Purdy of the Department
of Justice is now in Brownville
under orders from the President,
and is supplementing all that was
known of the case before by
further examination of the citizens
and the officers and enlisted men
stationed at the fort. 1t promises
to be a warm fight in Congress
and will be a real test of strength
between the President and the
powerful members of his own
party who dislike him for the
things he has done and the things
he has left undone and are only
too glad of this opportunity to
vent their spleen and if possible
to injure the President in the
general estimation of the country.
Some surprise has been expressed
in the anti administration papers
over the fact that the President is
looking up further evidence in the
case. The move is only natural
however, as the opposition is
leaving no stone unturned to
bring out new and damaging
facts and it is an exceedingly
safe play for the administration
to reinforce itself on all possible
points both of law and fact con-
nected with the case.
*.*
The Government this week loses
the service of one of the best rail-
road lawyers it has ever employed.
He is John T. Marchand, of the
Interstate Commerce Commissio
who leaves the services of the
lCommission where he is now q
special attorney, to accept a place
at a very largely increased salary
in the legal department of the
Rock Island Railway with head
quarters at Chicago. On the same
day with Mr.. Marchand's retire.
ment came the announcement
that Prof. w. A. Noyes, chief of
the department of chemistry in
bureau of standards, had accepted
a position with the University of
Illinois. This also at an increased
salary with a large number of
p%erquisites and in a community
where living is much less expen-
sive than in Washington.
These two may be serious
ly considered because while
neither one of them is of extreme
Importance in itself, they are
typical of a process that is going
on all the time in the government
service. The various depart
ments employ a large number of
highly trained specialists, few OF
whom r men of recognized
ability when they enter the gov
eminent service. Some, such az
army and navy officers, are boys
who are educated and trained at
the expense of the government.
Quite q number of these resign
their commissions as officers to
!, take places with private firms
after they have shown the ability
which makes them valuable in
commercial life. The civilian
employees of the government
frequently make their reputation
: on government work with govern.
ment facilities to aid them. These
men, too, are snatched up by
: private firms who want theil
services and are willing to pay
much more for them than the
government will pay. Thus the
public service is being continually
/ stripped of its good men and the
: only wonder is that the depart
r ments are able to keep in theil
employ SO many high-class
specialists as they have at the
salaries the poyernment pave