The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-03-01
Washington Chat.

SPoot1No VI pOlltlcb, commune 10 discuss
the resolution recently adopted by the
Senate calling upon the heads of the
various Government departments to
supply the names, number, compensa-
tion, etc. of employees who have been
assigned to work by the President dur
ing the past year and whose appoint
ments were made outside the civil SER
vice. 1t is claimed by many that the
executive without legal warrant, has
appointed college classmates, Rough
Riders and other friends of all kinds
of special officers, ignoring entirely
the civil service regulations. The res
olution. when it was brought up in
the Senate, was acted upon without a
dissenting vote, not voice being
raised in defense of the President.
Now. the departments called upon are
busily engaged in gathering the infor-
nation in order to have it before the
Senate during the present session.
1t is said that within the last few
years, probably during the term of the
present administration, the number of
special appointments of employees who
have no fixed legal statutes. has in
creased from 700 to 5000. Many leg
islators believe that an appointment in
the clerk class. made outside Of the
civil service, is manifestly unfair and
unjust to the hundreds of people in all
parts of the country who spend weeks
and months preparing for civil service
examinations, who are placed on the
eligible lists but who are superseded
by those who.are not required to come
up to any special standard of fitness.
Just what good will come from the re-
cent resolution, remains to be seen.
Secretary Taft has begun preparation
for his second trip half way around
the world and back, upon which he
will start the latter part of March.
He will go first to the isthmus to in
spect the canal work and make an
elaborate report to the President but
whether he will be accompanied by
Congressional party, as was the case
on the last journey, has not been de-
cided.
After Panama and a short rest in
the United States he will turn his
steps to the Philippines where great
things political are expected, His
visit will be SO timed that by leaving
this country the latter part of August,
he will arrive in the Philippines at the
opening of the legislative assembly.
He will bear to the members of the
first parliament of our far East posses
sions message from the President,
and it is understood that he will also
have little advice of his own to sub
nit,
If he outlines to the assembly
policy by which the islands would be
turned over to the Filipino people, it
is believed that his supporters for the
Presidential nomination will use it as
a slogan to win favor with the grow
ing number Of people who are clamor-
ing for the relinquishing of the islands
to the Filipinos.
Washington is about to loss what is
the most interesting and val
liable collection of civil war relics in
existence and which is owned by Mrs.
John A. Logan, wife of the late major
general. These relics have long been
on display at the handsome residence
of Mrs. Logan but within the next few
weeks they will be placed in the State
Capitol of Illinois, the legislature of
that State having accepted them and
made provision for their removal and
exhibit.
Among the most interesting things
in the collection are the battle flags of
the Army of the Tennessee, command
ed by Gen. Logan. The flags are torn
by shot and shell and stained with ex-
posure. There is valuable Mexican
hat. placed upon Logan's head by the
drst President OF Mexico, also the old
muzzle-loading Enfield that Logan,
then Congressman, carried into ac-
lion at Bull Run, where he fought all
lay wearing frock coat and silk hat.
Many photographs are in the collec-
ion, among which is one of the grand
'eview of the troops in Washington in
1865, and Others of prominent men of
ihe time.