The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-14

SNIHITUDES.

SIMILITUDES.
7 never said to her. MY Sweet,
THOU are the sweetest flower thai
But. Thou are like to her, complete
I said unto the rose.
have not said, Thine eyes are stars
But to those gazers of the skies
Leaning beyond my window bars
Tour light is from her eyes,
Not yet. to her, have I made known
Though all Best Things I know, do own
/ Do slow-her lovely worth.
Though they keep silence for my sake.
To be like her, they much rejoice!
They know that soon my heart will break
| Or lift to her its voice.
Edith NJ. Thomas, in Harper's Bazaar.
/ Schools for Consuls.
The University of Chicago has estab-
/ Iished school in which young men can
secure a training for the consular SER
vice of the government. Other univer-
stiles have schools of like kind. In time
there will be no excuse left for the ap-
pointment Of incompetents to positions
in the foreign service.
Il Under Secretary of State Root the first
real attempt was made to put consular
appointments and promotions upon
something like a civil service basis.
The president under existing laws has
the power of appointment, and he can
name any person whom he chooses to
j. position as consul 1t was taken for
granted by Secretary Root that sue
ceeding presidents, like President
Roosevelt, would be in sympathy with
every attempt to better the foreign SER
vice, and because of this belief Mr.
Root went ahead with his work of inn
provement. Secretary Knox is carry
, ing the work on and is doing what he
can to make the civil service features
, stronger.
It is undoubtedly true that the uni
, versities which now are giving atten-
ton to consulate training course will
turn out many more graduates than
the government can care for. The
courses. therefore. as Prof. Charles E.
Merriam, of the University of Chicago,
has said, ARE intended not merely as
preparation for service of the United
States government, which is a compar-
| atively limited field, but contemplate
preparation for the larger foreign field
. in which the great exporting and i'm
, porting interests of this country are
. concerned"
Politics has been pretty nearly elinli-
mated from the consular field. Occa-
sionally politicians make demands, and
also occasionally the state department
authorities yield. In the main, how
ever, appointments are made on merit
alone, and promotion comes only after
a man has proved himself worthy.
When the civil service rule is carried
| through all branches of The govern
ment's foreign service presidents of the
J11ited states viii not be so hard put
to it to find suitable men to become our
ministers and ambassadors Chicago
Evening Post.
Cold Harbor Monument.
Wednesday Gov. Stuart and many
distinguished Pennsylvanians who
served in the Civil wal dedicated at
!. Cold Harbor, Va, monument erected
by this state 10 its heroic dead who
fell in the bloody slaughter 4 5 years
ago It was a notable occasion and
ought to be received well by the South
ern people, for the memorial is not
only to the dead, but it is witness
to a great failure of Northern arms.
Gen. Grant admitted of two great
: mistakes in his military career. One
was the assault upon the defenses OF
Vicksburg, which had some compensa-
lions, and that upon the breastworks
life without the slightest ~ moral,
strategic or military advantage of any
sort. The army of Lee was intrenched,
and though the Federal assault was
made with desperate valor, it was a
foregone conclusion that it should fail.
1t is believed that in twenty minutes a
greater number of men fell in that
charge than during any similar period
in the whole of human warfare. The
assailants recoiled, the campaign
against breastworks was abandoned,
and the march to Petersburg taken
up
Such an incident will never occur
again because of the increase in effec-
tiveness of military agents of destruc-
ton. Under present conditions the
men in such a charge would not be
decimated; they would be annihilated.
But the bloody repulse will live long in
history 1t marked the end of the "all
summer campaign against breast
works, and opened a new effort to win
by strategy. 1t is believed that If
Grants plans had been carried out Pc
tersburg would have been taken and
before that red letter day of the fol-
lowing April. But things turned out
differently. The blood of thousands of
Federal soldiers was poured out on
the slopes of Cold HarbOr. and it is
eminently fitting that Pennsylvania
should erect a memorial to those who
sacrificed their lives in useless battle
one that ought never to have been or
dered At least they died heroically.
and their memory will last as long as
lour ons.-Philadelphia In
quirer.
II Tipsy Owl on a Tear.
An intoxicated owl played havoc in
J the home of j. w. III. Foxwell, in
: Monmouth street, early Wednesday.
When it was captured, after it had
= broken fine china and bric-a-brac in
! the dining room. it staggered about its
cage and hiccoughed for all the world
J like old Hen Hamperdon, the village
drunkard.
, Investigation disc1oses that neigh
Dor of the Foxwells, after using hot
whisky in a small pan for medicinal
purposes, placed the pan and what rer