The National tribune., 1911-03-30

emit children in orphan asylums. and
strongly urged that whenever possible
they be placed In family homes under
careful supervision.
'sThe Muzzle Order"
ously and actively interesting himself
in trying to get advanced salaries for
Government clerks. He got up cir
cular for distribution among the clerks.
in which he very severely criticized the
President and the Cabinet. In fact, he
began with a former President Here
is the particular criticism which Mr..
Gordon cast on former President Roose-
welt and President Taft:
Now a few words about this muzzle
order that you have read so much
about of late. The father of that order
is the only gold-spoon, rich President
that we ever had in the White House
man who tried to muZzle the press
and couldn't do 1t; the man that never
knew what 1t was to live on 1888 a
year. your average pay. But he found
you poor, helpless souls, and put it on
you. Now, gentlemen, 1 am not sur
prised at Mr.. Roosevelt, because he
does what suits him; but I am sur
prised that that good man, Mr.. Taft,
would ratify this order Mr.. Taft not
only ratified it, but he even enlarged
on it. Mr.. Taft has made a very good
President with this one exception but
1 am astounded that one so learned in
the law, a man that once occupied that
dfgnifed, high position of Federal
Judge, should so misinterpret the Con-
stitution of the United States
Mr.. Gordon is a lawyer of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and presumably is
getting well paid for the work he la
supposed to be doing for the clerks
When some of the more conservative
clerks objected to his statements about
former President Roosevelt and Presi-
dent Taft, Mr.. Gordon fippantly re-
Piled:
IF my speech is slanderous there il
recourse to the courts. If any member
of Taft's Cabinet wishes to debate with
me on the question of the 'muzzle law
L will pay for Convention Hall out If
my own pocket and any other inciden-
tai expenses connected with the de-
bate"
Discussion of this character will never
help the Government clerks TO higher
salaries. There is a growing suspicion
that many of the Government clerks
are pretty fairly paid for the amount
and character of service which they
render. There is no inconsiderable
doubt that three-fourths of those who
earning 81 day in the ordinary voca-
tons of labor outside the Government
employ. Men and women with abso-
lutely stated incomes could, if they
would, accommodate themselves to
these incomes and lay up money! The
writer Of this knows q number of wo-
men who have received a salary of be-
tween 5000 and 800 in Government
employ, and on those salaries have
reared families of boys and girls. edu-
Gated them thoroIy, dressed them well
and made them useful members of So
ciety. and they had not dollar in the
world to do this on outside Of the sala-
ries that they were paid by the United
States Government. Meantime they
have secured to themselves pretty little
homes. But these women have no
money to spend on 30-day trips to At
lantic City and other seaside resorts
and when they take their 80 days off
have spent it at home preparing the
wardrobes of their children, looking
after the odds and ends about the
house that have been left undone
awaiting this vacation, and prepared
their own wardrobe for another siege
at Government work when the 80 DAYS
are over. Vhese women have been
good and useful members of society at
the same time, have done good deal
of charitable and patriotic work, and
they have In no way lost social caste,
tho they seldom employed servants and
occasionally laundered their own linen
The high cost of living is often really |
the cost Of living high and beyond ones |
means.
One of the most beautiful homes in |
the city Of Washington is that of Mrs. |
Franklin MacVeagh, wife Of the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury. 1t is built espe-
cially for entertaining, and Mrs. Mac
Veagh had 1t built and furnished, and i
presented 1t to her husband for a |
Christmas present. She had reproduced |
in this magnificent home, which is out |
on the hills of Washington, an exact
copy Of the Grand Salon Of the Palace
OF st. Cloud, which was the >favorite |
home of the Empress Josephine. The
royal chateau, which had been kept In |
all its original beauty, was destroyed in
the Russo Franco War, but there re-
mains. of course. the architects draw
ings Of 1t, as we'll as the painting that
paneled and beautified the chateau.
These panels suggested the idea 20 Mrs.
MacVeagh. and she ordered the con-
of these without reference to
cost. The mural decorations of the room
are strikingiy beautiful, having been |
done by the bost artists of the country.
The room in white and gold is as ex-
quisfte as a jewel case.