Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-02-24

no matter Wnlch way they voted, tnelr
motives were bound to be misunder-
stood. Now another eruption has
come from this volcano Of subsidy. 1t
is case Of another charge of attempt
ed bribery and, like similar matters
which have gone before, 1t is being
made the subject of an inquiry.
For Monument to Hamilton.
Secretary of the Treasury Mac
Veagh has been elected chairman Of a
commission which is to select a site
for the monument to Alexander Ham
ilton. Hamilton is generally accredit-
ed with having been the greatest au-
thority on finance which the United
States has known. Webster's famous
words concerning Washington's secre-
tary Of the treasury are known to
every school boy, and in effect they
were that Hamilton had touched the
corpse Of the public credit and 1t had
stood upon its feet.
II is a curious thing, perhaps, that
the spirit Of the opposition to Hamil-
ton which showed itself IN his own
time is stin living. There are mem
bers of congress in both houses today
who think that IT is mistake to honor
with public monument in the capital
the memory of the great secretary of
the treasury. / heard a member of
congress once say that the best act OF
Aaron Burr's life was his killing of
Alexander Hamilton. 1t might be said.
however, that most Of the opposition
to the monument plan Is kept under
cover. The memorial will be erected
and there viii be men to speak who,
although antagonistic to most of Ham
ilton's views Of government, are en-
tlrely sympathetic with the thought
that he did e great work for the a.
nances Of young and struggling re-
public.
To Restore Right Of Free Speech.
An effort is to be made in the SEN
ate ito restore to government en-
7loyes the right OF free speech. This
is the way that the effort in congress
is framed into words by those who are
in favor of the measure. When Theo-
dore Roosevelt was president he is
sued an executive order forbidding all
civil service employees to discuss po-
litical questions and to make COM
ment on the conduct Of the affairs OF
government. The president'si idea was
simply to keep political discussions
and criticisms Of department officials
out of the offices during the days
work. Other constructions. however.
were put on the order and it was even
said that government employees were
not to be allowed to say word on
politics in office or out Of ONCE.
II does not make any difference at
all what Mr.. Roosevelt's intention was,
as far as the present movement Is con-
cerned, for the senate has taken cogni-
zance of 1t, has put it's own construc-
ton on 1t, and IL may be that the mat
ter win be dignified by the actual pass
age of bill which shall declare with
all solemnity that men who work for
Uncle Sam may have the right to say
what they want to on political ques-
tions and to criticise the acts of their
superior officers.
House Dodges Nations Debts.
The omnibus claims bin has been
laid on the table of the house The
opponents of the measure stole Q
march on the proponents. who were
absent at a critical moment, and sue
ceeded In putting the bill where it
cannot be touched for some time.
This measure contains claims
against the government growing out
of French spoliations. overtime claims
for work In navy yards. and claims
for reimbursement for property taken
by troops during the Civil war. The
court of claims has passed on every
thing that the bill contains and has
said that the United States owes the
money and has asked congress to pay
1t. The chances are that the claim
ants must wait yet awhile before they
get their money.
President Taft recently urged In
his annual message the passage of
the bill and all the items contained
therein. 1t must not be understood
that the court approved all the claims
which were laid before 1t, for as a
matter of fact it rejected about IS
per cent. of the applications. but
those which were approved amounted
to about $s.500.00O in value.
All Watching Roosevelt.
Every member Of the house and
senate and all other officials and poll
ticians in Washington, too. for that
matter. are wondering whether
Colonel Roosevelt will touch on poll
tics in his forthcoming southern and
western trip. There are those who
| believe that the colonel viii confine
himself wholly to business matters
and to the general moralities, but
there are others who think that he
will have a good deal to say about
the progressive movement which re-
Gently has been crystalized into an
organization by members of the Rs
publican party.
The colonel is going into the south
ern country first. He likes the south.
| There are southerners here who say
that the people south Of the line first
warmed up to the colonel because he
went into New Orleans while be was
president at time when the yellow
fever was visiting the city. 'The
colonel. they say. took long chances
and the people OF New Orleans ad.
1 x,a~. hfvx, for a. ond The ~or4fx-,or& ~