Part 10

The 226 indictments tried, which resulted in convictions, were based upon the following charges:

False claim 64 False certification 26 False affidavit 16 False personation 5 Perjury 40 Forgery 18 Illegal fee 26 Personating government officer 21 Retaining pension certificate 2 Prosecuting claims while a government officer 4 Conspiracy 2 Embezzlement 1 Attempted bribery 1

It has been the uniform practise not to recommend prosecution in any case unless the criminal intent of the parties was clearly shown; and in the cases of soldiers and their dependents, to resolve every doubt in their favor, and not to recommend prosecution where it was apparent that they had been drawn into a violation of the law by others. As a result of this practise, the majority of the convictions secured were against attorneys, agents, sub-agents, magistrates, and others responsible for the preparation and filing of false and fraudulent claims and evidence, and those who falsely personated soldiers or soldiers’ widows.

Eugene F. Ware succeeded Mr. Evans as Commissioner of Pensions early in 1902. Mr. Ware is a Kansas man, prominent both in the literature and politics of that State for the last twenty-five years. He has stirred up matters in the Pension Bureau by making even the humblest clerk feel that good work will meet with promotion, and that no influence can keep inefficiency in that responsible place. He has also announced that no one who habitually uses intoxicants can be entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the aged and indigent soldiers, forlorn widows, and helpless children. The consequence is some have been dismissed for drunkenness, others have resigned, others have quit their cups. Mr. Ware comes from a state where prohibition has made the jail a useless building except for storing the great surplus of corn. One of his poems says:

The horse-thief went, the cowboy joined the church, The justice of the peace is laughed to scorn; The constable has tumbled from his perch, The school has left the sheriff in the lurch— The jail is full of corn.

His poem on John Brown, the hero of freedom, satisfies. The first three verses read as follows:

States are not great except as men may make them; Men are not great except they do and dare. But states, like men, have destinies that take them— That bear them on, not knowing why or where.

The why repels the philosophic searcher, The WHY and WHERE all questionings defy, Until we find, far back in youthful nurture, Prophetic facts that constitute the WHY.

All merit comes from braving the unequal, All glory comes from daring to begin; Fate loves the state that, reckless of the sequel, Fights long and well, whether it lose or win.

XXV STATE, WAR, AND NAVY DEPARTMENTS

The State, War, and Navy departments are in one handsome four-storied granite building, with a frontage of 343 feet and a depth of 565 feet, situated on Pennsylvania Avenue, just west of the White House. The building is one of the handsomest in the city, being of the French Rennaissance, modified by American ideas. It has five hundred rooms and two miles of marble halls. In the west wing of the building the Secretary of War, Hon. Elihu Root, and General Miles, Commander of the Army, have handsome rooms for themselves and their many assistants. In the east wing can be found the Secretary of the Navy and rooms for the Admirals and their corps of helpers, and in the south wing the popular Secretary of State, the Hon. John Hay, with a comparatively small number of assistants.

STATE DEPARTMENT

In the department of the Secretary of State one sees the portraits of all the great men who have occupied the position of Secretary of State from the time of Washington down to the present occupant. Most people would be interested in the Huntington portraits of Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan, and in a copy of Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of Washington. In the State Department the most interesting are the portraits of Thomas Jefferson, 1789, Washington’s first term; Daniel Webster, 1841 and 1850; William H. Seward, 1861 and 1865; Elihu B. Washburne, 1869; Hamilton Fish, 1869; William M. Evarts, 1877; James G. Blaine, 1881 and 1889; and F. T. Frelinghuysen, 1881. A portrait of Lord Ashburton recalls the “Ashburton Treaty” of 1842, which defined the boundaries between the United States and the British Possessions in North America, and provided for the suppression of the slave-trade.

In the State Department are some of the most precious archives of the nation. Here can be found the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution with the original signatures. Here can be seen the handwriting of most of the rulers of the world during the last hundred years affixed to treaties. One of the most unique of these is a treaty with Japan. The clear Japanese characters cover many pages, the royal signature is at the top, and you read from the bottom. The treaty was brought to Washington by two Japanese officials of high rank, who were charged with its safe delivery on penalty of their lives. One day they triumphantly entered the State Department bearing aloft on two bamboo poles a curiously constructed box, in which was the precious document. They were greatly relieved when they saw it safely deposited with the Secretary of State.

Here are the papers of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson; here are all the flags taken in all the wars in which the United States have engaged.

The diplomatic rooms are of great beauty. Here Mr. Hay receives foreign ministers, consuls, and special messengers from foreign lands. Here at almost any time can be seen members of some of the thirty-five foreign embassies and legations. Many of these legations own and maintain handsome residences. A statement prepared by District Assessor Darneille shows that foreign governments own over $500,000 worth of real property in the District of Columbia, the estimated value of the land being $330,776, and the improvements $284,500. The French and Chinese governments have recently purchased valuable tracts of land, and will erect magnificent legation buildings which will increase the value of property held by foreign governments to nearly $1,000,000.

Probably the most characteristic feature of both political and social life in Washington is afforded by the presence of these legations. The members are more conspicuous here than at any other national capital in the world, except, possibly, Peking. Not to speak of Asiatic costumes and customs, European manners and morals, if we except those of England and Germany, which are much the same as our own, contrast most decidedly with their American correspondents. Most of the men are pure pagans—cynics and materialists. They look upon a profession of Christianity at its best as a mark of intellectual weakness, and at its worst of hypocrisy. Their own faces, however, do not indicate that they are exceptionally broad-minded or good and sincere men.

I have seen them in public receptions stand on one side and chatter in French, Spanish, or Italian, poking all sorts of fun at the hostess and her entertainment, and then, as she approached, rush to greet her with a mock homage which made my flesh creep. I have heard them declare that “all Americans are cads,” and the next instant prove the less sweeping proposition that “all cads are not Americans” by fulsome compliments to a distinguished Justice or Senator.

They, however, dispense a generous hospitality, and society, which has learned to estimate them by their own cynical standards, and is neither elated by their smiles nor annihilated by their snubs, cultivates them as best suits its own purpose.

The United States supports abroad thirty-eight embassies and legations, consisting of ministers, secretaries, and attachés, besides about one thousand consuls.

The Congressional Directory gives the personal history of Secretary Hay as follows:

JOHN HAY, of the District of Columbia, Secretary of State (800 Sixteenth Street, Northwest), was born in Salem, Ind., October 8, 1838; graduated at Brown University in 1858, and studied law in Springfield, Ill.; was admitted to practise before the Supreme Court of Illinois in 1861, but immediately came to Washington as Assistant Secretary to President Lincoln, remaining with him until his death; acted also as his Adjutant and Aide-de-Camp, and served under Generals Hunter and Gillmore, and was brevetted Colonel; was appointed Secretary of Legation to France, March 22, 1865; retired March 18, 1867; appointed Secretary of Legation to Austria-Hungary, May 20, 1867, where he acted as _chargé d’affaires_ until August 12, 1868; appointed Secretary of Legation to Spain June 28, 1869; retired October 1, 1870; then became an editorial writer on the New York _Tribune_, remaining five years, during seven months of which he was editor-in-chief; removed to Cleveland in 1875, and took an active part in the Presidential canvasses of 1876, 1880, and 1884; was appointed Assistant Secretary of State November 1, 1879; retired May 3, 1881; in that year he represented the United States at the International Sanitary Congress in Washington, of which he was president; was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Great Britain March 19, 1897; retired September 19, 1898; appointed Secretary of State September 20, 1898.

THE WAR DEPARTMENT

In time of war or just following a war the most interesting department is that which is now occupied by the Hon. Elihu Root, of New York City. He is noted as a great corporation lawyer, and at first seemed to consider that the government of the United States could be run on the same principles as a great corporation—that is, “We shall do as we please in spite of public opinion.” But when he was severely brought to task several times he found his limitations.

In spite of this, the report of this department, dated December, 1901, shows difficult, conscientious, magnificent work performed by the War Department since the close of the war with Spain. Possibly the quiet prejudice which exists throughout the country against Mr. Root is largely the result of his treatment of General Miles. He does not like the old General, but the country does. Mr. Root may do many splendid things before the farmer, who only reads his weekly paper and to whose brain new things come slowly, forgives him for rudeness to a man of the people, whose merit has placed him at the head of the army. Any one who thinks he wins favor by calling General Miles “old fuss and feathers,” as some newspapers do, quite forgets that the American people like fuss and feathers. In spite of the above, Mr. Root is a great patriotic man, who, with mental ability enough to earn $100,000 per year, gives his country the benefit of his talents for what must seem to him the paltry sum of $8,000. As an organizer and great executive officer he has no superior now in the government employ. His last report shows the army located as follows:

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ARMY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1901

──────────────────────────────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬────────── COUNTRY │ │_Enlisted │ │_Officers_│ men_ │ _Total_ ──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼────────── United States │ 1,922│ 31,952│ 33,874 Philippine Islands │ 1,111│ 42,128│ 43,239 Cuba │ 166│ 4,748│ 4,914 Porto Rico │ 51│ 1,490│ 1,541 Hawaiian Islands │ 6│ 250│ 256 China │ 5│ 157│ 162 Alaska │ 17│ 510│ 527 │ ——————│ ——————│ —————— Total │ 3,278│ 81,235│ 84,513 ──────────────────────────────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────

[In this table are included the 4,336 men of the Hospital Corps and the 25 officers and 815 men of the Porto Rico Provisional Regiment, leaving the strength of the Regular Army 3,253 officers and 76,084 enlisted men.

In addition there are also in the Philippines 172 volunteer surgeons, appointed under section 18 of the act of February 2, 1901, and 98 officers and 4,973 native scouts.]

Of course, now that the war in the Philippines is practically over, many more men have returned to the United States.

In reading Mr. Root’s report, nothing impresses one more than the splendid arrangement for the better education of army officers, not only as to military tactics, but for full intellectual equipment. Enlisted men who fit themselves by study, and retain good characters by passing complete civil service examination, become eligible to official positions among the regulars. Also officers of volunteer regiments by the same process become eligible to official positions in the regular army.

Mr. Root recommends that officers of the National Guard, or officers of former volunteers, be permitted in their vacations to study with regular army officers at West Point, and at the army post schools, so that we may never again be caught without competent officers for volunteer regiments. His report contains full accounts of the forming of the new government in Cuba, the Cuban Constitution, a full account of all the troubles in the Philippines, the wonderful work accomplished by the signal corps, the territorial and military divisions of the Philippines, and recommendations as to the proper currency and system of banking necessary in our Oriental possessions.

He recommends the purchase of the lands of the friars, who can not continue to hold their possession peacefully on account of the hostility of the people, whom they have grossly wronged.

His account of the very valuable unexplored timber lands of the islands, and the industries needed, make his report of great practical importance.

Men of the United States army have always been noted for their high standard of honor. The country believes in the integrity of the officers of the regular army. When any of them fail themselves and betray the trust imposed in them, it causes a shock to public feeling such as malfeasance in no other official position ever produces. To an unusually large extent they have been worthy of the trust reposed in them by a great nation.

The French are no more jealous of the good name of their army than are Americans. The person who takes away the good name of our brave, patriotic, self-sacrificing men, “who are a-doing and a-dying” in the Philippines, because of the evil actions of less than one-twentieth of their number, deserves public execration. The least we can do for our army is to give them their hard-earned laurels unspoiled.

XXVI STATE, WAR, AND NAVY DEPARTMENTS (_Continued_)

THE NAVY DEPARTMENT

The offices of the Navy Department are situated in the same building as those of the War Department. The Secretary of the Navy occupies some of these handsome rooms. On their walls are the pictures of eighteen Secretaries, more than half the number of those who have occupied the high place being yet unrepresented. Secretary Long urges that the pictures of those yet waiting should be secured and given a place among these worthies. Down to Lincoln’s day the following persons occupied the place of Secretary of the Navy:

During Washington’s administration the Secretaries of the Navy were also Secretaries of War. Three men occupied the double position: Gen. Henry Knox, of Massachusetts; Timothy Pickering, of Massachusetts; and James McHenry, of Maryland. In John Adams’s administration the Navy was made a separate department. The Secretaries of the Navy since 1798 have been as follows: Benjamin Stoddert, of Maryland; Robert Smith, of Maryland; Jacob Crowninshield, of Massachusetts; Paul Hamilton, of South Carolina; William Jones, of Pennsylvania; Benjamin W. Crowninshield, of Massachusetts; Smith Thompson, of New York; Samuel L. Southard, of New Jersey; John Branch, of North Carolina; Levi Woodbury, of New Hampshire; Mahlon Dickerson, of New Jersey; James K. Paulding, of New York; George E. Badger, of North Carolina; Abel P. Upshur, of Virginia; David Henshaw, of Massachusetts; Thomas W. Gilmer, of Virginia; John Y. Mason, of Virginia; George Bancroft, of Massachusetts; William B. Preston, of Virginia; William A. Graham, of North Carolina; John P. Kennedy, of Maryland; James C. Dobbin, of North Carolina; Isaac Toucey, of Connecticut; Gideon Welles, of Connecticut.

Those later are well known. John D. Long, of Massachusetts, late Secretary, who ably administered the department during the war with Spain, has the following record in the Congressional Directory:

JOHN DAVIS LONG, of Massachusetts, Secretary of the Navy, was born in Buckfield, Oxford County, Me., October 27, 1838; received his preparatory education in the common school of his native town and the Hebron Academy, Maine; was graduated from Harvard in 1857; taught school two years in Westford Academy, Massachusetts; studied law at Harvard Law School and in private offices; was admitted to the bar, and has since practised; was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature in 1875, 1876, 1877, and 1878; was Speaker of the House during the last three years; was Lieutenant-Governor of his State in 1879, and Governor in 1880, 1881 and 1882; was elected to the Forty-eighth and reelected to the Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses; was for several years on the Statehouse Construction Commission of his state; is senior member of the law firm of Long & Hemenway; was appointed and confirmed Secretary of the Navy March 5, 1897.

Secretary Long resigned in 1902. He was succeeded by William H. Moody, also of Massachusetts.

Now that the United States has become a world power, the navy is the right arm of the government in taking needed supplies to our distant colonies, and in protecting the property of America the world over.

The last annual report of the Secretary of the Navy showed that the United States has 252 regular naval vessels, 55 of special classes, besides as many more of inferior classes called standard vessels, such as steam-cutters, launches, cutters, etc. The Secretary’s report shows that $84,181,863.89 was appropriated for naval expenses, of which about seventeen millions yet remain unused. A large part of this has gone for new vessels. No part of the government is increasing so rapidly as the naval service. When all men are enlisted for which legal provision has been made, the naval and marine force will reach 34,810 men, or nearly 8,000 more than were in the army prior to the war with Spain. By the Congressional acts of 1864, 1868, and 1876 the navy was fixed not to exceed 7,000 men; the act of March 3, 1901, fixes the number at 25,000, but the necessities of the country have increased it beyond this.

The average citizen knows far less about the navy than about the army. Yet in time of war the army would be of little use without an efficient navy. In the Civil War no great progress was made in conquering the South till the blockade shut in the Southern States, preventing the export of cotton and the bringing in of the necessities of life.

In the late war with Spain, brilliant as was the service of the army, yet our navy carried away the greater laurels.

Secretary Long (since succeeded by Mr. Moody) says that the North Atlantic Squadron during the last fiscal year has been engaged in severe training in markmanship and evolutions, gaining facility in landing large guns, etc. The vessels of this squadron have extended their operations from Maine to Central America, particularly among the West Indies. The South Atlantic Squadron has assisted in commercial interests along the coast of South America. The European Squadron is now mostly in the Mediterranean Sea. The Pacific Squadron is scattered over such a great length of coast from Alaska to South America that the ships can not drill as a squadron, but are obliged to maneuver singly. The apprentice and training squadrons have been along the coast of Europe, but are now in the West Indies. These are afloat continually, except when stopped for repairs or supplies.

Possibly no condition in the war with Spain annoyed us so much as the use of powder which emitted smoke and thus showed just where our men were located, while they dealt with an unseen foe. The navy has taken up this matter, and is experimenting on the use and making of smokeless powder. We shall not be caught napping again. The navy is also practising wireless telegraphy; and while it can not be said to have adopted any of the half dozen systems now before the public, yet so far it has secured the best results from the Marconi system. This is used by Great Britain and Italy. Germany uses the Slaby system, France and Russia the Ducretet system. Secretary Long insists that none of them are a perfect success, as the difficulty of interference has not yet been entirely overcome. Wireless telegraphy has carried messages correctly between British war-ships 160 miles apart.

We have eight navy-yards, the principal one being at Brooklyn. The barracks for the marines in Washington are situated on Eighth Street, a short distance from the navy-yard; they cost $350,000. The navy-yard at Washington does not build large ships, but produces chains, anchors, ordnances, such as rifles, breechloading guns, etc., together with a long list of materials used in the navy.

Admiral Dewey is not only the pride of the navy but of the nation. He receives $13,000 per year. Rear-Admirals are paid $6,000; Commodores, $5,000.

Extensive and important improvements are to be made at the Annapolis Naval Academy. The country expects great proficiency in its army and navy, so no pains, no expense should be spared in the preparation of men of whom so much is required. A number of years ago Commodore Perry, speaking to the students of Antioch College (Ohio), told the following anecdote:

“Some twenty-five years ago I was carelessly walking on the levee of a city of the Adriatic. A short distance from the shore lay a man-of-war at anchor. I called an oarsman to me, and had him take me out to the vessel.”

“I saw no one on board, but by a rope hanging over the side I went on deck, hand over hand. I paid the oarsman, and told him to return for me in an hour.”

“I wandered over the beautiful ship, admiring its guns, its keeping, its admirable appointments, and its excellent management, shown by its condition. At the end of my hour I began to look for my oarsman. Just then I discovered a door on my right. I opened it, and in that room sat thirty-two boys. I had been there an hour and had not heard stir enough to show that so much as a bird was alive on that boat.”

“The youngest cadet came to the door and welcomed me with his cordial military salute. ‘Boy, where is your teacher?’ ‘Gone ashore, sir.’ ‘Do you keep absolute order while he is gone?’ ‘Certainly, sir.’