The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1894-02-22
A GREAT CONSPIRACY.
Pacific Coast VI berS OF the G.. o. p
Co "prised t.i- GrnS All Eu-
gagged in Smuggling.

Co rpris-d t.i- Grny All Eu-
gagged in SmugE ling.
shing,ou. d. G. Feb 1S.-A
few days ago tie ,r-s- dispatches
announce at !ou G Georg, Assis
taut Unite States Attorney for Or
sgon, had '.e ucted to vigor
ousiy pros cate Chinese smugglers
under indictment IN that State.
About this brief announcement is
woven story which tells of one of
the greatest frauds ever perpetratsd
against the government. The men
most concerned i'll it are among the
most prominent Republican polite
ians on the Pacific coast. and the
whole conspiracy was formed and
carried Through during Harrison's
term Of Office The prosecutions
will III all probability beg.n Just
about the time of the spring elec
tions III Oregon, and Republican
methods will receive an airing which
will serve the whole country for an
object lesson.
Jumes Lotan was to Republican
politics in Oregon what Boss Tweed
was to New York city Nothing was
ever done without first consulting
Lotan He handled the campaign
fund and shaped the Republican
policy. Upon the election of Harri
son everybody who knew anything
at all about the politics Of that State
understood that Lotan could get
any place assigned to Oregon For
r'asou now apparent he asked to be
appointed collector Of customs, and
the place went to him for the simple
asking But before this appoint.
ment had been announced Lotan's
busy brain had been at work and he
had Matched wonderful wonderful
scheme for robbing the government.
Tue collector of customs had charge
of the inspections of Chinese, and
Lotan, with the assistance Of Whit
ney L. Boise, chairman of the Re
publican State central committee of
Oregon, had figured it that with the
assistance of boat line which oper
ated between Portland and Victoria.
inspectors could be appointed at
both ends and Chinese smuggled in
by the thousands. But in order to
have the plan carry without friction,
it was necessary to let Chinese
merchant into the scheme and form
a partr ership with the proprietor of
thu boat line. This WAS Nat Blum,
whose real name is something like
B umenkrowitz, and who stalks the
streets of Washington rich as any of
the old thieving merchants of his
tory, aud free from all danger OF
prosecution. because his testimony
is necessary to convict his partners
IN crime. Whether the scheme orig
mated with Blum or Lotan is not
essential. Each is willing to have
the other take the glory of having
conceived the idea. But according
. to Bum's story, he and Lotan met
on the streets of Portland about
four days before the latter's appoint
meut. Lotan then told him that bis
appointment was sure thing and he
proposed to make all he could out
of it. Blum explained that Chinese
laborers who wished to come into
the United States would pay $50 a
head for the privilege. It would be
necessary to have a deputy with
: nerve to land the Chinamau, Blum as
serted. aud Lotan declared that one
Charles Cardinell, was the very mar
for the place. Shortly after Cardi
nell became inspector of Chinese.
| About this interesting juncturs
Boise, chairman of the Republican
State central committee, made his