Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-02

mQCQ 10 lupio'o l !
tions in New Orleans, Memphis ana
other yellow fever-cursed towns.
During the last few weeks, says a
Havana dispatch, Spanish rule in the
island has been marked by unoriulea
corruption and license on the part OF
the Standards in power. One OF the
most blatant instances is that OF
Spanish colonel, who, in open violation
of General Blanco's decree torolddlng
the confiscation of cattle, went last
week to a rich tobacco planter IN tne
nrovince of Pinar del Rio, and under
Threat of force, took 100 yoke OF oxen,
pretending that he needed food for his
hungry men. The planter set trap
for the colonel. He sent an emlssary
with AN offer to buy cattle from the
officer, who sold him so yoke and gave
him a bill of sale. With this docu-
mentary evidence, the planter made
formal protest to General Hernandez
de Melasco, Spanish military governor
of the province, who shrugged DIS
shoulders, replying that 1t was an
obvious theft; but that ne couiu uo
nothing.
III is said at the state department
that there is nothing disquieting IN the
situation in Havana. The evacuation
commissioners are meeting at Intervals
IN suit their convenience and the
needs of the work in hand; Spanish
t.oons orc being shipped homeward
and the way is being cleared tor tne
occupation of the island by the Amerl-
can garrisons by the end OF the year.
The attitude of the insurgents Is not
a cause of apprehension now more
. than it has been, and the officials are
confident that the sentiment of the
better element on the island Will oe
effectual in securing for the United
States officers who are charged WIN
the temporary government of Cuba
the cordial support of the vast majority
of the Cuban people. 1t is conceivable
that the end of the war will find some
bands of lawless men, perhaps span
iards as we'll as Cubans, ravaging re-
mote and unprotected districts; but
this is AN incident OF most wars.
In his annual report this year,
Second Assistant Postmaster General
Sballenbarger deals with the evils
arising from the sub-letting OF star
route mail contracts. Among other
things. he sets forth that it is the Gus
tom of spectators to underbid the
nr;ce Of which the mail was carried
during the previous four years, and
trust to chance to find some In
norant person to agree to take the
contract at q rate that will leave a
margin of profit. Often unscrupulous
contractors make false representations
to sub-contractors, as the result of
which sub-contractors sometimes lose
such little property as they may have.
The report recommends the DONG
away of middle men entirely, and that
the government deal directly with the
men who are to carry the mails. 1t Is
suggested that this plan might cost
something like 81 100000 more than
now; but that in the end it will be
best for the mail service and best for
the government.
It is understood, says Washing
ton dispatch, that presidential edict
removing a large number of govern
ment Offices from the civil service
probably will be promulgated shortly
before Thanksgiving day. The order
is one which has been in contemplation
many months, having been deferred
from time to time owing to pressure OF
war business. AS at present deter
mined upon, the order will affect up
ward of 5000 places. 1t will include
deputy collectors of internal revenue,
who are authorized to become acting
collectors, actually serving in that
capacity. There are about 1000 Of
these deputies. The largest class
affected is the corps of examining sur
geons of the pension bureau, of whom
there are in all over 4,100. There
seems to be a general understanding
that it will be better to have these left
out of the civil service. There are
other scattering positions, including
some of 6duciary and confidential
character, which will aggregate pos
sibly 5000. This is the scope of the
order as now outlined in official quar-
tiers; but it is subject to further mod
ifcations before finally being passed
upon.
- According to the official statistics,
235.OOO men have been sent from Spain
to Cuba. Of these 1000 have been
killed in action, $4,000 have died from
disease and 10000 have been returned
as invalids, many of whom died upon
the voyage or soon after their arrival
home. The evacuation commissioners
report that there are $4,000 regulars,
21,OO0 volunteers on duty, $4,000 vol
unteers armed, but not on duty, and
about 10000 sick soldiers still in the
hospitals of Cuba. The cost of trans
porting $4,000 men will not be less
than $2O,OO0,000, and the treasury at
Madrid is empty. 'The cost of main
tanning the army in Cuba" says Curtis,
in his letter to the Chicago Record,
"has been about S10,000,O00 month.
Since the protocol was signed, how
ever, very little money has been sent
from Spain, and, according to reliable
reports, the most of that has been
stolen. Some of the favored troops
have received three months pay, leav-
ing ten months due them, but from
the financial condition of Spain the
Government is unable to do more, and
demonstration at Havana will result
ILL.,. L,. ,bo e,t;cfa nt ion of re-