Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-12-04
SENSATIONAL PETITION.
Minister Charles Burdette Hart
in Embarrassing Position

AtCAH Uemahueu By htStuehtS Oh
Colombia Pecnlation and Injustice
Alleged A Hot Petition Harris
Friends Deny the Charges aud State
That They Grow out OF Personal
Matters.
Copies have been received in Char.
lesion by several State office holders
and several Others in public positions
OF petition which is being sent Go
the members of congress; in which,
among other things, charges of a most
! sensational nature are made against
Charles Burdette Hart. formerly edi-
tor Of the Wheeling Intelligencer, now
United States minister at Colombia,
South America. The petition con-
cludeS by requesting congress TO
cause the recall of Hon. Charles Bur
dette Hart, and to take such further
action as may be necessary to prevent
either Hon. Charles Bnrdette Hart,
Hon. Luther r. Mckinney and Jacob
Sleeper, Esq, from holding any fed
eral Office OF trust IN the future; also
! to cause the removal Of Hon. Ihos.
w. Cridler, third assistant secretary
of state, undoubtedly man unworthy
and unfit to hold the post. :"
This petition is expected TO ex-
plode a sort of political bombshell, is
signed by j. Edward Buckley of New
Orleans, former acting United STAGES
vice consul general.
THE CHARGES MADE.
The charges are several AMI of va
rious sorts, from peculation in Office
to unfaithful performance OF the du-
ties required of a diplomatic repre-
sentative. They include also Mr..
Harris predecessor, Luther f. Nc
Kinney. "Unequal and unjust recog-
milton and administration of Justice, y
is the general charge made against
both. The allegations are then made
specifically
| Among other things it Is charged
that Minister Hart, actively or pas
sively, interfered in certain negotia-
tions over a contract with the Colom-
bian government for the equipment
of its army with rifles, In the interest
OF his son, who is engaged in business
in Colombia, and TO the prejudice Of
other competitors, particularly the
representative Of Krag- jor-genson &
Co.
1t is charged that Minister Hart
was willing to have seen sacrificed,
or to have been Indirectly responsible
in an effort to sacrifice, an American
syndicate's interest knowing as his
clever mind did, that it would carry
with it, not only defeat to the syndi-
Gates representative; but, The loss Of
commercial zone reaching from the
head Of navigation on The Amazon
river to the Caribbean see, which with
the cooperation Of the Colombian
government, would have been the ter
ritory Of our American exporters and
manufacturers.
| THE RANDOLPH INCIDENT.
1t is charged that Minister Hart
has been lax in giving to Judge Ran
dolph former citizen of Alabama
who is under sentence OF death in
Colombia, the protection which should
| be accorded to an American citizen in
a foreign country. Randolph, went
to Columbia four years ago and spec
ulated in mining lands, and was ar
rested, tried and convicted Of shooting
native with whom he had some diff
ticulty. The petition charges that
Minister Hart "bad been in Bogota
from July 7, 1897, until April 1898
eight long months, without apparent
ly having made one positive move for
Randolph's relief; however, he found
sufficient Of the governments time to
consume Is days in journey In the
investigation of mining and con-
cession scheme, in which to some one
there is naturally financial gain"
"These" says the petition are con-
ditions not unknown to the depart
ment of state, and Washington au-
thorities, particularly our very honor
able third assistant secretary OF state
Hon. Thos. w. Cridler; who have not
only studiously avoided the issues but
in pigeonholing reports have sup
pressed them.
The friends of Mr. Hart declare
that personal grievances are at the
| bottom of the petition and do not put
much faith in any OF the charges.
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