davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times., 1899-04-27
THURSDAY. APRIL 27. 1898.
Tho Rect Court Report.

If the report of the Beef Court of En-
uuiry should prove 10 be in accordance
with the evidence presented before that
body. the public will be agreeably sur
prised Nothing in the recent course OF
the Court, however. is encouraging to such
an expectation. The rejection of the Gar
iington report, the alleged suppression
until now of the Presidents interrogations,
30 that the counsel for General Miles, who
has been wickedly made the real defend
ant in the whole proceeding, could not
know exactly what TO prove or disprove,
all tend TO corroborate the general opinion
that nothing is to be hoped in the way of
Justice from this aggregation of officers.
two of whom are widely believed to be
bitter personal enemies of the General
Commanding the Army-the man the War
Department ring is seeking to ruin. that
Nemesis may be removed from its trail.
Yet the findings of the Court Will be
productive Of some interest, If what We are
told be true. Certain facts which have
hitherto escaped attention seem likely TO
be brought out, and they are rather warm
It is understood that the refrigerated besf
liberal margin TO the contractors to cover
the expense of establishing refrigerating
plants on the transports. These. il is said,
uost twenty-five thousand dollars apiece
The contractors did not pay for them, but
received pay for them. in the full contract
price without deduction The Govern
meat paid the contractors for them, and
then put them up and paid for them again.
means that there was sum of seyenty-fve
thousand dollars to be applied under the
laws of addition, division. and silence"
Who were the beneficiaries of this and
other missionary funds? The hideous truth
Is not altogether enyeloped in mystery, and
will have TO be developed. II would be
better for Mr. Mckinley and his Admin
istration TO pull all the plugs now and re-
iieye themselves of the fast growing
opinion that they intend to suppress The
Irmy scandals at all hazards, and even at
ihe expense of high-minded. loyal, and
honorable officers, that certain individuals )
who do not belong in any of those cate
gories may be saved from exposure and
punishment.
II we're better done now than to wait for
the assembling Of Congress. Otherwise a
Congressional investigation is as sure as
fate, and that might affect the Campaign
OF 1900 in way the reverse OF satisfactory
TO the President and his party
The times., 1899-04-27
The Case of Dreyfus.

Evidence of the most conclusive charac-
ter. contributed by officials connected with
the Dreyfus trial. proving the innocence Of
the prisoner OF DEVILS Island, is now be-
fore the French Government and people,
and the whole civilized world. The cali
graphic expert who originally declared the
bordereau to have been written by Dreyfus
now after long study confesses that he was
mistaken andthat 1t was certainly written
by the miscreant bogus count Esterhazy.
One OF Dreyfus' judges asserts that the
evidence against the prisoner was SO fimsy
that he regarded an honorable acquittal as
a matter OF course, and left the court in
haste to arrange for meeting popular out
burst of Indignation which he felt sure
would follow that result. On returning he
was horrifed to find that Dreyfus had been
found guilty. There is no longer shadow
of doubt even in the minds Of the most
rabid -Dreyfusards that a horrible
crime against a blameless officer and cit
izen has been committed. But the excul-
patton OF the prosecuted captain would be
too certainly followed by an exposure
which would wreck the careers and repu-
tations of a number of Frenchmen in high
position, If indeed it did not send them to
life Imprisonment, to make it possible for
them TO allow justice to be done If they
can prevent it. And, unfortunately. what
with the hebrewphobia that affects the
Partisan mob, and a general shrinking
from the idea of staff exposures that might
be ugly enough TO menace the Republic
with monarchical revolution. there is a
powerful element al work to suppress the
scandal and let the innocent suffer. We
know how such influences operate. We
have had object lessons in Carter, Eagan,
and the beef infamy.
After all, the truth will undoubtedly ap-
pear in time and punishment come to the
criminals. French staff corruption and
treason, like our own carrion meat out
RACES. are too rank to be long concealed,
1 and il is encouraging to observe that there
| is a strong righteous sentiment forming In
France which will make itself felt effect
! lively before many weeks. Considerations
! of justice and decency aside, the French
! Government and people cannot afford to
place themselves in contempt Of all civil
| ization. They have managed, first through
unfriendliness TO the United States in the
! Spanish war. and, secondly, by their des-
| picabIe attitude in the Dreyfus case. to
gain the dislike of the American people and
| to destroy the cordiality with which this
country has regarded them for more than
a century.
Probably they could accept that with
| equaDimity If 1t did not involve material
losses; but there is danger of that, and
Immediately of serious if not fatal damage
to the coming Paris Exposition. France
will add very black chapter TO the book
of her blind foolishness if Dreyfus is not
| quickly released, exonerated, promoted.
and compensated, as far as that can be
possible, for all his wrongs and sufferings.
The times., 1899-04-27
GERMAN-AMERICANS.
Missouri Editors Protest Against I'm
friendly Sentiments.


St Louis April 26-The German news
paper publishers of Missouri held a meet
ing to day at the Office of the "Westliche
Post" for the purpose of determining
their position regarding the new policy
OF Imperialism and militarism. DR.. Emil
Prestorius, editor of the ''Westliche Post"
the most representative German newspaper
in this country. the Nestor of the German
press of America, presided. and after
lengthy discussion by all newspaper men
present the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted:
Systematic and uninterrupted efforts have been
made during the past twelve months to destroy
by Misrepresentation and nfounded sensations
the good feeling and the old historical friend
shin between the United States and Germany.
These malicious intentions have created emong the
German American population the greatest indig
nation. We therefore regard it our duty loyal
citizens 10 denounce this continued f1isehoOd and
Misrepresentation, which endangers the old
friendship OF the two countries.
The friendship between the United States
and Germany is as old as the history of the
great American Republic. and has lasted unn
terruptedly. As the Government of Frederick the
Great the first European power which
knowlcdged the young Republic of the United
States, Germany was the first TO acknowledge the
supremacy OF the United States in the Philip
pines. This fact alone proves plainly that Ger
many has no unfriendly intentions and no desire
to oppose in the Orient.
In the glorious history OF the United States
from the time OF Washington to the Civil War,
the German American population has shown
strong and patriotic loyalty to the Union. In the
darkest days OF the Republic the German Ameri-
cans stood firm and true by the Union, as they
will do in the future. We German Ameri-
cans and the Germans in the old country have
been cruelty misrepresented. We proved our 10y
atty during the past war. and will continue TO
prove it, whatsoever the future may bring. But
we protest most emphatically against all false
hoods ard intrigues which intended TO inter
rupt in the interest of England the friendship be-
tween the United States and Germany.
The times., 1899-04-27
Administrative Weakness,

1t is not too much to say that the most
important question of the day, 10 many
thoughtful Americans, appears to be the
problem of the government OF our COLO
nies. This is proved by the number of
papers and essays which have appeared
In the magazines and periodicals during the
last few months, as well as by the discus
sions OF private and public gatherings, and
the editorial columns of newspapers. To
a certain extent the magazine is a more
accurate indication OF the thought Of the
cultivated and intelligent people OF the
country than the newspaper This Is not
because IL addresses a public essentially
superior. but rather because its field is
different from that of the daily paper The
latter is necessarily concerned 10 a great
extent with questions OF merely local in
ierest which the magazine does not touch
at all, or with ephemeral questions OF the
day and phases CT civilization. which the
magazine only considers when they have
passed into history. When the magazine
gives considerable percentage of its space
10 political subject. therefore. ii may be
inferred that the thoughtful people of the
>SAAG. drcDAg
and are willing TO spend some time in its
consideration; also il may be understood
that the problem is not likely to be set
tied quickly. since all material for maya
zine use is two months or more in the
ofhce before it appears. and an article on
a mere question of the day would be an
eient history by the time it reached its
readers.
One Of the papers on the subject OF
colonial administration by this Government
appears in "Harper's Magazine for the
month OF May. The main point which 1t
makes is worth considering. This is that, as
our political system works at present, the
administrative side is weak. In revolving
from the monarchical system OF giving
oyermuch power 10 the administrator. VIC
have made most Offices temporary. so that
a change IN the political ascendancy OF one
party or the other means a change Of ad-
xninistraron in many branches of the Gov
ernment: and even in case of the contin-
We'd power OF Republican or Democrat.
The times., 1899-04-27

places must be found for this or that poll
tician. so that the tenure of office in many
branches of the Government is extremely
uncertain. This. Of course. operates in
many cases to the prejudice of good ad
ministration. since the man who expects
to hold his office only for a few years can
not and often will not do good work. He
does not know whether his successor may
not undo everything he has done; he has
much to learn; he cannot afford to pre-
pare for his duties as for life work, since
he may be thrown out OF his place at any
time, and since he must play politics. in
order to get or to keep his place, he too
often spends most of his energies in that
way. leaving the real work of the office to
his subordinates. Sometimes the subordi
nate puts his heart into the business.
knowing that he will be retained even in a
change of administration if he proves a
valuable man; but he is always hampered
by lack OF authority, and the whole busi-
ness of the department suffers from the
want of a man with brains and a sense of
responsibility who will put his heart and
soul and life into the service.
In another way this system interferes
with good administration. Since those who
could find fault with ineffciency are often
themselves in search of an Office, 1t has
come TO be the practice in many places to
wink at inefficient administration, and
thus, while nominally checked by the fear
of removal for incompetency, the official
is really given unusual privileges SO long
as he offends no one OF influence. Thus cur
administrative system is weakened in two
directions.
This sort OF thing may not be as bad in
actual operation as it would seem. since
public sentiment, individual conscience,
and sometimes a strong hand at the helm
| operate to check its evils; but it may easily
be seen that ii would be very bad indeed
in the administration of colonies. We need
fixed colonial policy, to which the whole
people shall in the main agree; We need
strong men, able men, conscientious and
tactful men, to carry out that policy. and
they should be absolutely unhampered by
! any political considerations. AS in the cass
of Dewey. it should actually be matter
of doubt. when their names are brought
TO public notice, whether they are Repub-
licans or Democrats. Such military and
often kept out of public office by reluctance
TO enter the scramble for political influ-
ence. and they should be trained for their
duties and suitably rewarded in case of
notable success
The times., 1899-04-27
The Speaker OF the House.

tFrom the New York TTibune.)
There have been thirty-two Speakers of the
National House of Representatives. Since the be-
ginning of the Lincoln Administration there have
been nine-fye Republicans and four Democrats.
Mr.. Grow. who is now a member Of the House.
elected from Pennsylvania at large, was Speaker
in the Thirty-seventh Congress. 1861 to 1869.
No Speaker before this time is still living and
he is seventy-six years old. He was followed
by Schuyler Colfax, OF Indiana, who was Speaker
for three consecutive Congresses-the Thirty
eighth. the Thirty-ninth and the Fortieth He
was elected Vice President with Grant in lsss.
and SO Mr. Blaine chosen to take his plac,
as Speaker of the House This Office Mr. Blaine
held for three terms in succession, from the
opening of the Grant Administration to the loss
of the House to the Democrats in 1874 Mr. Kerr.
OF Indiana, then became Speaker. but did not
live out first term. Samuel J. Randall. OF
Pennsylvania. was elected to nil out the rest OF
the term. and for the two succeeding Congresses.
These three Democratic Congresses covered the
last two years OF the Grant Administration, and
ell of the Hayes Administration. A Republican
House was elected in 1850 with Garfield. and
John Warren Keifer. of Ohio, was made its
Speaker. The Republicans lost the three
ceeding Congresses, in the Arthur and first Cleve-
John G. Carlisle was Speaker. With the incom-
ing OF the Harrison Administration Thomas B.
Reed was made Speaker.
Three terms seem to be a flyorite length Of
service Counting fractions as full terms. the
threeterm Speakers have been Reed, Carlisle.
Randall. Blaine, Coliax, Stevenson, and Macon.
Henry Clay was Speaker during the whole OF the
Twelfth, Fourteenth Fifteenth. and Eighteenth
Congresses. and in part OF the Thirteenth and
the Sixteenth. His record will be rather hard
TO break.
The geographical distribution OF the Speaker
shin is somewhat significant. Only fourteen
States have been thus honored. Kentucky. vir-
ginia and Massachusetts, have each had four
Speakers. or twelve OF the thirty-two- New
York has had only one, John W. Taylor, who
served two terms. the latter ending in 1927.
vircinia's four Speakers, Barbour, Stevenson.
Hunter and Jones. have been pretty generally
forgotten, while kentucky's four, Clay. White
Boyd and Carlisle have made lasting impress
sion on the great otiice. Narnum WAS the only
Massachusetts Speaker who served two terms.
Scds,vick Winthrop. and Banks were each in
Office only nne term.
New England has had, beside these four. three
other Speakers, Blaine and Reed. of Maine, and
Trumbull, Of Connecticut. Pennsylvania has had
three Speakers. Muhlenberg Grow. and Randall.
New Jersey has had Dayton and Pennington. Oi
the thirty-two Speakers, fifteen have come from
States south OF Mason and Dixou's line. These
include, besides Kentucky and Virginia, two each
from Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia,
and one from North Carolina. The West has had
only four Speakers, frum Ohio. keifer, and
three from Indiana, Davis Colfax, and Kerr.
James X Polk il the only Speaker OF the House
who ever became President OF the United States.
The times., 1899-04-27
A LILY BULB INDUSTRY.
1t Might Be Expected to Pay Well in
This Country.

1t Might BE Expected to Pay Well in
This Country.
There is good chance for new in
dustry in the United States in the raising
OF bulbs from which the Bermuda white
lily is grown. At present these bulbs are
imported. and their value at wholesale is
$1.500.0G0 annually. The greatest objection
to this importation is the presence of
mites" which destroy each year an in
creasingly large percentage OF the bulbs
This affliction is spreading and unless
methods Of cultivating the lily at its island
home are reyolutionized, many persons fear
this beautiful Christmas and Easter flower
will eventually be driven out of exist
ence.
For the mite itself, no satisfactory rem
edy has been found. The suggestion has
been made, however. that if some bulbs
entirely free from the pest were carefully
selected. and their growth begun in a
region here which the mites have never in
tested it might be possible thus to elude
the enemy. At least many years might
elapse before the mites found such a new
lily colony out.
Up to the present time experiments con-
Quoted in this country have not proved
completely successful. No part OF the
United States has yet been found where
tne winter conditions are sufficiently favor
/ able to bring the bulbs to maturity at
date early enough to make them ready to
/ flower in season for Christmas But it is
no use to give up the search: bulbs may
be propagated which do not require quite
so much time. and places may be found
more nearly like their Bermuda home than
any yet discovered. These are some of
the problems upon which the Agricultural
Department is at work. The mite pest so
| thoroughly infests Bermuda that evidently
new start must be made for the plant
somewhere if its growth is to continue
permanently.
The times., 1899-04-27
WILL VOTE TO SEAT QUAY.
senator Chandler Declares the Boss
Hus Been Persecute.l

-'F a'NsA
Senator Chandler OF New Hampshire will
be one OF the Senators to vote TO seat SEN
ator Quay. Senator Chandler said yester-
day: Il do not think the sentiment OF the
Senate has changed in regard to the aD-
pointment of Senators by Governors where
Legislatures fail to elect. and the precedent
in the Gantle and Corbstt cases will kelly
be sustained in Mr.. Quay's case. There
VIII, however. be a number of Senators
who voted to seat Mantle and Corbstt who
VIII, as l shall probably do, vote to seat
Mr.. Quay. In addition to those who believe
in the validity of such appointments others
may support him from sympathy and per-
sonal liking. Most of us sympathizs tn
MI Quay on account OF the persecution to
which he has been subjected beth in the
Senate and in private life. and we would
IKE very much to have him with US
again.
Senator Chandler will be supported in
MS attitude toward Mr.. Quays sppoint-
ment by Senators Hoar. Spoonsr. Pr. tcb- :
ard. Frye. and others. who have figured
prominently in the discussion of similar
cases and have always held that the ap-
pointee OF the Governor should be seated.
The times., 1899-04-27
BEEF COURT REPORT.
VIII De Submitted to Secretary Al
ger in II Few Dnys


The Beef Court labored yesterday in the
preparation of its report, which 1t is
thought will be submitted to the Secre-
tary OF War within a few days. 1t was
announced that it had been found impos-
sible to secure the depositions OF Mr..
Gottschalk, of Chicago. q chemist and
Mr. Maloney, former Attorney General for
the State of Illinois.
Mr.. GOttschalk is retired chemist and
at enc time was engaged in the prepara-
tion of preservatives, which it is claimed
were used by the meat packers.
Mr.. Maloney went to Porto Rico on the
transport Manitoba, and it is said knows
a great deal about the condition of the
refrigerated beef when it was put on ship
board at Newport News.
Major Lee, who represented General
Miles during the opening sessions OF the
Beef Court, will make an effort on his
own responsibility to procure the deposit
tions and have them admitted in evidence.
There is a story current at the War
Department that several commiSSary o.
ficers may be tried by court-martial ior
neglect of duty.
1t is said that this recommendation may
be made in the case of Co.one Black, who
was chief commissary at Ponce. IL WI
be maintained that when the Manitoba en-
tered the hsrbor of that port, the chief
commissary made no effort to have the
meat on that ship issued to the various
commands.
The Manitoba reached Ponce with three
hundred thousand pounds of refrigerated
beef, two days after General Miles mad
cabled to Washington to send no more cold
storage meat to Port Rico, as beef on the
hoof could be had. 1t will be he'd that
Colonel Black. knowing of this dispatch.
made no effort to have the meat on the
Manitoba used.
1t is said that the Beef Court will recon-
mend that action be taken against those
commissary officers who permitted the de-
struction of tons of fresh beef and canned
roast beef without the formality of con-
demnation by board of survey, as pre-
scribed in the army regulations.
The board of survey on the Manitoba
beef presented its report to the Secretary
of War yesterday. The board, consisting
of Col. James NJ. Moore, Col. Dallas Bache
Col Francis L. Guenther, and Capt. Louis
C. Sherer. finds that the beef was In
good condition when 1t was loaded on tbs
transport Manitoba at Newport News; tha'
it was good and fit for issue when it reach
ed Ponce. and that the American Govern
ment is responsible for its loss.
The report recommended that Swift &
Co. be paid the sum claimed by them
s26. 600 The report, by inference. rebuke:
Colonel Black. the chief commissary al
Ponce, for not having issued this beef.
The times., 1899-04-27
Dangers of Benzine.
(From the Baltimore SUM-

An explosion caused by the ignition of vapor
of benzine in a chemical works in Philadelphia
yesterday destroyed several lives injured score
Of persons more or less seriously, and damaged
many as hundred houses. The calamity
illustrates the danger that always attends the
careless use of benzine, nsphtha, gasoline, and
other light oils distilled from petroleum. They
eyaporate very quickly when exposed to the air,
aud the mixture Of their vapor with the air is
as explosive as gunpowder. The danger of light
ing match in where ordinary illuminat-
ing gas has been escaping largely is well under
stood. The mixture of air and gas explodes vio-
lently when infiaIned. and the vapor OF benzine
mixed with air plays the same part as gas Per-
CONS who use benzine in cleaning garments or
gasoline in stoves are in great danger ii at any
time they spill these liquids in quantity within
ten yards OF a fame. since their vapor is heavy
and rapidly along the floor before one is
aware of IT
The times., 1899-04-27
TURKEYS FINANCES GOOD.
Surprise Occasioned by the state
ment of All Ferrouh Bey.


Some surprise has been, occasioned in
official circles here by the authorized state
ment of the Turkish Minister, Ali Ferrouh
Bey. that the financial affairs of the Turk
ish Government are in excellent condition
There appears to be an opinion" he says.
Among the American people that our
Government is in need of financial assis-
tanee. This Is grave error AT no time
since the Crimean war has Turkey been
so well equipped as to her monetary ap-
paratus- Our public debt has been yearly
decreased until now 1t is but a trile So
rapidly are our revenues increasing that
we are about to change cur fiscal system
in order to meet the growing demands"
Ihe Minister'S reason for making this
statement was his desire to discourage and
disparage the projected purchase of PaIes-
tine By wealthy Hebrews for the establish
ment OF free Jewish nation. The Min
lister notices in the press accounts the al
legation that IL the promoters of this pro-
jeet are willing to pay enough money, their
scheme will be successful This position
he controyerts. Money is OF no use to the
turkish Government. 1t has all the money
it wants
This information from so high an author
ity on Turkish affairs comes in very an
propriately just now in connection with the
ions ueiay IN the settlement of American
claims against that Government. Mr.. Straus
our Minister. was instructed when he went
to Turkey to press the American claims ur-
gently. His dispatches, show that he has
made some progress In the negotiation, but
as yet Is able to report no definite results
The Turkish Governments endeayor has
been to shirk responsibility for our mis-
sionaries. and so put of the day OF final
settlement. The poverty of the Sultan has
heretofore been regarded as one OF the
prime causes OF this vexatious delay 1t
has been frequently maintained that the
Turks would pay if they could and that
their persistent desire to negotiate was
merely an excuse for their poverty.