The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-29
GRAND ARMY OF TAPPERs.
White House Syndicate Still Robbing
the Treasury.
cThe verdict.)
Washington. D. c.. Oct. .

Washington, ID. G., Oct. u.
The Grand Army of Till Tappers
otherwise the White House Syndicate
is still robhing the Treasury. Under Adj
ministraticn protection the favored ones
of the syndicate are carrying ON a sys-
tematic I0oting. Their scope of opera
tions includes all of the new possessions
rs well MS Cuba and the Philipfsnas Z
lIrkling OF the game that is being carried
on in the Orient was brought to the Uni
ted States in the recall of DIR. BedlOe,
consul general of the country at Canton,
China. DIR. Bedloc, it is true, was hon
0rably ''whitewashed' the kals0min-
ing art the White House is expert-ibut
along with the sweep of the whitewash
brush was heard of story of pillage, of
official robbery and of official conni-
vance mt corruption startling in its
openness. If it all be true, or even half
be true, then Major General Otis, Gov
ernorGeneral in the Philippines. because
he hessitates not to do the bidding of the
White House, is guilty of encouraging
and fostering not only looting of the
friendly Filipinos.. along with murder and
rapine, but also traffcking with the enc
my against the American flag. 1t was
charged in the Bedloe incident that a
ring composed of military and consular
officers Us well as civilian citizens of
the United States was hard mt work
at Hong Kong. Singapore and Manila.
furnishing food, guns. ammunition and
ordinance to Aguinaldo and his army;
through the connivance of General
Otis. at Manila, the ring was operating
profitably and safely; and that its ships
loaded with aid for the enemy, were al
lowed to pass unchecked through the
lines Of the alleged American blockade,
and that the enormous profits of the
traffic were divided with the power at
Manila that permitted the work to go on.
Now DIR. Bedloe was given a certificate
of official pllobity: but none of the
charges contained in the statement CT
facts which caused his withdrawal was
denied or disproved. The profits of this
nefarious robbery must aggregate stupen-
dous sums. While the Taxpayers of this
colUntry have been called ON to pay, up to
this time, S20000.000 for transfer of al
legged sovereignty in the Philippines from
Spain to the Union, and more than $100,
100000 as the continuing cost of pinch
beck Imperialism III the archipelago, in
Guiding $50, 600 yearly tribute to the
polygamoils sultan of Sulu, this Oriental
ring of Administration henchmen has
been filching millions from the other side.
Plans are now ON foot which may result
in a congressional expose of this as well
as other robberies of the Government
through official sanction.
Why did Senator Thomas &C.. Platt not
only consent that his former party enemy
and personal foe Elihu Root. should be
given high place IN Administration ooun-
cils, but also assiduously labor to Sc
cure him the portfolio of war when Alger
was thrown out? Time lays bare many
a secret of politics and polishes the bones
of what would have been national scan
dial ff placed before the public at the
time of its occurrence. Secretary Roots
chair at the cabinet table has sarcely
been warmed when now from Porto
Rico comes the story of Senator Platt's
connection with the combination that has
secured an absolute monopoly of the eX-
press transportation business of the is
land. lit is worth to the scheming head
of the Republican machine in New York
city and State hundreds of thousands of
dollars annually. Bear in mind that Por-
to Rico is now and has been from the
date of the peace protocol controlled alb
s0lrtely an automatically by the War
Department. Keep in view, too, the
point that Elihu Root, as head of this
same department, In spower to license
stealing from the nation and the OPP
pressed Porto Ricans, and then it wall
be plain why Platt the schemer was
pleased to see his old-time foe given high
place and autocratic power. Beyond