Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-23
Recent Events Discussed at Both
Ends of the Capitol.
Mr., PLhTT ON BACON'S RESOLUTION
The Nicely Extradition Bill Brought
Up.
TO ADJO URN JU N E 6

War and the Secretary OF the Navy ioi
information relative to the cost OF trans
portation of troops and supplies to the fhii-
ippineS-
Bacon'. Cuban Resolution.
The resolution previously offered by Mr..
Bacon tGaD directing the committee on re-
Iati.ns with Cuba to make an investigation
regarding the receipts and expenditures oi
money in Cuba was called up.
about a month ago" began Mr. Platt
CONN who is chairman of the committee
or relations with Cuba. General Wood.
tn. governor general OF CUBA. was ieu W
.uprrs,. that there had been Irregularities
in that portion of the government OF CupI
1Ip,fr the supervision OF the director VI
posts He Immediately organized an m
sp.rtion which has been unsparins'y
pressed.
10 rbink, as do some of the newspapers
that ali the malfeasance in office ana 1rauu
have been brought to light not by the
United States government ohclaiS put ny
outsiders But it Is to General Wood that
H.. credit Of the discovery of these fraudS
and wrongdoings belongs. and TO the au-
miniStration belongs the credit OF prop.ns
10 tho bottom these frauds The senator
from Georgia has no monopoly on the
shame and humiliation with which every
patriotic man is affected by recent olscio-
srrrS They are shocking. They are
hlow-and direct blow-to every true cltl-
zen If the United States.
eff the wrongioing-the embeZZiement OF
Nr Neely-had occurred in Boston. New
York or Washington it would have been
sad and shameful but it would not have
been 81 sad and shameful as it Is since 1t
occurred on the Island of Cuba. where the
administration is engaged in great Work
OF freedom and philanthropy
.'Eui nothing has occurred IN the history
81 dafaIcatons that has made such an i'm,
preston on the public mind as this,and
Justly 80. More than ever II Is incufnpeHt
mon the government to probe this matter
t. the bottom. linchingy-unsparlnsiy-
1l.., republican party never tolerates fraud
or peculatinn or embezzlement- Neltner me
re-. rlh!ican administration nor the commit
toe on relations with Cuba need any prod
ding from the opposition party to induce
H. N To make a most searching lnNeStlsa-
ZION and 10 use every effort to punish sum
marily and severely any person guilty OF
wrongdoing fraud in the Island OF CUBA.
Partisan Criticism.
''Eut some things ought to be remem-
hered ly those patriots who. in this pres
ifential campaign year hold up their hands
in holy horror and seize upon what has
been disclosed in an endeavor to cast dis-
credit not only upon the admlnlstra tion,
l.t.I also Ipon their country. 1t ought to he
remembered that in the three years and
thre,. months of the present administration
this j. the first opportunity they nave had
10 criticisc in that respect.
1t ought to ne remembered that when
eyer such crimes have been disclosed under
republican rule they have been eXactingly
ami vigorously investigated. 1t is rare that
thor have been defalcations AMI frauds.
There WIS during the administration
OF President Grant-the star route fraud
AMI when that distinguished patriot ad-
m0niShed the officials, Let no guilty man
escape he had the confidence of the peo-
re of the United States. and before I get
through | shall show that President Nc
kiUl.y has demonstrated his determination
that no guilty man in these Cuban frauds
shall escape.
The amount of the Irregularities in Cuba
appear 10 have been about $4,000 during
til last year. The frauds may have begun
earlier. But it is not supposed there will
he a loss to the Cuban revenues or to the
United States treasury.
This trouble has been seized upon by our
political opponents to indicate by innuen-
does. not by direct charge that the fraud
has been wholesale and that the Cuban
people have been 'plundered' out of mil
lions of dollars by dishonest contracts and
various fraudulent devices. Who knows
there have been dishonest contracts down
there" Nobody. But If there have been
We shall find it out
Speaking of the necessity and desirabilfty
Of an investigation of the situation In Gu
ba Mr. Plat said Congress could not well
Interfere with the investigation instituted
by the Postmaster General To do so. he
thought. would be very largely to defeat
the ends of justice.
What would have been said he asked by
the press and by the republican party's po-
GtiCal opponents if the Post Office Depart
ment did not instigate instantly vigorous
investigation? 1t was a duty the depart
meuJ owed to itself and to the country,
and Mr. Platt did not doubt that investiga-
ton would be thorough and searching. He
then read letter from Postmaster Gener-
al Smith to the fourth assistant postmaster
general. Mr. Bristow, who is charged with
conducting the investigation.
Confidence in the President.
Continuing. Mr.. Plat said:
The people have confidence in VIM. Nc
Kinley- l will so farther and say that
no President, while he President. ever
had the confidence of the people to the
degree that President Mckinley has it.
Other Presidents have been canonized
after death. and il has been evidenced then
that they had the confidence OF the people,
but NJ President in office ever escaped the
criticism and innuendo that Mckinley has
escaped The people would be glad to cave
this Investigation to him They know
there would be no condoning Of fraud, no
covering up of crime
Hence, l say there is no absolute neces-
sity for a congressional investigation But
when charges are made simply for cam
paign purposes I think we may as well
make investigation for ourselves
Further a,ong Mr. Plat discussed the adj
ministration of Cuban affairs that had been
given by the American army officers who
had been charged with the performance of
civil duties in cuba, and paid high tribute
To General Wood. General Brooke and
others.
No army officer has been even charged"
suggested Mr.. Chandler: with anything
nix fraud in Cuba
Not one of them replied Mr.. Platt.
The Havana Short Line Road.
HAS Inc senator had his attention direct
ed to the railroad constructed along the
south side OF the harbor of HAVANA" in
Gu:red Mr.. Tillman.
III the senator" retorted Mr.. Platt
warmly. has any information as TO that
railroad wish he would produce it,
Il did no. say | had information" said
Mr. Tillman, but II there Is an investiga-
lion l II produce some Witnesses.
Mr.. Pldtt said this road had been built
IN haste by the quartermasters of the
army The road had cost S1S7 600
Mr.. Bacon said his information was that
the cost Of this road had been enormous
and he expected to prove this before the
Investigation was concluded. Mr. Plat
charged that Mr. Bacon's accusations were
made for campaign purposes.
Continuing his speech. Mr. Plat said that
the postal officials had been selected with
great care. Notwithstanding the SUBSEQUENT
unfortunate developments. Mr.. Rathbone
he said. had been chosen because of his
knowledge Of the post office business II
BE- had been guilty of misconduct il was
not the first time n good man had gone
wrong AS for Nicely. he had the conf
dence OF all who knew HIM in Indiana No