Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-05-31
CHAMP QARE'S LETTER
Suggests Republican Ma
tional Ticket.
IT rs RATHB0NE AND NEELY
"old Flag and Cuban Swag, .
Might Be the Battlecry.
FIRST FRUITS OF IMPERIALISM.

| ~AA ~A-0 RAAAES-- w 1AE 1AASB MOI
to De Cut Down-Pneumatic Tube
Steal Beaten - Reception of Boer
DeIegates-Decent Republicans Dis
gusted With the Administration.
copyright, 1900, by Champ Clark
Messrs. Rathbone and Neely Of the
United States and of Cuba are the two
Republicans now most thoroughly in
the public eye. suggest them as the
Republican presidential candidates with
the battlecry THE old flag and Cuban
swag." The beauty of such a ticket
would be that it would make no sort
of difference which stood for first place
and which for second; it would be
very much of a whatness.
The G. o. p. is clearly in bad way
when Republican congress is com
| PEELED to pass a brand new law in or
der to punish Republican thieves who
have been plying their nefarious voca-
ton in '@The Queen of the Antilles y
This is one of the first fruits of i'm
perialism. What hoarse hoot Gen
eral Weyler must emit when he reads
of the colossal sums stolen by the pets
of this administration, which has been
supposed to stand especially for sweet
ness, purity, goodness, patriotism and
philanthropy!
Republican statesmen are not much
given to thinking religiousIy, but to
their minds in the present exigency of
their affairs must frequently occur the
question, IF this is done in the green
tree, what viii be done In the dry p
The Republicans are worried about the
exposures of thievery in Cuba and are
| fearful lest worse news of greater lar
cenies come from the faraway Philip
pines
1t is not only the Democrats who are
| hopping on to them. but honest Repub-
licans are taking up the cudgels against
them. General John B. Henderson, ex-
United States senator from Missouri,
ex-chairman of a national Republican
convention, ex-president Of the Pan
American congress, -brigadier in the
Union army, has been and is one of
the most ardent opponents of the i'm
perial policy. 1t is very doubtful if
there is a profounder lawyer in the
United States than General Henderson.
In a long and carefully considered ar
ticle on the huge thefts Of Messrs.
Rathbone and Neely he says inter ALA:
With all these guarantees Of honesty in the
handling of public funds re-enforced by the safe
guards OF checks and balances suggested by re-
sponsible accounting officers in an experience of
I m l
fidelity and integrity sought and hoped for by the
founders Of our institutions.
Constitution Ignored.
Why should we be surprised. then. at the re-
cent defalcations and embezzements in Cuba7
Are they not the legitimate consequences Of a
gross and radical departure from the constitution
on which our institutions and cur hopes Of fidelity
and purity of administration are based? Look at
the order Of the president, made through the
| postmaster general in July, 1899, under which
Mr.. Rathbone's administration as director gem
eral of posts in Cuba has been conducted. Upon
him alone is conferred unlimited authority to es-
tablish postofHces and to appoint postmasters and
fix their compensation.
He has unrestrained authority to establish post
routes and fix the compensation Of all persons and
companies carrying the mail. He is to make all
contracts touching the questions OF transportation
and distribution OF the mail. And his power is
equally unlimited TO coiect and GlSDurSe all mon
eys arising from that service in Cuba. Under this
order he combines in himself, as regards this sub
iect, all the functions of the legislative and ex-
executive departments of our government on an is
land containing 2000, 900 people. His sole will is
the law. He is made an absolute monarch No such
| autocracy exists earth. He is to collect mil
lions Of dollars and expend them as his own sweet
will may dictate. There is no one to inspect his
| accounts. He is authorized to collect and to hold
and disburse his own treasurer He dis
burse without an act Of appropriation. He can
pay out without a warrant. The lamentable part
of this whole matter is that he who invokes con-
stitutonal limitations to restrain this wild de-
irium is better than traitor against his gov
ernment. After awhile the traitors will probably
be in the majority, and then, heretofore in this
uncertain world of ours, treason win again become
respectable.
Now. please bear in mind whose
words those are; not those of ram
pant and ardent Democrat, seeking
some temporary political advantage,
not those of a wild eyed Populist who
wants the government to take charge
of all public utilities not those of an
anarchist, shaking his blood red flag
in the face of organized society. but
the sober words of an eminent Repub-
lican statesman. great lawyer and q
man of affairs.
Spanish War Taxes.
People need not expect that this Re
publican congress will cut down the
Spanish war taxes, which were estab-
lished for temporary purposes. The
way things are running in Cuba the
Republicans need all the surplus on
hand and to be on hand or their Off
cial thieves will produce an enormous
deficiency in the treasury. What Re-
publicans want to do, and what they
probably will do, is to give the COM
mittee on ways and means leave to sit
during vacation under the pretense of
considering reductions of the Spanish
war taxes, but really to place the Re
publican majority on that committee
in position to promise all things to all
men desiring reductions in order to
win some votes for Mckinley, and
then, after the election, do as they
please, which will be nothing except
to help the favorites of the Republican
managers and those who contribute
literally to the Republican campaign
fund. 1t is great confidence game-a
thimhle rigging game to be played for
six months while unjust and unneces-
sary taxes are wrung out of the people,
Nobody except fools will be deceived
by such a transparent trick 1t is toe
simple to delude even a child. 1t means
that all the taxes are to be retained
and that all sorts of promises are to be
made to repeal them.
Those who want the taxes cut down
have but one remedy, and that Is to
vote with the Democrats. We are the
party Of economy, and the Republicans
are the party of extravaganza.
Hon. Martin II. Glynn of New York
In his short service in congress has
demonstrated that one needs to be
neither an old man nor an old member
of the house to be heard with attention
and applause. The truth is that If a
man has something to say and knows
how to say 1t his remarks are always
gladly received. Glynn speaks with
Che ease of a veteran and while there
is nothing impudent In his manner, he
has the courage to hold his own against
bis antagonists II debate He Il only