New-York tribune., 1900-05-25
SENATE TO INVESTIGATE.
INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO CUBAN
EXPENDITURES ASSURED.
THE BACON RESOLUTION SENT TO COM
M1TTEE FOR A FAVORABLE REPORT
THE GEORGIA SENATOR RE-
PLIES TO MR.. PLATT
[By TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE1
Washington, May 24-The purpose of the SEN
| ate to insist on an independent investigation by
| Congress of the expenditures authorized under
! military rule in Cuba established beyond
| question to-day, when the Bacon resolution
amended in some trfng details was sent to the
! Committee on Contingent Expenses for favor
! able report Mr. PIatt. of Connecticut. the chair
man of the Committee Relations with Cuba.
| had no trouble in reaching an agreement with
| Mr.. Bacon on the terms on which an inquiry
| should be authorized and as as the Com
| lnlttee on Contingent Expenses approves the
| penditure involved the amended resolution will
| be passed without objection from any quarter of
| the chamber. The Committee on Relations with
| Cuba, or subcommittee of it's members is to
| sit during the recess of Congress to take any
| testimony which may throw light the
| ner in which the Cuban revenues have been ap-
| piled to operating the different branches of the
| insular government The investigators will
| probably find most of their work already done
| for them by the experts who have been set TO
| unraVelling the Cuban accounts by the Execu-
| tive Department. But the value of an independ-
| ent and supplementary inquiry by Congress,
whether it develops strikngly original results
| or simply reviews discoveries previously made,
| cannot be seriously doubted.
| Mr.. BACON'S REPLY TO MR.. PLATT.
| Mr.. Bacon devoted an hour more to-day to
replying to some reflections made yesterday by
| Mr.. Platt the sincerity of the demand for
| Congressional investigation started on the Dem
| ocratic side OF the Senate. 1t not his
desire. the Georgia Senator vehemently declared.
| to make political capital out of exposure of
| the !axty and extravaganza of administration in
| Cuba: but if laxity and extravaganza had been
| tolerated it the duty of Congress to inform
itself in good faith of the facts and to seek the
| remedy, if one needed, through legislation.
To strengthen the case he had previously made
| for an inquiry he quoted to-day some references
recently made in The Tribune to the imposing
| sums paid Robert P. Porter for his services as
| a rcviser of Cuban tariffs.
Mr. Bacon maintained that It was a duty Con-
| gress owed to the country and to the Cubans to
| make the investigation. He said the great pur-
| pose of the investigation which he proposed was
| not much to entrap the man or men who
| might have stolen hundreds of thousands of dol
! lars. as an expert accountant might do but TO
ascertain whether by fraudulent contracts sor
| other devices of corruption the millions han
| died by the officials in Cuba had been disposed
| of honestly.
Tho purpose of his resolution, he said, was to
ascertain whether these millions had been ex-
pended honestly, economically and properly,
even though the books might balance and might
snow no discrepancies. He called attention to
the large expenditures made by the officials in
Cuba for per diem.'' miscellaneous sal
ares,' carriages and equipment" and declared
| these subjects never had been investigated al
| though the Postoffice Departments attention
had been directed to them. There had been he
said, such looseness in the conduct of Cuban
affairs that 1t called for rigid and search
| ing investigation. There an utter absence
| OF accuracy and specific statement in the Cuban
affairs that ordinarily were required in business
matters.
ENORMOUS SALARY LISTS.
He declared. in discussing the various depart
| ments OF the Cuban Government, the most
enormous salary lists were shown that any body
ever saw" The civil salary list alone for 1899
was over $3OOO0O0 which he thought was un-
paralleled. Mr.. Bacon declared that no account
of the enormous expenditures Of the first half of
1879 had been made to the Government and
said that in view of the facts as brought out It
was unreasonable to ask that the investigation
should De left to the Postoffice Department.
Mr. Bacon declared that the American people,
regardless of party, determined that the
cuban scandal should be sfted to the bottom
| and he said that the investigation would not be
limited TO the extent suggested by Mr.. Platt in
| his speech Of yesterday. He denied that he
cherished any purpose Of making campaign cap
| ital
| Speaking of the construction Of the military
| railroad along Havana Harbor, Mr.. Bacon said
| he had learned that the road had cost $342, GIL
This he believed was an exorbitant sum. and
1
tho expenditure ought to be rigidly investigated.
ROBERT P. PORTER CRITICISED
He sharply criticised too. the payment to
| Robert p Porter, as tariff expert, of $500 a
month for five months besides So 100 expense
money. He desired to direct attention to the
| reported fact that what was known as the Van
| Horne syndicate had been organized with a
| capital of SSOO0O0O 1t was now understood
| he said, that Mr.. Porter had gone to Europe In
| the interest of this syndicate. Inasmuch as the
| tariff machinery and equipment of railroads
| has been recommended to be reduced from 40
| to 10 per cent by Mr.. Porter, he believed that
| the matter required keen and jealous scrutiny.
Referring to figure of speech used yesterday
| by Mr. Platt, he said his cheek did mantle with
| the blush of shame at the peculation thevery
| fraud and CORFU ption IN Cuba, because he
| Singing mud but because he was an
| American citizen. 1t was a great duty he said.
| that devolved Congress to make the investi-
cation demanded and it ought, in the interest of
| the country's honor. to be made without fear,
| without favor and with uprightness OF purpose.
In conclusion. Mr. Bacon said: IT would like
| before adjournment to action taken that will
| allow the Nation to redeem its pledge and to
| leave the island of Cuba in the presence of a
| free and ndependent government
At the instance of Mr.. Platt, Of Connecticut,
| the resolution of Mr.. Bacon referred to the
| Committee Contingent Expenses
| SEARCHLIGHT ON CUBA.
| xrn0D npnEpc ~,