New-York tribune., 1900-05-17
TRYING TO MAKE PARTY CAPITAL
DEMOCRATS MAKING STUMP SPEECHES AND
OFFERING RESOLUTIONS ON CUBAN
POSTAL FRAUDS.


Washington, May Is (SpeciaD-As was to
be expected the Democrats in Congress are
attempting L. anass some campaign capital
out OF the disclosures OF postal frauds and
irregularities IN Cuba by Offering resolutions Of
investigation and delivering partisan speeches
thereon. Two such resolutions have already
been offered in the House of Representatives
one by MIR. Williams, of Illinois. and the other
by Mr.. Hay, of Virginia. Several days ago Sem
ator Bacon. of Georgia, offered similar resolu-
tion. into which he had injected a stump speech.
and to-day he occupied the time of the Senate
with a wearisome amplification of II. coupled
with voluminOus observations the status OF
the United States in Cuba. Mr. Bacon Is not at
any time noted for his perspicacity. and to-day
his mind seemed TO be in foggier state than
usual He made assertions respecting the right
of the United States TO preserve order in Cuba
until the people of the island shall be prepared
to establish and maintain a stable government
Of their own which were in no respect pertinent
to his resolution, and which will probably call
forth rejonders from Senator Platt. of Connecti-
cut. and Senator Spooner which may be unpal-
atable and disa greeable 10 the Georgia Senator.
EFFORTS DOOMED TO FAILURE
Nothing in Mr. Bacon's speech indicated that
the Administration. which has plenary power
and authority in the premises. as soon as the
frauds and Irregularities in the Cuban postal
service were discovered by the agents and off,
GERS of the Government. and not by political
partisan, promptly set on foot thorough in
vestigaticn and took steps 10 arrest and bring
the cuprits to punishment. The first notice
that Mr.. Bacon any other Senator had OF the
discoveries was the announcement that hith-
erto trusted eInploye in the Cuban postal service
had been arrested and held under heavy Dali,
and that other suspected persons had been
hat To
this no efforts have been spared and no means
neg -ected to ascertain all the truth and bring to
punishment all the persons who are guilty. and
urcn whose heels justice has trod with almost
unexampleG swiftness- No attempt has been
made TO hide the scaneal. but on the contrary.
the widest and promptest publicity consistent
with the public interest has been courted at
every step N the investigation Even while Mr..
Bacon was tiring everybody within the sound OF
his voice to-day the wires brought a dispatch
from Havana saying that the postmaster of that
city-a man who until within week had never
been suspected of a dishonest actiCn-had con-
fessed that he had been partner in Neelys
practices. In view of these facts. every attempt
OF MIR. Bacon or any ot&er Democrat to make
use of the Cuban exposures for the benefit of his
party will be a dismal and utter failure
When Mr.. Bacon at last finished his long dis
course everybody. was exhausted. and by COM
table to be called up hereafter when any Senator
may desire TO discuss il. II investigation on
the lines # the resolution should be undertaken.
the present Congress would expire by cOnstitu-
tional limitation long before the inquiry could
be finished.
The confession of Postmaster Thompson at
Havana came as complete surprise 20 the Of
ficials of the PostOffiCc Department, who had
ge nerally been OF the opinion that among those
who could not possibly be involved in fraudulent
transactions Mr.. Thompson. who was re-
garded of high integrity The Post
master-Ceneral read the printed statement but
made comm ent.
MR. BRISTOw STARTS FOR HAVANA
Mr.. Bristow. the Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General. received his final Instructions to-day
and started at O'Clock for Tampa Fla, from
which place he will sail for Havana reaching
TO accompany him was his private secretary III
lie at present the instructions given TO Mr.
Bristow.
Representative Hay. of Virginia, to-day intro
duced in the House resolution asking the POST
master-General for information as 20 whether
Director Rathbone had reported that the ac-
counts OF postal authorities in Cuba were found
to be correct on April 23. The Postmaster-C;en-
eral would make 10 statement in regard TO the
matter to-day 1t is fact however that Dt-
rector Rathbone did forward a typewriter COPY
or report made by two special agents George
Seyooid and William t. G. Neel. stating that
the accounts OF c. W. F. Nicely financial clerk
or the Postal Department, We're correct on that
date. ~
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR NEELY.
ATTORNEY GENERAL APPOINTS EDWARD