Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-05-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The newest mares nest dlSCOV ered
by the democrats was like all the
rest-empty. The Bacon resolution,
adopted by the senate, asking for
information as to extra compensation
for army officers serving in Cuba,
will be fully answered by Secretary
Root at once. It was based on the
charge that army officers in Cuba
were drawing two salaries, one from
this government and one from the
Cuban revenues, and were expanding
money extravagantly for expenses.
The charge was entirely false. No
officer in Cuba has ever drawn two
salaries. Away back when Secretary
Alger was at the head of the war de-
partment, under an opinion from the
attorney general, four officers-the
military governor of Cuba, the mill
tary governor of Havana, the COL
lector of Havana, and the treasurer of
meet expenses entailed upon them by
reason of their filling those positions,
aggregating about SIG, 900 a year, and
those allotments are still allowed,
and except in the case of the military
governor of Havana, a position that
has been abolished, will be continued
as long as we occupy and govern the
island, and cannot be reasonably OBJ
jected to. Senator Platt, of Conn.,.
one of the last men in public life who
OF
preaching wastefulness in public
money either in Cuba or at home,
fully answered the charge of extrav-
agance by army officers in Cuba,
when he said on the floor of the SEN
ate: "There has been no eXtrava-
gance. I have been there. The
public building or palace as it is
called there was put in shape fit to
live in. Nothing more was DONE"
Mr.. Platt spoke from personal OBJ
servation, as he was in Cuba only
few weeks ago.
No reply has been received from
the Sultan of Turkey to the demand
made by Secretary Hay last week,
by direction of President Mckinley,
that he keep his promises to pay for
American missionary property de-
stroyed in Turkey; but a favorable
answer is expected.
Senator Galllnger said of his reso
luton asking the secretary of the
treasury for a detailed statement of
the sums derived from the war reve-
nue. act, the receipts from each sub
ject of taxation to be stated separate
ly, which was adopted by the senate:
81 don't suppose that it will lead to
immediate legislation, but [ am anXi-
Gus to know exactly how much money
has been received under the various
stamp taxes. The information will
not be as interesting as it might be,
because the same character of stamps
is used for various purposes, so that
it is impossible to tell how many
stamps are placed upon kilograms,
how many upon express receipts, how
many upon mortgagues, etc. The
beer stamp is a distinct one, and the
amount can be accurately told. 1t
will also be possible to inform us how
many proprietary stamps of especial
design have been furnished.'
The treasury department will be
ready to relieve the army officers of
the collection of customs in Porto
Rico, on May 1, the date upon which
Gov. Allen will be inaugurated, and
the new law will take effect. The
joint resolution, allowing military
officers to retain the civil offices they
hold in Porto Rico, until their civilian
successors are appointed and qualifi-
ed, which has been adopted by con-
gress, is simply intended to give Gov.
Allen needed time to make proper
selections Of Porto Ricans to fill the
places. The resolution provides that
all the appointments shall be made
before August 1, next. The demo-
cratic attempt to create an adverse
sentiment, by criticizing the prepare
ton by the administration to make
the Inauguration of Gov. Allen an
impressive event, has fallen fiat.
There are few Americans, even
among democrats, who do not recog-
nize the historical Importance of the
Inauguration of the first civil Ameri-
can governor of Porto Rico, as we'll as
the necessity, viewed merely as a
matter of policy, of making the event
a memorable one to the Porto Ricans.
Secretary Root put a bug in the
ears of those representatives: who
have been clamoring for the estab
lishment of new army posts in their