The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-08-11
ADoLPH
THE CUBAN POSTAL STEAL,
Hanna Morally the principal CuIDrit
Under the POws rs at Wash
inEtUn.

The scandals in connection with the
establishment of a postal system in
Cuba are not surprising, when con-
sidered in the light of the character
of the men who caused them, their
antecedents and the temptation to
which they were exposed. 1t is plain
they were sent to Cuba as a reward
for their political services to the adj
ministratiOn, and that they under
stood they were to make what they
could out of their positions. They
took their unwritten instructions too
literally; and instead of filling their
pockets ~discreetly and quietly, they
inaugurated a species of orgie,
grabbed everything in sight, and CON
sequently, when the exposure came
the administration was shocked, and
perhaps the chances of the Mckinley
reelection jeopardized.
Mr.. Hanna is no doubt morally the
principal culprit, Years ago-in fact,
from the time Of the establishment Of
the political firm Or syndicate of Ham
ma & McKinley-Mr. Perry Heath, as
sistant postmaster general, has been
in Mr.. Hanna's employ. He has been
an editor and correspondent of news
papers in his interest, and when Mr..
Mckinley was nominated for president
four years ago had charge of his cam
paign in Indiana, and, acting under
Hanna's instructions, carried the state
for him. When the president formed
his cabinet Mr.. Gary was made post
master general and Heath his first
assistant. 1t did not take very long
for the assistant, backed by Hanna
and the president, to force his chief
to resign. Mr.. Charles Emory Smith
succeeded Mr., Gary, with the under
standing that Heath was not to be
interfered with.
Acting under Heath, as Heath acted
under Hanna, in the scheme of plum
der politics, were Nicely and Rath-
bone, and through Heath's influence
they were given important positions
in the post Office department. The es-
adjustment of a postal system in Gu
ba, a temporary dependency of the
government, and among a people who
did not understand the English Ian
guage OF American business methods.
was the opportunity for which these
friends of the administration and
servitors of Hanna and the president
had waited and hoped. Nicely was ap-
pointed treasurer and general man.
ager of the postal system on the part
of the government, and he and his
contederates wasted no time in get
ting to work.
If they had not been detected by the
military authorities and checked in
their operations before they got fair
ly started there is no telling how
much they would have stolen. As it
is, they got away with hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
The United States occupies a pecuI-
lar position in relation to Cuba. In
the face of the world, it became the
guardian of the untaught and inexpe-
rieneed people of the island. 1t exer-
cised supreme authority over them.
1t undertook to instruct them in the
methods of government by the people
and for the peOple-tO start them in
the way of managing their public af-
fairs peacefully, honestly and in ac-
cordance with law. The administra-
ton and the men by whom it is sur
rounded and controlled have SO quit
ted themselves of these national obi
cations by unloading a gang of thieves
upon them, and not only rcbbiRg them
and making them suspicious of a re-
publican form of government, but at
the same time fixing a stigma and
burning disgrace upon their own gov
ernment-Kansas City Independent.
Western labor has condemned
Mckinley for the part he had in the
Occur d'Alene affair. Now it remains
to be seen if the western laborers will
vote at the polls as they vote in their !
conventions. If they do it will be a
sad day for McKinley-Butte MONTY
Miner.