The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-29

Postmaster Ceusra and the President of The Uhitsd
/ states fuDposei they poszsss@d than vas made "ho
vas Mr. Rathbone' Il be has been guilty q auy r.
regularity or any extra4agznce- or any a1propria-
tou q ozcyz there viii be disposition 70 shield
tin The people viii .ament the fact, but they vii
! rurrus hin urspartnFly Who he's II those
Who believe most ia .iyil service reform and merit
| srpoirtnent where trained knowledge and expert
encc and capacity and good record are held to en-
uus one % be selected for oeee. they would have
selected Estes g. RatLbone as the man to organize
! that department
Il Is not tie arst ume that men have zone wrong
| u f. rot the frrt time that employed in the
/ Management o' banks and railroads and business
| aeaIrs and educational organizations and churches
/ who we're trusted have gone wrong Temptation Is
/ souetimes too strong 10 be resisted. But who was
| Nj RathhCnes He vas a who had been edu-
Gated in the POzt-otce Department, whose first ex-
| perience there think. vas that q Inspector: Who
| had been employed in The Interior Depsrtment-N i
! an rot mistaken Inspector OF the Interior De
/ pzrtment-vho. when BENJAMIN Harrison came to
be PresdeI; % the United states hrst selected
by President Harrison be Fourth Assistant Post
mister General. and the Office created for him.
Could there have beeu greater exercised in the
! selection q a man. VIII Senator's who IA
HiiIar vita people who have had post-oaca expert
| ouce and technical training. and understand the
! postal system Of the United States pont out
row some man whom they think would have been a
better man 70 select from all the knowledee which
the people and the Office and the administration
had a. that time. than Estes 6. Rathbone II he
has falleu-and nobody knows Yet that he has II he
| has appropriated uoney-and nobody knows yet that
hs has-it viii be found out and justice will be
rneted out to him
rs there any evidence" asked Senator
Chandler, that Mr.. Rathbone has been
anything but unsuccessful in his adminis-
tration, or is there any charge that he
has appropriated money!"
None that l know Of" replied Mr..
Platt
This colloquy led Mr.. Bacon to remark
that Mr.. Rathbone had been publicly
charged with buying personal apparel out
OF public funds. and that a Cuban clerk,
although accustomed 10 the misapprOpria-
tions of Spanish officials, was so shocked
that he refused to prepare the necessary
warrant. Mr.. Bacon said that he did not
know whether these charges were true.
but ne had certainly seen an interview
with the Postmaster General in which
Rathbone's use of public funds for pri-
yate purposes had been admitted
! Il remember now seeing the statement
as TO the apparel" remarked Mr. Chand-
| ier. but / had not seen any charge
against Mr.. RathbOne except that al!
I JitSe Ue1dlCdllCuS hdd occurred under his
! administration, where he had given 10
him such extensive powers. He certainly
has been unfortunate in results, and
therefore was relieved as a general might
well be relieved who had failed to win a
battle"
These eulOgies of Mr. Rathbone having
been delivered with due SOlemnity and
his appointment having been characteriz-
ed as "a merit appointment, and not a
spoils appointment to which remark
senator Hanna. who was sitting near Mr.
Piatt, paid close attention. high tributes
were paid to Reeves. who is under arrest
In Cuba, and to Neely, who is in Ludlow
street Jail, in New York. Mr.. Platt said
that Neely had the confidence of the peo-
pie of Indiana, and before the recent Gis-
closures his integrity had never been
questioned. Mr.. Platt appealed to Senator
Fairbanks for confirmation of this state.
menl. but Mr.. Fairbanks, who was listen
Ing lntently, did not say word.
Neely went wrong" said Mr. Platt
/ ana brought disgrace and shame and
Illumination upon this country rather than
upon the administration, which had as
sumed responsible duties in Cuba"
: further along Mr.. Platt contended thai
the allowances made to United States of,
iIcers in Cuba were reasonable and prop
5 Cuban people who had made no com.
5 plant of them. Regarding the charge,
[ OF extravaganza of our administration ir
= Cuba, Mr.. Platt declared that among 9th.
er expenditures made by the military
, government which had been charged witt
eNtoruOn and extravaganza were those
mace IN stamping out disease. Thai
government Is better government thar
the people of the island ever had before
ana the CubanS know it.
American Occupa tion of Cuba.
In answer to Mr.. Bacon, Senator Plat
said that the American army was il
Cuba because the American people ha(
sent II there. I'VE have a duty vet Il
perform, he added, ''and the American
: people will see 10 it that it is discharged
l Our military control of the island will
: cease when the people set up for them
selves a government for the proper con
D troll of the island"
| when will that time Gomez" inquired
q Mr.. Bacon.
That time will be delayed long" re
torted Mr.. Platt, 'if party, for partisan
. purposes makes the work more difficult
; The blush of shame ought 10 mantle thu
| cheek of every man who is trying to hin
i | der or embarrass the operation of Gen
| Wood in Cuba, who is seeking to brin!
about that time as rapidly as it may b,
r | brought about. The charges of scanda
I ! and mud singing have made il necessar,
r that the investigation should take place
, SO far as | am concerned | promise tha
| nothing shall be covered up; that every
q thing shall be brought to the light of day
e and that the keen searchlight of pub
5 icity shall be turned upon the admins
n tratiOn in Cuba"
At the conclusion of Senator PlattI
, | speech, the. resolution remained unacte'
l | upon, as Senator Fairbanks desires Il
e talk upon the Cuban frauds
$ Mr. Spo0ner's Philippine speech.
Senator Spooner Wednesday continued
but without conclusion, his speech on th
i bill to govern the Philippines. In discuss
70 ing Aguinaldo as an ally of the Unite,
: States, he declared his belief that the Fill
: pino leader was in league with the Span
iards TO drive the Americans from m
= Philippine Islands. He read letter from
{ Aguinaldo to the Spanish general in com
:, mand at Iloilo. in which the expression
Il occurred: We may yet save from ship
wreck the sovereignty of Spain in tn
:, islands"
$ In the Senate Wednesday Mr.. Morga
= called up his resolution calling upon III
p Secretary of War and the Secretary O
/
cost OF transportation of troops and sup
{ plies TO the Philippines and il was agree
T. 10.
n Senator Morgan Wednesday offered a
amendment 10 the Philippine bill. direct
l. ing the President in the execution OF tn
n powers vested in him 10 secure TO ever
}. inhabitant of the Philippines the enjoy
II ment OF all the personal rights due I
Is citizens under the Const' tuition: applyin
j. the provisions o. the 20 to Rican laN
! concerning Currecy To the Philippine
; and authorizing the establishment Q
q custom houses. Another section provide
l. for free trade between the islands an
n the United States. and still another eX
tends the laws of the United States relal
., ing 10 cosstwiSe trade TO the islands.
n The Senate Committee on Appropria