Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-06-27

Washington, D. C.-(Special) with
appropriations by the late congress ag-
gregating $7OS. .729, ,476 ready for distri-
button and with antitrust legislation
an such shape that 1t can be used as a
club to force money out of corporations,
Ihe campaign to re-elect President Nc
kinley may be said to be open.
Mr.. Mckinley goes before the people
with an administration whose record is
smirched by many scandals. Begin
ming with the war with Spain and Its
enormous, useless expenditures for aux
iliary boats for the nevy. there have
Geen the embalmed beef scandal. the
3:gan and Alger scandals, the Abner
Mckinley clothing contract scandal. the
City National bank and the cutsom
house scandals, the fraud and embez-
element in Cuba, the armor plate scan
dal and many more. in fact one for
every month since Mckinley took his
oath.
The congress that has just adjourn
ed. republican In both branches. will
be known what 1t did not do. After
the president had announced in his an
nual message that 1t was the plain
duty" OF congress to provide for free
trade with Porto Rico, a part 70 the
United States. the sugar trust infiu-
ences were great enough to cause him
TO face about and to demand a tariff,
which congress meekly granted.
Congress refused to reduce the oner-
GUS war taxes which the late Nelson A.
Dingley, then the leader of the house,
pledged himself to have stricken off
the statute books Immediately after
treaty of peace was signed with Spain.
Congress was deluged with petitions
from commercial bodies asking that
these taxes either be wiped out entirely
or materially reduced, but 1t turned a
deaf ear to all appeals.
For political and campaign fund rea-
sons no antitrust legislation was en-
acted. An anTl-trust bill was passed by
the house and was in good time to have
been acted upon by the senate. The
democrats made several Intellectual at
tempts to have 1t taken up, but obJec
tions were always made by republican
leaders.
Istration in endeavoring to force a rat
ification of the Hay -Pauncefote treaty
the Nicaragua canal bill failed of pas
sage in the senate.
The army reorganization bill did not
become a law. 1t was passed by the
house and amended in the senate. but
the house did not accept the senate
amendments.
Every Pacific cable bill was defeated
or remained unacted upon through the
efforts Of rival concerns to secure the
concession.
The shipping subsidy bill failed, thro'
the efforts of the democrats. Senator
Hanna was personally Interested In this
bill, but even his great influence could
not secure its passage. This bill prac-
tically provides for gift of a greater
part OF SO, 900, ,OO0, 900 to the Standard Oil
trust, through it's corelative company,
the International Navigation company.
Army Transports
That We're Unsafe.
The army transport service has cost
the government millions of dollars, and
will continue to be heavy drain so
long as an army is maintained across
the seas. Hundreds of thousands of
dollars have been thrown away in at
tempting to make serviceable old hulks
which promoters ana politicians have
worked of on the government. Sol
diers have suffered the most terrible
hardships in crossing the seas on these
transports.
The hospital ships fitted up at great
expense by the war department, have
furnished another scandal. Vessels
equipped for this service proved to be
unseaworthy and unfit for the well, to
say nothing of the sick
At the beginning of the Spanish war
the navy department wanted to take
charge of the transport service for the
army, but the department would not
listen to the proposition.
There were no seamen in the war de-
Dartment, and even now there are no
officers Of that department in charge
OF the transport service who have any
practical knowledge of ships.
Transports have been started across
the Pacific without inspection. with the
result that provisions have run out
and machinery has been broken down.
Only by Farest good fortune have sew
eral of the vessels been saved from
foundering. The Manueunse was sent
from San Francisco to Manila without
inspection.
machinery gave way, and. but for the
fact that another transport was near
TO give aid, the Manueunse would have
gone to the bottom.
The hospital ship Missouri was bought
for 5000 OC0. Twice much was spent
in fitting her up. She made a trip to
Honolulu, and was ordered from there
to Manila. Her captain protested that
she was unseaworthy. but was forced
to make the trip. The ship was not
only unseaworthy. but unsanitary.
A large number Of invalid soldiers
aboard died on the way home. A board
has since condemned the vessel, and
she Is now practically worthless.
Auxiliary Warships
That We're Worthless.
One of the big scandals of the war
with Spain came about through the
expenditure Of s2s.s73.274 by the navy
department for vessels to be utilized
a. auxiliary warships. Ships ranging
from Indifferent to useless were pur-
chased at enormous prices. Since the