Washington sentinel., 1900-04-28
Favorites given Rich Pickipgs.

Favorites given Rich Pickings.
Being caught redhanded in the
distribute OF iavors to certain
army officers in Cuba Secretary
Root, says the Washington CORE
spondent OF the Cincinnati In
qNtrer, evidently with ghoulish
glee, shunts the blame on ex-Sec-
retarv Alger. The defense OF the
department will be that Alger hav.
inp inaugurated the system, his
successor, although lawyer, who
has received fabulous fees Tor ad-
vice, continued in his footsteps,
winking at the legal defiance in
volved. This will be all the de-
tense the department will interpose
other than maintaining that as
Cuba is not part of the United
States it is under the military rule
Of the President. who is responsible
to nobody for his acts.
This feature OF the matter is one
which makes the more grievous
trouble. In other words, so long
as the President sees fit to hold
Cuba by military occupation there
is no power to restrain him. Con-
gress can be defed, and Persistent
Mckinley, according to those
seeking his defense, can as arbitra
rily rule Cuba as does the Gar of
Russia his domiRions.
The debate which was inaugur-
ated in the Senate onlthis que stion
on Saturday last will be renewed
when the Secretary of War makes
his report on the Bacon resolu-
tlons. 1t will have one effect GER
tainlY, and that will be to have
some date fixed when the people
OF Cuba can have turned over to
their own control the island for
which America declared war to
make free. Just now 1t seems to
be a refuge for a number Of favor
ties sent there by the President as
officeholdeTs to deplete the reVe-
nues by drawing large pay. 1t is
limited that the civil officers are
paid out OF all proportion to their
worth. 1t is said that E. G. Rath-
bone, the Director of the Posts, re-
ceives salary of $1,000 a year,
with an added allowa ice for house
rent, and horses and carriages
galore.
The lamest defense of the pay
ment to army officers comes from
Corbin. the Adjutant General. He
Says that Secretary Alger, upon his
return from visit to CUBA, said to
him:
"If Brooke and Ludlow are OBJ.
liged to keep up this entertaining
much longer they will not only
spend all their pay, but they will be
bankrupted. I'm going to do
something for them. Out of the
insular fund I'm going to author
ize Brooke to draw $500 a year
and Ludlow IS, 900. It's not fair
to them to compel army officers to
use up all their salaries, and more,
too, in the necessary entertaining
OF persons who are righttully the
nations guests"
II did not favor the idea, but the
Secretary went ahead, and later an
allowance Of $4,000 was MADE to
Colonel Bliss, the Collector OF Gus
toms, and an allowance ofSI,soo to
Captain Ladd, the Treasurer Of the
island.
Colonel Bliss said he didn't
need to do much entertaining, but
he did need a carriage and a few
other things in order to maintain
the traditional dignity Of the Office,
and he estimated that these things
would cost him about $1,000.
Therefore his allowance was cut
from So, 900 to 300. His allow
ance and that OF Captain Ladd still
continue, and the allowance made
to General Brooke. is now made to
General Wood. The post of Mil.
itary Governor oil Havana city
having been abolished with Gen.
eral Ludlow, nobody draws the
J $1,000 allowed to him.