Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-01
NOTES FROM washington
What Is Transpiring in the Legis-
1ative Arena of the Nation
al Capital.
MORE REPUBLICAN, CORRUPTION SHOWN.
Fraud Is Rampant In Military Control
of Cuba Senator Lodges Pro-
British Snarl at Germany-Senator
Davis Silence-Opposition to the
Ship Subsidy Bill.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
The scandals which have come to
light regarding entertainments in the
Cuban postal service are having their
effect in enlightening the country asto
the meaning of imperialism. Rath-
bone. the republican head of the postal
system of Cuba, was one of Mark Hanna's
political henchmen. Nicely, the fnaneial
agent of the Cuban postal service, who
was apprehended and is undag bopdS,
was a political friend and Dgntege of
the first assistant postmasteT general.
He comes from Indiana, wbege. In the
city of Muncie, he used to- srrn Q dejfe
newspaper, which he sol8 te Perry
Heath's brother. When arrested 10
New York it was Perry Hexth'a BROTH
er's bank, the present eastes3iar OF
postal funds, which furnashed Needy
with the $4,000 cash bail ga E11e1 he
was released.
The known defalcatfop ax alxeady
over 100000. The Indications are that
it will amount to half mi3lfen and 10
volve every prominent officiel az the Gu
ban postal service, Rathbohe, the head
of the service, is to be suspended tor not
detecting the crime. 1t surpasses' hui
man understanding that Iafh bone
himself is not accused Of ecxnplctty
The evidences of corraption were so
fagrantly visible that o blind man
could have seen thexa. It 10 a nasty
mess, but exactly what might have
been expected aaaex the e;rcun
stances. There arc a'desen other cases
+ as bad. as this wh4eb have So far been
successfully, covered cp.
Military Gsrxu ntloA.
Cuba is supposedly rnaex the mil
itary control of the United States.
There is a branch et the army known
as the inspector generals eerv3ee. THE
branch has for it's duty the inveetiGa-
ton of accounts, the examine ton or
work done and supplies purchased. the
scrutiny of military posts and similar
work. 1t is the official critic of the
whole military Rganch Of the govern
ment, and has for generations consid-
cred it matter of pride and honor to
do good work. Very few scandals have
ever been charged up to the inspectors
service and nine out Of ten frauds in
the army have been discovered by the
Inspector generals office.
When the Spanish war broke, out and
it became necessary to give political
protection to every scalawag and
crooked contractor, big and little, who
had any claim on the Mckinley admin
istration, it was found necessary to
blindfold, handcuff and hpbble the in
spector generals office. This was done
through the machinery of the adjutant
generals office, which ordered nearly
all the inspection officers t9 line duty
in the field. thus preventing the inspec-
ton work from being done. and then
compelling the few remaining reports
to be made to come direetluto the ad-
jutant general instead Of to their prop
er head, the inspector 9eaeraR
The expected resdlt YEA obtained.
Inspection practically ceased. aud
fraud has run rampaat fl the army to
the present day.
The officers of the United States
army are as class bigh-eninded ana
honorable meme It is seldom that Q
scandal involving their financial 3ntegN
rity with government funas ay1ses.
But the contractors of every descrtr-
ton who have dealings with the army
need to be watched with an esGle's
eye. The treasury has been s~indlAd'
of millions of dollars during the lest
two years through army aud navy
frauds, particularly in the army. The
inspection service has been hampered
in such a manner as ITO make these
frauds easy of preparation. Mckinley
responsible and the people have feana
him out.
Pro-British snarl.
It is significant that Senator Lodge
makes his swashbuckling attack On
Germany hardly three days after Lord
Salisbury made his ill-timed speech in
the same direction. It is well known
in international affairs that Germany
has no intention of interfering in the
affairs of this hemisphere. There are
100000 Germans in Brazil. There are
United States. The German-Americans
have supported the republican party
as a rule to such an extent that with
out them the republicans could onot
have carried a presidential election in
20 years. Trusts. militarism, imperial
ism and the pro-British attitude of the
administration have driven them from
the republican party. Just why Lodge
should have chosen this inauspicious
occasion to further offend the German
Americans goes beyond understanding.
Lodge is a man of great learning and
nttIe judgment. ne Is amDltlouS TO De
considered the foremost statesman in
the senate. But his ablest efforts
seem sophomorical beside the pro-
found learning of Senator Hoar. while
Senator Davis, of Minnesota, chairman
of the foreign relations committee, is
an intellectual giant beside him.
Senator Davis has been singularly 81
lent since he castShis vote in opposition
to the Porto Rican tariff infamy. He
is known to be in open opposition to