St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-07-21
THE CUBAN POSTAL STEAL.
Under the Powers at WASH
ington.

The scandals in connection with the
establishment of 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. temptations to
which they were exposed It 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 Neely and Rath-
bone. and through Heath's influence
they were given important positions
in the post office department. The es-.
tablishment of a postal system in Gu
ba, a temporary dependency of the
government, and among people who
did not understand the English Ian
guage or American business methods,
was the opportunity for which these
friends of the administration and
servitors of Hanna and tho president
had waited and hoped. Neely was ap-
pointed treasurer and general man
ager of the postal system on the part
OF the government. and he and his
confederates 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 pecul-
lar position in relation to Cuba. In
the face of the world, it became the
guardian Of the untaught and inexpe-
rienced people of the island. Tt exer-
cised supreme authority over them
It 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-
tien and the men by whom it is SUR
rounded and controlled have so quit
ted themselves of these national obi
cations by unloading gang of thieves
upon them, and not only robbing them
and making them suspicious of a re-
publican form of government, but at
the same time fixing stigma and
burning disgrace upon their own gov
ernment. 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. Il they do it viii be
sad day for Mckinley Butte (Mont.)
Miner. .