Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-05-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WAsHINaroN. Nav l4.

I
The administration programme Of hushIng up
the scandal connected with the embezzlement of
a large sum OF money from the Cuban Postal re
ceipts By c. r. W. Neeley, who has been Chief
Financial Agent Of the Cuban Postal System,
and others, will be combated by the Democrats
in Congress, who regard the present as an excel
lent time tor a thorough investigation of all
/ Cuban receipts and expenditures. Senator Bacon
says he waited nearly week to give the Repub-
licans an opportunity to propose an investigation
before Offering his resolution instructing the
Senate Committee on relations with Cuba to in
yestigate receipts from all sources since the
occupation of Cuba by our troops, and expendi-
lures for all purposes during that period, and
report to the Senate at the earliest possible date
OF his resolution, Senator Bacon said: my pur-
pose is to have thorough investigation Of the
moneys which have been received and discussed
in Cuba We knsw that there has been some
improper disbursements In view Of that fact
it is our duty to thoroughly sift the whole
matter Our only excuse for being in Cube is
our de ire to govern the island for the benefit Of
the Cubans, and we ought to see whether we are
doing our duty toward those people, That a
number of Cuban officials, including the di-
rector of Posts and the Auditor OF Postal ac-
counts have been suspended. is proof that the
public is being deceived by official statements
saying that Medley is the only Cuban official who
has been implicated in the stealing. If proper
investigation is made, it will probably be ascer
tanned that there has been g ring Of thieves
working on the Cuban revenues. but that is just
what the administration doesn't wish to be as
certained.
Senator Teller arraigned the officers of the
Ordinance Bureau OF the Navy Department for
incompetency and ignorance. during the discus
sion of the armor clause of the Naval Appro-
priation bill. and the arraignment was Endorsed
by Senator Allison. Mr.. Teller said the ignor-
ance displayed by officers Of that Board, when
they appeared before Congressional Committees
for the purpose Of giving information had been
sometimes absolutely pitiful, and that he could
get more information out Of private citizen in
ten minutes than he had ever been able to get
out OF one of these officers in an hour; also that
there were engineers in civil life who could
make infinitely better guns than any officer on
the Ordinance Board, but that the Board would
not listen to them.
Adjutant General Hart, of Delaware, who is in
Washington on business said of the political
outlook In his state: 1--WE viii elect every state
officer from Governor down, and legislature
that viii choose two Democratic q. S. Senators
The Republicans are in hopeless state OF dis
organization, and are beaten from the start. II
the rest of the country will do as well as Della
ware in November, there won't be much left Of
the G. o. Pr
Although the administration succeeded in pre-
venting any preliminary report being made by
the Isthmian Commission, the members of that
Commission have given their personal opinion
of the investigation to the Senate Interoceanic
Canal Committee. and those opinions are all one
way-in favor of the Nicaragua route. This
N axes it evident that the position taken by Boss
Hanna, that the Senate should not act upon the
Nicaragua Canal Bill until the port OF the
Canal Commission is made is merely for delay.
Another proof WIS given by Hanna insisting
that the Committee should grant hearings to the
officers and directors of the new Panama Canal
Company. Why should these men be heard
when this government has sent, at great ex-
pense, an official commission of expert engineers
to investigate, and that Commission has given
its views to the Committee? There is political
dynamite enough in this question to blow the
Mckinley administration and the Republican
majority in the House out Of existence, and il
Boss Hanna succeeds in preventing the passage
by the Senate, at this session, of the Nicaragua
Canal Bill, the explosion win certainly take
place next November.
1t is now pretty well known why Coy. Teddy
Roosevelt paid that extended trip to Washing
ton He had doubts of the sincerity OF the
Plat machine, and he wished to have the ad-
ministration make it plain to Plat that he must
be renominated for Governor of New York, and
incidentally, by paying him special attention, to
help him convince some of the New Workers.
whose confidence and esteem he had lost tina,
he was high muck-a-muck in the councils of
the administration. AS far as Platt was con-
cerned his visit was success. and Mr.. Mckinley
has Platt's promise that Teddy shall be renoml-
mated; but it will not be seen until the votes are
counted whether the visit rehabiIitated Teddy
in the esteem of the kicking New Workers.