The age-herald., 1900-05-29
Worse and Worse They Come.

Cuban scandals continue to accumulate. The Cuban tariff has been revised again, be- ing the third revision that autocratic and military rule has attempted; and it now ap- pears-plainly appears-that each revision has been in the interest of certain syndi- cates that were born of Dngleyism and latter-day repubicanism.
 For example, railway supplies and ma terials have been favored until they will after June 15, have to pay but ten per cent. at the custom house. Whether this con cession is more in the interest of the North American Trust company, which is engaged in exploiting the island, or whether the iron and steel concerns that will be benefited by the reduction have agreed to pay part of their profits to Campaign Manager Marcus Aurelius Hanna, we may not know. Such things are inside secrets, and plain demo- crats need not expect the plain truth.
 But it seems there is another Richmond in the field in the form of the Cuba com pany New Jersey bred corporation, bred by the way to gobbe up Cuban railroads and to build new ones. Porter is known to be connected with this corporation; but lest we go astray in this connection we will let the New York Tribune tell the rest of the story:
 The average rate of duty on railroad supplies, materials, machinery etc. Under the Cuban tariff framed by Specail Commits sioner Porter and put into operation on January l, 1S99 amounted to an equivalent ad Valorem rate of 40 per cent. The re- vised average rate on those articles which is to become operative on June 15 and con- tnue in force for the ensuing twelve months, is equivalent to an average ad valorem rate of 10 per cent. Between the date of approval of the revised tariff and the date of it's promulgation, and after MT. Porter is supposed to have severed his off cal relations with the government, he made the voyage to London in company with the railway capitalists before referred to Doubtless the desirability of railroad de- velopment in Cuba may be unselfishlv urged, both there and in this country, and strong argument in favor of substantial reduction of the duty on railroad supplies might be made in the interest of the island Mir. Porter's friends likewise may be able to furnish satisfactory explanation of his connection with the affair but thus far they have not done so, and until they do 1t is likely to be regarded as rather unfor- tunate that the author of the Cuban tariff should appear to enjoy such close relations with the syndicate that is directly benefited by this reduced rate of duty
 Neelys stealings are small items along side the gains that Porter has put into the treasury of the Cuba company, for upon every million dollars worth of rails or other railway supplies carried into Cuba they will gain at least $300,0OO.
 The Hartford Times thinks these tariff changes constitute graver scandal than the postal peculations The syndiactes do the stealing in the latter case, handing over part of the poodle to MT. Mark Hanna. wno will use it to buy, or at least, to secure the reelection of Mir. Mckinley. If this is not bottom, it is difficult to imagine where it is, for certainly anything baser or a more degrading could not we'll occur. and Nsvery step of it must be known to the high Narties concerned in it.