Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-27
WHAT CONGRESS
is DOING.
Disclosures in Cuba Engages At
tention of Congress.
a Resolution Introduced in the Senate
Calling for Complete Accounting of
Moneys Received and Expended in tho
Government of Cuba--Scnator Hnunn
Anxious to Have the Ship Subsidy Bill
Passed.

The two matters that have engaged
the attention of the members of both
Houses of Congress during the past
week have been the disclosures of rot
tenness and thieving among the oiii-
cials of the Government in Cuba, and
The Naval Appropriation bill. The eX-
posure OF corruption and stealing bSI
our officials In Cuba has caused great
excitement in political circles extending
from the White House into every de-
partment of the Government. The eX-
posures show that the officials in Cuba
received princely salaries amounting to
several times as much as officials
charged with like duties receive in the
United States, in addition to which they
had planned large variety of allow
ances and emoluments. making the in
come of several of the officials equal TO
mat OF member of the Supreme Court
OF the United States. But this amount
To men who. in most Instances, were
hardly able to earn Il living before re-
ceiv!nS their appointments was entirely
inadequate to satisfy them. and 1t seems
a combination was formed among them
10 plumber the Cuban treasury beside
which the story OF the forty thieves Is
tame affair. the sums supposed TO be
stolen by single individuals renchlng
above the hundred thousand mark and
now looks as though the total amount
of the thieving by our official represent
tatives in Cuba will approximate the
million mark. 1t is we'll up in the hun
dred thousa, ds now, and more dlsclo-
sures constantly coming to light.
In the Senate Mr.. Bacon of Georgia,
introduced resolution calling for a
complete accounting of moneys received
and expended and other expenditures of
the government In Cuba, which resolu-
ton Is now pending in that body. The
Hannaite members of the Senate and
House are bored by the presence of
newspaper correspondents and re-
porters and can be seen running away
from them at the Capitol. at the hotels
and on the streets of the city because
the one thing they dread is to be qucs-
toned In regard TO the thieving gang
that represents the government in
Cuba. or to give an opinion for publica-
ton in regard 10 what ought to be done
with the criminals. on more than one
occasion Representatives and Senators
who have regulations for dignity have
been known to swear and indulge in
violent profanity when speaking of the
outrage of setting Il gang OF plunderers
upon Cuba. which is our helpless ward
for the purpose of rewarding the politi-
cal services Of worthless individuals.
The talk about the Cuban steals has
eciipsed all other subjects in Washing
ton during the past week
In the Senate there was a very ex-
tenslve debate over the item In the ma
val appropriation bill providing for ar
mor-piate for our battle-ships that are
now standing naked on the docks be-
cause the armor-platc companies refuse
To furnish armor at $500 yer ton, the
price fixed by Congress. Senator Lodge.
oil Massachusetts,. who was the princi-
pal spokesman for the armor- plat re in
terests. admitted that the price asked
was extortionate. and that the govern
ment had been shamefully abused by
the manufacturers, but at the same
time he opposed with all the force he
was capable Of an amendment provid-
Ing that the government should erect
an armor- plate plant and henceforth
manufacture its own armor. The de-
bate clearly showed that 4. saving OF
$3.50 pee tom could 0e sIl,tde by the gov
eminent on the manufacture of arn,or-
plate, and that good many thousand
tons would be required each year for
good many years.
All of the armor-plate manufactured
in this country is made by two concerns
the Bethlehem tPa.l armor-plate
works and the Carnegie steel and ar
mor-plate works. 1t appears that these