The National tribune., 1900-05-17
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

1t was to be expected that in the rush and
haste of organizing Governments for the
islands we shonld encounter some dis
agreeable scandals. 1t was in the very
nature of things that designing and I'M
ScrupulouS men, seeing an opportunity for
plunder in the disorganized conditions
following the transfer Of authority, should
crowd themselves into prominent places,
and seek TO fill their pockets. We had
some Sickening spectacleS when we intro
duced the Internal Revenue system, and
we had long and weary experience before
we got our tariff, land and mining systems
reduced TO honest administration. But
no one was prepared for the revelations
made last week as TO the wholesale robberies
OF Chas. F.. w. Neely, Financial Agent Of
Posts, at Habana, and his confederates.
1t seems that Neely, who was an active
Republican politician of Muncie, Ind, and
proprietor of newspaper there. obtained
the appointment of Financial Agent which
gave him control of the postal revenues.
This included the postal order business,
which Is quite large, as the banking facili-
ties in Cuba are antiquated, and not
adapted to the tranSmission of small
amounts of money. The poSta! system of
Cuba is rather an Independent proposition,
under Director-General Rathbone, who re
ports both to the War Department and the
Post Office Department. 1t seems that
Nicely, who is crazy to be rich, used the
funds i'll his possession for all manner of
private speculation. Col. Burton, Assist
ant Inspector-General, in making his regu-
lar quarterly inspection three months ago,
found shortage of S12 ,0OO which was ex-
planned away. At his recent inspection he
found the shortage so large that it could
not be explained. How much it will amount
to is as yet undetermined, and there are
all manner of wild statements running up
into the millions. The Department of
Posts admits of a shortage of $4,000.
Corydon Rich, one Of Neely's
principal accomplices, has made a con-
fession, and assisted the officers to recover
part of the money. Nicely was arrested
at Rochester, N. y, and promptly fur
nished bail in two new $4,000 gold certifi-
Gates. Where this money came from was
then only surmiscd. 1t was subsequently
discovered to have been furnished by the
Seventh National Bank of New York,
under Instructions from the Union National
Bank Of Muncic, Ind, where Nicely has
an account. When arrested. he had on him
S6,502, two gold watches, two valuable
diamondrings and stock in various concerns
to the amount of $4,000. His official bond,
provided by a Baltimore guarantee COM
pany, is for $4,000. BY forfeiting this,
and taking the money now known to be his,
the Government will recover $50, SOP
Gov;-Gen. Wood has ordered the attach
ment of all his property in Cuba. The
question now is whether he shall be tried
here, or returned to Cuba. His attorneys
urge trial here. Several postal officials
have been suspended from duty, and placed
under close surveillance. 1t is believed
that Director-General Rathbone will be re-
moved, or allowed to resign. There are no
criminal charges against him, but he has
been guilty of culpablc negligence. Both
the War and Post Office Departments
recognize the necessity of probing the
scandal to the bottom, and melting out
summary punishment to all implicated.
The project of establishing branch
Soldiers Home at Castle Pinckney, in
Charleston Harbor, overlooking Forts
Sumter and Moultrie, and expressive of
the reconciliation of the North and South
ls likely to receive favorable attention by
the House Committee on Military Affairs
Representative Lahmer, of South Caro-
lima has enlisted the cooperation of Repre-
sentative Brownlow, of Tennessee, a mem
Der OF that Committee, who will take charge
Of the matter and draw the favorable re-
port which he has no doubt the Committee
will authorize.
The fight between the dog-muzzlers and
the anti-muzzlers goes bitterly on.
The pressure on Gov Roosevelt to accept
the Nice-PreSidential nomination became so
strong that last week hecamet to Washington
to have it out with Senator Hanna The
conference was held at the Capitol and was
quite lengthy. Senator Hanna was al
ready acquainted with Gov. Roosevelt's
view on the subject, but he had not dis
cussed the question personally with the
Governor. He listened therefore with a
keen interest to all that Roosevelt had to
say against accepting the nomination, the
arguments being presented with consider
able force. Gov. Roosevelt added nothing
new TO what he had previously said, simply
reiterating his belief that he could add
strength to the ticket by running as a
gubcrnatoria1 candidate aud insisting that
he was not fitted for the duties of Vice
President. Il do not want the Office" he
said. Senator Hanna offered no counter
arguments, and the conference closed with
the understanding that. for the present at
least, Gov. Roosevclts name would not be
considered.
Senator Spooner, of Wisconsin, has been
selected to deliver the speech nominating