Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-24
CAMPAIGN ISSUE
REFLECTED IN POLITICAL CON.
TRovERSY IN SENATE YES
TERDAY.
ADMINISTRATION DEFENDED.
Notable Speeches by Senators Spooner:
and Plat on Philippines and
Cuba.

troversy those on the democrauc sue
OF the chamber. anomalous as II may
seem, had little to do. what ny 80
seeing senator's, is regarded as likely
TO he the paramount issue OF the APP
nroaching presidential campaign was
the subject of two notable speeches,
one by Mr.. Plat of Connecticut, ana
the other by Mr.. Spooner or Wisconsin.
The formerasa an answerto the speecnd e-
livered a few days ago by Mr.. Bacon OF
Georgia on his resolution, demanding an
examination of financial conditions IN
Cuba. Mr.. Plat favored the adoptlon Oh
the resolution, but deprecated that ne
called a cheap effort to make political
capital out of a shameful condition OF
affairs which the republican party needed
no %prodding to induce it to PROBE 10 the
bottom.
The speech of Mr.. Spooner was a con-
tinuation of his address of yesterday on
the Philippine question. n its course he
became involved in a heated and sensa-
tional collouy with Mr.. Hale OF Maine
about the governments conduct OF al
fairs in our insular possessions. 1t was
a remarkable controversy betWeen TWO
of the best equipped senator's in the sem
ate and was listened to with profound
attention by senators, many representa-
tives and rowde galleries.. MI. spoon
er will continue his speech tomorrow.
At the opening of the senate today MI.
Morgan of Alabama called up MS reso-
luton calling upon the secretary of war
and the secretary of the navy for infor-
nation relative to the cost of transpor-
tation of troops and supplies to the Phil
ippines and it as agreed to.
The resolution previously offered by
Mr.. Bacon, of Georgia, directing the
committee on relations with Cuba 10
make an investigation regarding the re-
ceipts and expenditures OF money IN
Cuba. was then called up.
about a month ago. said Mr.. Platt
Connecticut. who is chairman of the
committee on relations with Cuba, Gen
eral Wood, the governor general of CUBA
was led to suppose that there had been
irregularities in that portion of the gov
eminent Of Cuba under the supervision
Of the director of posts. He Immediate
~ organized an inspection which had
been unsparingly pressed. The senator
from Georgia (Bacon) seems to think as
do some of the p that all the
malfeasance in office fraud have
been brought to light, not by the United
States government officials, but by out
siders. But it is to General Wood that
the credit of the discovery of these
frauds and wrong doings belongs, and to
the administration belongs the credit Of
the probing to the bottom of these
frauds. The senator from Georgia has no
monopoly on the shame and humiliation
with which every patriotic man is at
fected by recent disclosures. They are
shocking. They are a direct blow to
every true citizen of the United States.
"If the wrong-doing had occurred in
Boston, New York, or Washington, it
would have been sad and shameful.
but it would have not been so sad n
shameful as it is. since it occurred on
the island of Cuba, where the admin
istration is engaged in a great work Of
freedom and philanthropy.
But nothing has occurred in the
history of defalcatioNs that has made
such an impression on the public mind
as this-and justly so. More than ever
it is incumbent upon the government
to probe this matter to the bottom I'M
MISUNDERSTANDING. The republi-
can party never tolerates fraud or pee
ulation or embezzlement. Neither the
republican administration nor the COM
mittee on relations with Cuba need any
prodding from the opposition party to
induce them to make a most searching
investigation and to use every effort
to punish severely any person guilty
of wrong-doing or fraud in the island
of Cuba.
But some things ought to be remem-
bered by these patriots, who, in this
presidential campaign, hold up their
hands in holy horror and seize upor
h has been disclosed in an endeavo,
to cast discredit upon not only the ad,
ministration but also upon their coun-
try. 1T ought to be remembered thai
IN the three years and three months oil
the present administration this is the
first opportunity they have had to crit.
icise in that respect"
Mr.. Platt said that for congress to in.
%terfere with the investigation Instituted
by the postmaster general might de.
feat the ends of justice. and he an.
bounced that the department investiga.
ton would be thorough and searching
he then read a letter from Postmaste,
General Smith to Fourth Assistant
Postmaster Bristow, who is charged
with conducting the investigation. The
letter follows:
Washington, D. c.. May 16, 1900
Hon. Joseph L.. Bristow, Fourth Assist
ant Postmaster General-Sir: Supnle
menting my letter of May II. directins
YOU to proceed at once to Cuba, the fol
lowing turther instructions are giver
for your guidance:
You will Immediately on your arriya
IN havana confer freely and fully witt
General Wood, military governor. an(
VII! Keep in constant communication
with him in the work on which Won an
Ter. YOU vii. cooperate with the mill
tary governor, both in the investigation
OF all irregularities in the postal ser
vice of Cuba and in any measures TO
the reorganization Of the system tina
may be undertaken. The examination b,
the inspector already provided for vii
have begun before your arrival. You will
assume general supervision of this ex
animation and will enforce the instruc
lions heretofore given that it shall be O
the most searching and thorough char
acter. If you find that you need a sti1
larger force for the prompt and complar
performance of this duty, you will ca,
for it. The investigation must be com
prehenslve and minute. covering ever
branch of the service and all classes {
officials. Its prosecution must be GOV
erned solely by the purpose of ascertain
ing the truth and the whole truth. and
must be uncompromising and unspa'
ing.