The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-24
THUS DECLARES Mr.. HALE
He Doesn't Believe Our Pledge to
Cuba Will be Kept.
MONEY KINGS OPPOSE OUR WITHDRAWAL
PIait Spouts on the Postal Scandal in Cuba,
Declaring the Democrats Are Trying to
Make Political Capital Out Of
the NeeIey Frauds.
(By the Associated Press. }

Washington, May 23.-This was a day
of rasping political controversy and ora
tory in the Senate. With the controversy
those on the Democratic side of the
chamber anomalous as it may seem, had
little do dc. What by far-seeing Sena-
tcrs, is regarded as likely to be the par
amount issue OF the approaching Nationai
campaign was the subject of two notable
speeches, one by Mr. Plat, of Connecti-
cut. and the other by Mr. Spooner of
Wisconsin. The former was an answer
to the speech delivered a few days ago
by Mr.. Bacon, of Georgia, on his resou-
tion demanding an investigation OF IL
nancial affairs in Cuba. Mr. Plat ia
vored the adoption of the resolution.
but deprecated what he declared was
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 to the bottom.
The speech of Mr.. Spooner was
continuation of his address yesterday on
the Philippine question. In it's course he
became involved in heated and sensa-
tional colloquy with Mr.. Hale. of Maine
over the Governments conduct of af-
fairs in our ''insular possessions 1t was
a remarkable controversy between two
of the best equipped debaters in the Sem
ate. Mr.. Spooner will continue his speech
tomorrow.
The Morgan resolution calling on the
Secretaries of War and Of the Navy for
information relative to the cost of trans
portation of troops and supplies to the
Philippines was agreed to. The Bacon
resolution directing the Committee on
Relations with Cuba to investigate the
receipts and expenditures in Cuba, was
called up. Mr. Platt, Chairman of that
committee, spoke thereon at length. He
gave General Wood credit for the dis
coyery of these wrong -doihgs and the
administration credit for probing them
to the bottom. The disclosures. he added
are a direct blow to every citizen of the
United States and the wrong doing OF
Medley, the more sad and shameful
since it occurred where a great work
of freedom and philanthropy is going on.
Neither the Republican Administration.
nor the Committee on Cuban Relations,
he insisted, needed any proddng from,
the opposition party to induce most
searching investigation and summary
he. reminded the Democrats that this
has been the first instance of it's kind
during the Administration, and argued
that President Mckinley has demonstra-
ted his determination that no one guilty
in these Cuban frauds shall escape.
THE amount of the irregularities in
Cuba appear to have been about s45, 600
during the last year. The frauds my
have been earlier. But it is not sup
posed there will be a loss to the Cuban
revenues or to the United States Treas
ury. This trouble has been seized Upon
by our political opponents to indicate by
inuendo and not by direct charge that she
fraud has been wholesale and that the
Cuban people have been 'plundered out
of millions of dollars by dishonest con-
tracts and various fraudulent devices
Who knows there have been dishonest
contracts down there? Nobody, but il
there have been We shall find out"
He protested against Congress inter-
fering with the investigation instituted