The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-07-11
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL
From Our O.cn Correspondent.

whether or not to throw Pension Com
missioner Evans overheard and ap-
point in his place some more facile
tool who will cater to the Grand Army
vote and thus perhaps save some of the
doubtful States to the Republicans.
The fact that the Brownlow faction in
Tennessee got the better of the Evans
crowd in the fight for delegates to the
Republican convention naturally less
ems Mr.. Evans claim on the admins
tration, and it is believed that little
harm would be done TO the party by
sacrificing him. If the PresidentscOn-
tinues him in Office it will be because
he believes that the grand army of
pensioners will prefer any Republican,
no matter how distasteful, to Demo
crat, as head of the Pension Bureau.
There is no question that Evans has
administered the affairs Of the Pension
Office admirably. He works hard and
has saved the country thousands of
dollars that were awarded or would
havc been awarded to unworthy claim
ants under the loose pension methods
Bureau. This, however, is a crime and
not virtue in the eyes of Republican
demagogues, who think that every one
ought to have pension who has even
colorado claim to one. Their atti-
tude is pitched somewhat on the lines
of the old verse:
"Stand up, saints in de middle;
Line up, sinners on de fanks;
For all'll git pension an honorable
mention,
What stands up stidy in de ranks"
Evans real mistake, however, was in
opening a fight against the pension
attorneys, who number 10000 or $4,000
throughout the country and naturally
exert wide influence. He called
them all kinds of names and tried to
convey the impression that most of
them got their living by swindling the
old soldiers and the government.
There are doubtless many dishonest
attorneys. You find certain percen-
tage of wicked men in every profession
the clergy. not eXcepted-and there
is an equally strong objection to being
called 30, and by branding the entire
profession Commissioner Evans CON-
mitted nm objectionable sin, which the
attorneys say that the administration
and the President who protects him
must atone for. The question Is
whether Mckinley will stand by the
man who honestly administered his
Office, or will yield to the pension
sharks and dismiss him for doing his
duty.
ThepOstal records brought by Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Bristow
from Havana are said to convict E. G.
Rathbone of even grosser extravaganza
than any that has heretofore been
printed-extravagance wholly unwar-
ranted by even the most liberal. con-
struction Of the remarkable pc3tal code
under which he operated. Mr.. Bris-
tow maintains silence as to the facts
disclosed by his Investigation, but it is
well known that the reports of the
inspectors who examined Rathbone's
books set forth fully the outrageous
expenditures above referred to. These
reports are being summarized, it is un-
derstOOd, for examination by the Post
master General. It is understood that
Rathbone's pc. sonal expenses Gall
charged to the Cuban treasury during
his official career as director general
of posts in Cuba reached grand total
of $4,000. The sum of $4,000 was ex-
pended in furnishing the house wherein
his elaborate functions were given;
almost as much more was spent in fit
ting up his stable, and there were
allowances galore for domestic sup
plies, servant hire, and divers inciden-
tals, all purely personal in character.
There is much comment, especially at
the War Departments, over the delay
in the Neely case. It is known that
Governor General Wood is very anx-
i0ts to de:: with the embezzler and all
his confederates at the earliest possi-
BILE moment.
Senator Foraker has given out an
interview which explains the alleged
Outgoing Of the Republican platform
at Philadelphia. He explains that the
subcommittee that drafted the plat
fs0Tm heid four meetings and that he
was not present at the Lost two. At
the earlier ones no change was even
suggested in regard to the shipping
and Porto Rican tariff plank. Any
alteration or omission of these must,
he says, have been made at the later
meetings or must have been surrepti-
tiously Quigged out. In view of the
fact that Se:.af0r Fairbanks, vino
stands very close to the President, snys
that the changes were approved at the
last meeting Of the committee, the
charge against Qui9G falls to The
ground and the truth becomes clear.
It is evident that the President, who