Arizona silver belt., 1900-07-05
THE CUBAN SCANDAL.
The Responsibility for Appointments
 in the Cuban Service.

in the Cuban Service.
 The responsibility of loading down
 the government service in Cuba with
 worthless bureau employees seems to
 be pretty we'll divided between the
 departments of war and the postoiiice
 at Washington. says n correspondent
 of the New York World.
 At least 60 per cent of the 3,2OO ap-
 pointments made by the Americans
 in Cuba, at the instance of the politi-
 cal bosses at Washington, can be di-
 rectly attributed to the influence of
 United States Senators, bosses of the
 republican party in nearly every east
 ern and middle western state and their
 business associates and members of
 the cabinet.
 A scrutiny of the pay rolls of the
 government of the islands shows that
 there are about twice as many employ
 ees in every department as are actually
 needed, and that q higher rate or
 compensation has been fixed than Is
 allowed for the same class of service
 anywhere in the United States.
 The direct heads of the departments in Cuba are not responsible for this. In making nine-tenths of the appoint ments they have simply followed ir- structions from the Secretary or War and First Assistant Postmaster-Gene- ral, to whom was given control of the Cuban postal service. The largest number of appointments directed by any one official in Washington is cred ited to the First Assistant Postmaster General, Perry s. Heath.
 HEATH COMMANDED RATuB0NE.
 It was Heath who, according to men in the Cuban postal service, command ed Estes G. Rathbone, the suspended l chief of the service, to make most Of | his appointments. Some of these ap- | pointees were personal friends or l Heath, but the majority of them were selected by him upon the recommen- dation of United States Senators and other leaders of the republican party. The responsibility for most of the appointments in the civil branches of the war department and custom-house can be traced to Assistant Secretary of War, George w. Meiklejohn.
 Meiklejohn has been particular ac- tive in directing the government ser vice in Cuba. Several employees in the civil branches of the service over which he has control have boast ed of his influence in securing their appointments and compelling their retention after the fact became evi- dent that they were either incompe- tent or their services unnecessary. A number ot Meiklejohn's appointments are to be traced to the same source as those made by Heath.
 The indorsementS of some ot the persons appointed to fill sinecures un- der the carpet-bag regime established in Cuba by the republican adminlstra- tion show that sixteen Senators in- spired appointments in the govern ment service.
 Among these Senators the World is reliably informed are Platt, of New York; Penrose, of Penn sylvania; McComas, of Maryland: Bur : rows, of Michigan; Hanna and Fora ( ker, of Ohio: Fairbanks, of lndana; , Thurston, of Nebraska; Davis. of Min Gesota. and D. E. Wolcott, of Colo rado. officials in the Cuban government whose acts will probably be scrutinized Dy an investigation committee of Con ,ress are depending to a greater or less ,Xtent upon the protection of these and others who have been t imilarly favored from reprimand or a dismissal. They are also depending n Ipon this senatorial influence coupled f with the administration to prevent .oo minute an inquiry into the manner i, n which the several departments have )een conducted.
 There is no doubt that the Washing on government has directed the oili- s' ;ials in Cuba to suppress any further u candals that may be disclosed by the b investigation into all departments or ti tered by Gen. Wood. Private letters i, rom Washington indicate consider r lbe resentment on the part of the :, leaders toward Gen. Wood for uncovering the full extent If the scandal in the postal service md his determination to probe into u he condition of other departments g md lay bare the results of his investi q ,ations. S As an act of reprisal it is intimated t hat Gen. Wood will not be promoted a Q the rank of Brigadier-Gene in a he regular service, which he has q rankly declared he would like to .' ecure.
 The inquiry ordered by Gen. Wood nto the condition of the municipal the Engineers depart nent and the Custom-House is pro ;eeding slowly and with great secrecy.