The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-21
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.

wanted: A ScnpeEOnt.-It is begin
ming to appear quite evident that the Adj
ministration is industriously looking for
a scapegoat in the Cuban postal scandals
AT first it was the obvious wish of the
| Postofiice Department to shift to the War
Department all responsibility for the nasty
condition Of affairs revealed by the enter
| prising NSelys defalCation. Mr.. Secretary
Root very promptly and vigorously resent
| ed the attempt, and now the Postofftce De-
| partment must bear the full brunt OF the
blow. Naturally it is expected that re-
| sponsibility will have to be placed di-
| rectly upon some official In that depart
| ment- AT n private banquet few even
ings ago Postmaster General Smith plain
ly intimated that he intended to make a
most thorough and rigid investigation or
the scandals in Cuba, and when in burst
Of oratory, he exclaimed that mo guilty
man must escape, the Republican Con-
gressmen in the company applauded him
enthusiastically. fair inference from
Mr.. Smiths manner and language is that
he is determined not to be held in the
least accountable for the organization or
management Of the postal service in
Cuba. At first blush the conclusion would
be that it is his intention to hold Direc-
tor General Rathbone wholly responsible
for results But it Is shown by the
maneuvres Of Rathbone's powerful friends
in this city that the Postmaster General
will not be permitted to asperse the char
acter Of that person. Rathbone has been
too long Intimately identified with the
inner management of Republican politics
to be thrown down at this stage. Since
the day he was sent into Indiana to super
wise tho distribution of that huge bunch
of tTO-dollar bills in blocks of five" until
he was entrusted with similar important
work for the Hanraites in the contest at
Columbus which resulted in sending Mr..
McKinley's political manager to the Sem
ate, Rathbone has stood close to the men
who direct the work of the Republican
organization. Nicely Is of too small conse-
quence to be of service as scapegoat.
This individual belongs to that class OF
statesmen known vulgarly as Cheap
skates" OF course. Nicely will be prose-
cuted to the limit. but his punishment will
not meet the political demands. Somebody
higher than Neely-higher even than
Rathbone-will have to be made to suffer
for campaign purposes.
Hoosier DemOcrats.-The contest for
the Democratic gubernatorial nomination
In Indiana seems to have narrowed down
to the Hon. John Kern. of Indianapolis.
and the Hon. Frank Burke. of New Albany.
1t is said that the Hon. 3. F. Shively has
withdrawn from the race at the request
OF Mr.. Bryan, the understanding being
that Mr.. Bryan has selected more i'm
portant role Tor Shiyely in the event Of
national success in November. Messrs. |
Kern and Burke are lawyers of high stand |
ing. and each is strong supporter of |
Bryan and the Chicago platform. As SPELL |
binders it is said they are about on par !
and that they haven't their superiors in +
the whole country. On this score the I
Of either of them will give the |
Democrats a big advantage in the State |
The Republican nominee for |
Governor Col ". T. Durbin. is a tne or-
ganizer. but poor public speaker. 1t IS +
thought he would dare not meet either
Kern or Burke in joint debate, which the
HOosier voters have learned to regard as
the most important feature OF campaign
ing. Colonel Durbin. it is said. will have
to depend upon Senator Beveridge or come
other Hoosier orator Of equal renown. In
this respect he is somewhat situated as
was the famous Blue Jeans" Williams.
who made q marvellous campaign in Indi-
ana a generation ago with the late Dan"
Voorhees, to do the spellbinding. AT all
Of the rallies Blue Jeans would merely
appear upon the platform. bow to the
crowd and excuse himself from speaking
TO them In this wise: "Fellow-citizens. 1
would make you a speech If there wasn't
present here this evening a more sbler
orator in the person OF the Tall Sycamore
of the Wabash, who all Of you have heard
about, and who know you would rather
hear speak than me- This ruse worked
even II Blue Jeans gram
mar were not up to the Hoosier standard.