Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-25
TWELVE PAGES.
FRIDAY. MAY 25, 1900
A PLAY TO THE GALLERIES.

The Republican majority in Congress
will devote the remainder of the present
session to playing politics. Such is the
patent the hardly, concealed program.
The ship subsidy bill has been, to all
appearances. laid on the shelf despite
Mr.. Hanna and his syndicate. The Sen
ate has refused 10 take up the Nicara-
qua Canal bill. The House Judiciary
Committee has reported an antitrust
amendment to the Constitution. A bill
to extradte Nicely is being rushed
through under whip and spur. To
manufacture campaign material in
plenty, make n great show of virtue
without doing anything positive. and
adjourn early-that is what is now on
the cards.
The speech of Senator Plat. of Con-
necticut. on the Bacon resolution, call
ing for an inquiry into the Cuban pos
tai populations. was a part of the pro-
gram, and was evidently the climax of
u pre-arranged Play to the galleries, the
object of which was to minimize the
effect of the previous attempt of the
administration to hush UP the scandal.
To this end Mr.. Plat read the instruc-
tons given to Mr.. Bristow, who was
sent to Cuba to replace Rathbone and
take charge of the investigation of the
Nicely defalcations.
The instructions In question consti-
tute one of the clumsiest pieces of
demagogy in the history of American
politics. The veriest novice cannot read
them without being Impressed with the
fact that they were not concocted for
the guidance of Mr.. Bristow. but with
a view to their ultimate publication
They were not to inspire a rigid inves-
tigation of the populations, but TO Undue
ire 1merlcan puUp1e With the idea that
the pious Mr.. Mckinley and the politi-
cal purists under him are shocked be-
yond measure by the DISCLOSURES of
Neelys villainy.
If any one be disposed to doubt the
accuracy of this assertion let him
scrutinlze this excerpt from the in
structions:
Under the system established at the
beginning of the American occupat ion
of Cuba the administrative side of the
SSI NiSC NdS IlstCtl ullutT the cHltrOI OF
this department and the auditing or
checking side under the control of an
other. This is the system of the United
States Government"
Mr.. Brstow was. we believe. the
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
when he was detached and furnished
with these instructions. VIII any sane
man suppose that it was necessary TO
/ tell him what the postal system of the
United States is? Such Il supnostion
would brand Mr.. Brstow as an idiot.
i The purpose Of this was evidently ia
impress upon the public. with all the
added emphasis of not seeming to have
such an aim. that there was nothing
new In the postal system Of Cuba which
has broken down so lamentably.
The following throws additional light
upon the objective of the Instructions
given Mr.. Bris:ow:
You are chosen for this duty with
the approval of the President. who h
deeply shocked at the shameful no.
trayal of trust on the part of officials
in whom confidence had been reposod
and who directs that in dealing with MI
irregularities which have been Oh, mnv
DE uiScioseu the sole rule OF action shall
be thorough and complete investigation
the rigorous and unsparing prosecution
of all guilty persons and their swift
and condiGn punishment"
This is really too much. Was Mr..
Bristow in danger of supposng that
President Mckinley was pleased and
diverted by the activity of Mr.. Nicely.
that he should have it impressed on
him that the President was really
"shocked?" When the whole American
people were raging at this disgraceful
episode, was it necessary to disabuse