The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-12

Whatever the outcome may be of the
alleged frauds in the Cuban postal service,
the case serves to point moral which
should not be unheeded. AS to the actual
guilt of Mr.. Nelly. he. like any other per-
son charged with crime, is entitled to the
presumption of innocence until proved
guilty. All admit the Importance of estab-
fishing a high grade of civil service in the
government OF our new possessions. 1t is
a question of national honor as well as of
national duty, and involves the success Of
our whole colonial policy. Every right
minded American feels that the honor of
the Nation and. in sense, his personal
honor is involved In the question of honest
government in the new possessions. In the
present case the point TO which special at
tention is called is that when Mr.. Nicely
was appointed to an important position in
the Cuban postal service he was best
known as a Spectator and hustler" in
business. Washington special to an
Eastern paper says that he did not make
an entirely agreeable impression upon some
of the persons in official life who met him
in Washington. He appeared like a very
bright, clever fellow, but one of a specu-
lative turn-not the sort, in short, who
would be best suited to shoulder heavy or
from the center of authority" The con-
lecture as to his speculative turn is sus-
tanned by facts. Persons who met him in
Cuba say he was one of the promoters of a
syndicate to corner the cocoanut crop
and perhaps in other schemes Now, it is
no disgrace to a man to be a hustler" in
business or even to engage in speculative
enterprises, but government official
chaged with important duties in connection
with the establishment of new civil
service under the peculiar circumstances
existing in Cuba and in our new island pos
sessions has no time for that sort of thing,
and should not be permitted to engage in
Ill. He might do 1t and keep his hands
clean, but he cannot do it without trench
ing upon time and energy that belong to
the government, and If his speeulations
lead to financial embarrassment he is liable
to go wrong. No speculator. no exploiter.
no promoter, no hustler in business should
be appointed to any civil Office in any of
our new possessions and every man who
is appointed should be prohibited from
engaging in such schemes. Such a thing
would not be tolerated for a moment in
the British colonial service, and is, I'm fact,
unknown. A prominent Englishman, a re-
tired officer of the East Indian service,
writing of the young men specially edu-
Gated and trained for the service, says:
"They accept the view that they are given,
body and soul, to the government-must
look to no other emoluments whatever, and
scrupulously abstain from all other enter
prises." That is the spirit that makes
faithful civil servants and a successful
colonial system. From what has come to
light it is evident that Mr.. Neely's primary
object in going to Cuba was to make money
rather than dedicate himself to the service
of the government in the great and ardu-
Gus work it has undertaken there. No
person should be appointed to or permitted
to enter the civil service i'm any of our new
possessions who is imbued with the money
making idea. 1t Is no place for spectators.