The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-16
Carpet Bag Thievery.
Carnival of Corruption IN
Cuban Post Officers.

'oNos'oo P'oS tomuo Vi uu6OlnR
up the scandal connected with the
embezzlement of a large sum of
money from the Cuban postal receipts
by 9. F. W. Neeley, who has been
chief financial agent of the Cuban
postal system, and others, will be
com bated by the democrats 10 con.
gress. who regard the present aa an
excellent time for thorough invest
CATION of all Cuban receipts and ex.
penditures Senator Bacon says he
waited nearly week to give the
republicans an opportunity to pro.
pose an investigation before Offering
bis resolution instructing the senate
committee on relations with Cuba to
investigate receipts from ell sources
since the occupation of Cuba by our
troops, and expenditures for al! pur
poses during that period. and report
to the senate at the earliest possible
date. Of his resolution. Senator
Bacon said +: my purpose is to have
a thorough investigation of the mon
eys which have been received and
disbursed in Cuba. We know that
there has been some improper dis
bureements In view of that fact, it
is our duty to thoroughly sift the
whole matter. Our only excuse for
being 10 in Cuba is our desire to
govern the island for the benefit of
the Cubans, and we ought to see
whether we are doing our duty to.
ward those people," That q number
of Cuban officials, Including the d.
rector of posts and the auditor of
postal accounts have been suspended,
is proof that the public is being de.
ceived by official statements saving
that NeeIey is the only Cuban official
who has been implicated in the
stealing If q proper investigation
is made. it will probably be ascer
lined that there has been q ring of
thieves working on tie Cuban revo
nues, but that is just what the ad
mnistration doesn't wish to be ascer.
tanned
Senator Teller arrsigned the off.
GERS of the ordnance bureau of the
navy department for incompetency
and ignorance. during the discussion
OF the armor clause of the naval I'D
preparation bill, and the arraigument
was indoreed by Senator Allison
Mr. Teller said the ignorance display.
ed by officers of that board, when
they appeared before congressional
committees for the purpose of giving
information. had been sometimes
absolutely pitiful. and that he could
get more information out of q private
citizen in ten minutes than he had
ever been able to get out of one of
these officers in an hour also that
there were engineers in civil life who
could make infinitely better guns
than any officer on the ordnance
board. but that the board would not
listen to them
Adjutant General Hart, of Della
ware. who is in Washington on busi
ness said of the political outlook in
his slate: 1--WE will elect every state
officer from governor down, and
Legislature that will choose two dem
ocratic U, S Senators The repub.
licaas are in a hopeless state of dis
organization, and are beaten from the
start If the rest of the country will
do ss we'll ss Delaware 10 November,
there won't be much left of the O.
O. p"
Although the administration suc.
ceeded iu preventing any preliminary
report being made by the Isthmian
Commission, the members of that
commission have given their person.
al opinion of the investigation to the
Senate Interoceanic Canal Commit
tee. and those opinions are all one
way-in favor of the Nicaragua route.
This makes it evident that the posi-.
tion taken by Boss Hanna. that the
Senate should not act upon the Mica
ragua canal bill until the report of the
Canal Commission ia merely for de.
lay Another proof was given by
Hanna insisting that the committee
should grant hearings to the officers
and directors of the new Panama
Canal Company. Why. should these
men be beard when this government
has sent. at great expense an official
commission of expert engineers TO
investigate, aud that commission has
given its views TO the committee ?
There is political dynamite enough
10 this question to blow the McKin
ley administration and the republi
can majority in the House out of
existence, and if Boss Hanna sue
ceeds in preventing the passage by
the senate, ut this session of the Mica
ragua Canal Bill, the explosion will
certainly take place next November