The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-04-04

end. Gen Wood, OF course. should
be able in the explanation he has
been asked to make by the War
Dept. 10 say why he recommended
that reduction, and the gas company
stockholders should be made to tell
to whom the $500 was paid.
Meanwhile there are naturally rum
ors as we'll as fears that Neeley's
stealing of Cuban postal funds may
be petty larceny compared with
other crooked financial work over
there by Americans.
What to do with Aguinaldo, now
that he has been captured, is greatly
puzzling the administration.
Representative Warner, Of ILL.,,
brought back the gloomiest sort of
budget from his recent visit to Cuba.
For instance, he said The Cubans
will sign anything or do anything
just to get us away from their prop
erty and when they have the reins
in Their own hands you can expect
the worst. From what l could learn
they will assess everybody with any
money and have division of the
spoils. They will drive all Spani-
ards and American sympathizers
from the island and for brief period
revel in loot. Law and order will
become a mockery and a state of
anarchy will reign. OF course, we
must turn the island over, but it is
a crime against humanity to with
draw at this time. When Our troops
leave the island you will witness
reign OF lawlessness that will startle
the world and compel us in the
name of justice to take matters in
our own hands again"
There has been so much humbug
about various acts of the Mckinley
administration that ii was a little
difficult for President Mckinley to
do anything in that line striking
enough to cause more than passing
comment, but the bit of humbug-
gerry attached to filling the vacancy
on the Civil Service Commission
caused by the recent death of Com
missioner Brewer was a corker. OF
course, it has long ago been made
apparent that the professed admira-
tion was cant and hypocrisy Of the
worst sort, but nobody supposed for
an instant that President Mckinley
would appoint a Civil Service Com
missioner who had public record
showing him to be in favor of kill
ing the Civil Service Commission.
Well, that is precisely what Presi-
dent Mckinley did. Ex-Represent-
ative w. A. Rodenberg, of East St.
Louis, Ill, who was this week ap-
pointed Civil Service Commissioner,
on the 18th day of February, 1900,
only little more than a year ago,
voted, in the House, against max
ing an appropriation for the Civil
Service Commission, with the full
knowledge that the appropriation
was to be refused, if the necessary
votes could be secured, for the pur-
pose of killing the Civil Service
Commission and the law under
which it acts. Now, Mr.. Roden-
berg is Civil Service Commission
er and, unless the Senate should re-
fuse to confirm his nomination, which
is not likely, will draw S., 800
year salary and liberal allowance
for expenses during the remainder
of the Mckinley regime; and he has
had the nerve to say in a published
interview that he had always been
a friend of civil service reform.
Such humbug is disgusting.
While President Mckinley is
racking his brains to try to satisfy
the demands Of the republican boss
es for patronage, American interests
in China are in fair way to suffer |
According to late advices from
Pekin, the other powers are consid-
ering the advisability of quietly |
pushing the United States out of the
Chinese question by ignoring it in
future negotiations. If the United |
States should be pushed out of the
Chinese diplomatic door, what
would become of the "open door"
to American trade in China Presi-
dent Mckinley may find the filling