The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1901-01-10
POLITICS CROP OUT
President and Congress Beth
Playing Them J
The PRESIDENT REFUSES
Information About Cuban Scandals
which the Senate had Asked For.

came to the surface three times dur
ing the three days that Congress was
in session this week, and held SWAY
IN both Senate and House. This was.
the more striking because the nre-
holiday sessions were marked by the
entire absence of anything of the
kind. The game was inaugnrated in
the House promptly on reassembIino
by a resolution called up by Repre-
sentative OlmSted, of Pennsylvania
providing for an investigation by the
Census Committee as to whetherthe.
franchise was restricted in the South.
IN such a way as to call for a redue--
ton OF representation under the 18th.
amendment to the Constitution. The
resolution stirred the Southern mem
bers, who have been aroused before
by the steps taken by Representative
Crumpacker, of Indiana, in the same
direction. 1t directs the Census
Committee to ascertain where the
vote has been restricted and to make
full and complete reports to the
House. This involved to a certain
extent the consideration of the aD.-
pOrtiOnment bill. The whole sub
ject was gone over thoroughly in the
ninth census. The committee could.
Of course, bring the information
down to date, and perhaps it would
be a good thing to have that done
1t would satisfy the public and show
something of what the situation
rally is. The language of the four
teenth amendment applies to all male
inhabitants. 1t would affect Illinois.
for that State has a law requiring
residence for certain period before
one can vote. Probably there are
10000 males over u years Of age in
Chicago who are unable to vote be-
cause of this State law. Massaehu-
sets has an educational qualification
and Rhode Island has a poll tax.
Other States of the North also have
suffrage qualifications which would
bring them within the scope of the
constitutional amendment. Even the
inmates OF. the insane. asvlums and
similar institutions would have to be.
counted in reckoning the restriction
of suffrage. So there is likely to be,
strong opposition to anything definite.
beng accomplished under Mr.. Ohm
sted's resolution, which was finally
referred to the Committee on Cen
SuS.
In the Senate politics was PLAYED.
by no less a parsonage than the
President himself, who sent to thai
body refusal by the Secretary o.
War to transmit the report of \. l..
LawShe, who Investigated the Cuban
pOstOffice frauds, demanded from the
Secretary of War by resolution of
the Sepate. The President declared
curttly that he did not deem it com
patlble with the public interest to
make public the report. The truth
OF the matter seems to be that the
report shows gross negligence and
possibly corruption on tie part of
high officers Of the Government
whom the President and Secretary
of War hope to be.able to shield.
The refusal is a direct defiance of the
Senate's right to inquire into Govern
ment matters. To say that an exec
utiVe officer can refuse to furnish in
formation to to the Legislative branch
when that information concerns the
challenged conduct of an administra-
ton, is mOnStrOsity. In this case,
especially, it is believed a fes-
tering mass of corruption exists in
Cuba, and if the administration. de-
liberately withhOlds official reports it
is matter for the whole country to
know. The determination of the
President to cut off all information is
shown by the fact that MIR. Lawshe,
whose report the Secretary declines
to make public, has been suddenly
hurried to the Philippines to fiji
SO, 300 position as auditor. If he had
remained in Washington, he could
have been summoned before the Con-
gressiOnal Committee to describe the
situation he discovered in Cuba: and
which makes the publication of his
report incompatible with the public
interests or with the well-being of
the Republican party.
The army reorganization b1l,
which was taken mp in the Senate on
Thursday. displacing the subsidy bill
from Its favored position, also gave
rise to semi-poltical debate; the
Democrats expressing their willing
ness to give the President a special
OOufinuo6 IN E,oS5,kb Doco