Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-04-12
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES

izing" experiments with one monetary
scandal in Cuba and two in the Philip
pines. First came the Neelv exposure,
which involved several officials holding
responsible positions. There were frauds
upon the Cuban postal service amounting
to many thousands of dollars, and the
subsequent revelations proved that the
guilty persons looked upon their appoint
ment as glorious opportunity in the
get .rch-quick line. They were com
pletelv demoralized, robbed systematic
ally without thought of resisting temp
tation, and then with the faulty and
self-ndulgence common to their kind
lived so eXtravagantly as to advertise
their crime. 1t was an exhibition most
humiliating to Americon pride, espec-
tally after all that had been said here of
Spanish populations.
A second scandal arose at Manila dur
ing the last winter, when 1t was charged
that government contractor named
Carman was actually supplying the in
surgents with stores. The man had a
monopoly of carrying ashore goods 60
ing through the custom-house and is
supposed to have used it so as to increase
his private fortune at the public expense
Finally there is the case most recently
reported, that of Frederick j. Barrows,
a quartermaster in the army. The i'm
port of the accusations against him and
his numerous accomplices is that they
have taken the government stores, bear
ing the government mark, and sold them
on private account. 1t is reported also
that these frauds have been enormous.
They have amounted to as much as
100000 month and are traced back as
far as June, 1900.
The government acted with great
promptitude and energy in the Nicely
affair, and it is to be hoped that its pro
secution of the thieves in the Philippines
will be equally vigorous. Though it is
itself the chief victim of the dishonesty
of its agents, the scandal is most de-
plorabe because it is blot upon the
American name which must arouse the
distrust of all the alien people to whom
we are now sending governors and ad
mlnstrators. They will want to know
wherein we are better than Spaniards,
and will denounce us as grasping, sordid
hypocrites if we do not at once assert the
oluCcilIy VI Jul plplcsslOue W NlsltluS
exemplary punishment upon all the cul-
prits. In these cases Justice should lean
toward severity rather than toward
mercy. And it should be as swift as
severe.-Chicago Record-Herald.
>oo>
A MANLY PROTEST.
There seems to be a growing DISPOSE
ton in England to defame the gallant
but ubiquitous" De Wet, who has thus
far evaded all pursuit and beaten off every
attack. It is an easy matter to vilify an
enemy who has no chance to answer, and
who, for that matter, is ignorant of what
is published about him. Gen. De Wet is
much too busy to care what the London
papers print; but, in the general interest
of fair play, it is unpleasant to see a
brave man, and one of the ablest military
leaders of his time, thus maigned.
Some of the London papers even go so
far as to insist that De Wet must be left
out of any peace terms, and they intimate
that it would be much better that he
should not be taken alive, as it would be
the duty of the British authorities to ex-
ecute him. In this general chorus of
abuse it is refreshing to have voice
lifted in protest, and that the voice of a
British officer, lately returned from
South Africa. Writing in the London
Times regarding De Wet, he says:
"The character he has won is such that
nothing but the cearest proof, after full
inquiry, of his completely in or RESPONSE
bility for barbarous and dishonorable
acts should be for moment listened TO
by fair-minded persons. His whole
career gives the lie to such aspersions.
1t was in May of last year, ten months
ago, that he first gained prominence.
Since then he has fought scores of
engagements with us, some successful,
some unsuccessful, never with susp-
cion of dishOnorable conduct. He has
had at one time or another some thou
sands of our men in his hands as prison.
ers of war. Many of them have my
self met. At second or third hand
have heard of the experiences of many
others. l never heard a word against
De Wet. When men had suffered hardships
they always agreed that they could not
have been helped. But, on the other
hand, have heard many stories showing
exceptional personal kindness In him
over and above that reasonable degree of
humanity which is expected in the treat
ment of prisoners of war. 1 believe this
view of him is universal among our
troops in South Africa"
That is a timely and manly protest
against the utterances of the "kafiir"
press.-Boston journal.
900
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
l. There is an antitrust and anti-mon-
opoly law on the statute books of the
United States. 1t provides:
See. 3. Every contract, combination in the
form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy In
restraint of trade or commerce among the
several States or with foreign nations is here
by declared to be illegal Every per
son who shall make any such contract or en-
gage in any such combination or conspiracy
shall be deemed guilty of "A misdemeanor, and
N m llalI h.as /.