The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-04-26
CHAMP QARK'S LETTER
Commissary frauds In the
Philippines.
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.
Proconsular Government Always
&; Vicious.

BECOMES DISHONEST AND UNJUST
Thomas b. Reed Says Every People
II Capab Of Self Government.
Tom Johnson's Victory Puts Him
In Line For Greater ThinEs-Carter
Harrison a Rising Star In the DEM
ocratlc Party Senator James X.
Jones an Able and Pure Statesman.
Benefits of Primary Elections A
Word About Poets-Cheap Adver-
Using.
Especial Washington Letter.l
"History repeats itself" is an ancient
dictum whose verify has been demon
strated over and over again for our in,
struction. Mark Twain once sagely
remarked, Human nature is very
strong, and we all have great deal of
it in U.S." The illustrious Missourian
was eminently correct, far more correct
than the French savant who said, 1T
is always the unexpected which hap
pens" The expected has happened at
Manila. The most startling headline
In the great dailies is fraud In Phil
ippinesw Did anybody expect any
thing else? 1t was inevitable that fraud
would be committed, for that has been
the history of proconsular government
since the world began and will continue
to be until the earth shall perish as a
scroll 1t makes no sort Of difference
whether the proconsuls are Roman,
English, Spanish, French, American or
what not. Warren Hastings, ''the op-
pressor Of India" as Burke properly
termed that mighty man, Is the type of
them all. Racial traits may vary the
manifestations, but essentially they are
the same. The vice is an in6rmity of
human nature and in the system itself.
We know from highest authority that
the Ethiopian cannot change his skin
or the leopard his spots. Neither can
proconsular government be made hon
est or just. The most sensible prayer
ever uttered in this world was, LEAD
us not into temptation" And procon-
sular government leads all who are
concerned in it into irresistible and
multifarious temptations.
The following dispatch, let us hope,
makes the situation out worse than
it is:
Scandal In the Philippines.
MANILA, March 31.-Interest in the capture and
fate of Aguinaldo is well nigh overshadowed in
Manila by sensational Developments present and
prospective, OF frauds in the commissary depart
ment How widely these extend has not yet been
ascertained, but enough is already known to JUS
tify the belief that they farreaching. Captain
Frederick j. Barrows of the Thirtieth volunteer
infantry, quarternlaster of the department Of
southern Luzon, together with seven commissary
sergeants, several civilian clerks, prominent
government contractor, the assistant manager Of
the Hotel Oriente, the proprietors OF three of the
largest bakeries in Manila, number of store.
keepers and other persons. has been arrested.
The investigation has scarcely begun, but thou
sands of sacks OF flour, quantity Of bacon and
wagon loads Of other goods, all bearing govern
ment marks, have been found in the possession Of
unauthorized persons. It is alleged that the con-
tractor in question, who has been doing q bush
ness approximating 100000 per month, has spent
huge sums in entertaining officers prominent
commissary officer Is accused of leading scan.
dalously immoral life. It is asserted that large
quantities of stores have been lost or stolen in
transit and also that there is shortage in, the
commissary depot. New scandals are developed
daily. Illicit transactions have been traced back
to June, 1900. and it is possible that there are
others Of earlier date The exorbitant tariff on
provisions makes the surreptitious sale Of COM
missary supplies immensely profitable. 1t is UNI
derstood that other United States officers may be
arrested.
Condensed Wisdom.
Hon. Thomas Bracket Reed is de-
voting most Of his time to practicing
law and making money, but he has
not lost the happy faculty Of condens-
ing into few words as much wisdom
as is found In many long speech.
Not long since he was in Baltimore on
business. A reporter asked him IL he
thought the Filipinos capable of self
government, whereupon he replied: II
think every people is capable of self
government. 1t may not be the kind
we have or want, but it Is the kind that
Is satisfactory and sufficient for Them y
Thomas large and capacious head is
level. He might have added that we
evoluted through hundreds Of years
into our great capacity for self govern
ment. That's the only way to attain
to the high position we hold-to evolute
and revolute. Peoples who now are
striving for self government have one
great advantage which we did not pos
sess they have model, this puissant
republic. We and those from whom we
sprang in Europe had to go it blind, to
grope In darkness, to explore an I'M
known world. We made many mis-
takes in our experimentation which
our imitators may escape, but we sue
ceeded, and they can likewise succeed