Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-06
Hannn,s Fight for Rathbone


of the upper world win applaud Marcus
Aurelius Hanna for his rugged loyalty to
henchman Since the passing of General
Grant to the silent majority, the United
States has failed to produce in public life
another equally loyal friend, in good or i'll
report, to followers and heuchmen until tle
rise of Senator Hanna. Mr.. Hanna on his
active entrance into the political arena in
Ohio, picked up all the discredited bush
whackers, heelers and lotsam and jetsam
from John r. Mallov to Major Rathbone and
Perry S. Heath, whom no section or faction
then existing of the Republican party
would frateruize with, recognize or employ.
Headed by the late Joe Smith, this follow
ing afraid of neither man nor consequence
pushed its way TO the front during the Nc
Kiuley state administration and they looted
and embezzled to such an extent that the
grand jury of Franklin county found 0He
Auadyed and Aiyly.fve penal indictments
against a single member Of the gang.
Making their debut with the national ad.
ministration of the late President, Joe Smith
was elected by unanimous consent the head
center and distributor Of awards. He sent
the Englishman Jimmy Boyle to his native
Liverpool as Consul General of the United
States, and Jimmy had not been long
enough in the United States to modify his
Lancashire brogue Perry Heath settled
down as First Assistant Postmaster. General;
an Office was created for Malloy at the post
Office in Columbus; Rathboue eI al to the
number OF several hundreds were variously
assigned, and Joe Smith having fixed his
headquarters in Washington as secretary Of
the Pan-American organization, the ma.
tiOnal looting commenced. Joe Smith died,
but Abner had the reins well in hand and
with the aid Of Gus Machen, late Democrat
Of Toledo, lIikey Lewis and other rehegades
the machine worked on, Hanna became
Senator by purchase lone vote to spare
and Abner and Heath became-rich. Why
should not Rathboue, Neely et al? Boyle
was, and is yet, soaking away not less than
twenty thousand dollars per auhum in
Liverpool, Heath had fortune, Abuer was
a millionaire, Machen, Lewis ct a. were
driving around the Capitol IN automobiles
and glazed Russian caps, and John r. NAL
10y was getting good and drunk as often as
he pleased. Hanna was on top and nothing
too good for his henchmeu So Rathbone
purchased the right to plunder Cuba But
the American end of pluudered Cuba is still
safe. What about them, Mr.. President?
Is there anyone foolish enough to believe
after reading those gushing letters of Perry
s Heath to Rathbone, recommending Nicely
as a man he could trust and take close to
his heart, etc" that Heath did not know
just what kind of man he was talking
about If so they had better disabuse their
minds Of any such an idea, for rest assured,
Nj President, he always picks out the man
for the place and never makes any mistakes
about their doing his bidding. Mai. Rath
bone, whom we had known for years in
Ohio, has our sympathy, but he fell a too
easy victim to the Heath, Nicely, Machen
Lewis way of doing business. Nicely had
for some time previous to going to Cuba
been preparing himself around the POST
office Department, and certainly the Bureau
OF the First Assistant was a good place to
graduate young man from for Just the kind
Of business principles he adopted in Cuba
How can the former Postmaster General
explain away his share Of the responsibility?
The appointments must have been made by
him OF he must have acquiesced in them
and if he allowed such things to go on both
here and in Cuba without knowing it he
certainly was not fit for the position he held
but from the knowledge we have Of the
rottenness he tried to smother in the depart
ment here, we are led to take his ignorance
Of Ibe Cuban affairs with large grain Of
doubt.
Now, Mr. President, ask Mr. Payne, Mr.
Johnson, or the others for the benefit of the
public, that they may know just how far
the American end Of the Cuban frauds ex-
tended, the following questions:
Where we're the supplies for the Cuban
postal service bought
Who was the purchasing agent2
Who were the contractors furnishing such
supplies?
What were the prices paid for them?
We will not go farther with this inquiry
now, but do not. Mr. President, throw this
aside as is usual, for these are questions
that should be answered, and the public de-
mands IT,
we VIII say ior ourselves that while we
may not agree politically, still majority of
the voters have chosen you as their chief
servant, and we are not political ghouls
wishing to live off the mistakes Of any
party at the expense of the people.
Remember we are Americans and political
parties may come and 60 but this Govern.
ment is expected to go on. and no party Is
expected to force either the Spanish OF
Polish methods of doing business into this
country, for if they do we will soon be like
those-a dying nation.
Hannas fight for Rathbone, Mr. Presi.
dent, is quite natural and does him credit,
after the manner in which we admire while
morally condemning the loyalty Of the
bandit chief 10 his band or clan Of robbers.