Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-04-15
FROM WASHINGTON
Special Correspondence of the COURIER.
Washington. April IA


rantexamples of Republican admin
istration furnished since the war.
The charges-and they are well
Observation-Disclosures a colossal scheme
of jobbery and robbery. Several
officials have resigned. Others
don't dare. Several of the high
officers ofthe department seem to
have plundered right and left.
In view of the millions annually
spent for the postal service it is
readily seen how venal officials
could "rakeofr'' enormous sums
yearly.
The jobbery apparently grew up
under Hanna's man Percy S. Heath,
r. who as First Assistant Postmaster
General was n politician if nothing
worse. The department was adj
ministered like Chinese province
and whether or not Heath was n
direct beneficiary his methods bred
up the rotten system now being
pitch-forked to the sunlight.
And this sort of thing has been
going on while letter carriers, post
Office clerks and railway postal
employees are underpaid and over
worked.
If the contracts for carrying the
mails over the railroads were As
economically let rs they should be
and could be, and the purloined
millions were saved TO the govern
ment, the postal employees could be
paid decent salaries and there would
he money left over besides.
Exposure in this case came as a
result of row among officials.
Robert j. Wynne, who believes in
having his authority respected.
got mad at some of the well-intren-
ched officials who were amused at
Wynne's efforts to direct. Wynne
was recently appointed First Assis-
tant Postmaster General. The
other fellows had been in their jobs
for years and were rated as experts.
So Wynne resorted TO the familiar
device of starting fire behind his
enemies and the disclosures result
ted.
Bellairs, the swindler and con
vict, who rs an Associated Press
representative, sent the news of
General Leonard Woods marvel
Gus success as an administrator in
Santiago first, ard subsequently. in
Havana as Governor General. has
been exposed. He is now known
as a man named Ballentine, from
Norfolk County, England. He is
in the New York Rogues' Gollcry.
He is described by Byrnes as the
most successful confidence man of
the world. He was convicted of
forgery in Florida, and three years
after the expiration of his term he
was, under the name of Bellairs,
informing the American public of
Cuban affairs. He was Wood
guide, counsellor and friend. He
was on, it is seriously asserted,
three distinct Cuban payrolls. He
then, after making Wood" was
sent to the Philippines and for two
years the Philippine news came to
this country filtered through this
moral sewer.
Exposure came to him through
his book, in which he denounced
Gov. Taft and extolIed Wood and
declared that Wood should be sent
TO replace Taft. Taft's friends
exposed Bellars. If the Republi-
can "grafters" fight frequently
enough we may learn all the truth
about this administration, but
they're not likely to. Common
cause will assert It's influence.
Bellairs, however brilliant as a
swindler he may be, is only an
incident. What of Wood the
Presidents great friend! What
of the charges against Wood SC
lightly dismissed by Secretary
Rootl Did Wood know of BelIairs
real name, record and character
Did not some army officers
denounce Bellairs to Wood, anC
did not the latter, despite that fact
continue his association with Bel
lairsl Why was the administration
of Cuba so expensive under Wood
Palma has governed more firmly
Eaore quietly and much less expen
sively. How about the gambling
monopoly Wood fastened for ter
years on Havanal We do know
that he did get from the stockhol