The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-05-01

Dlscontent snd - spirit Of Ne
bellIon In the Inland.


In addition 10 the gigantic scandal
in the post Office department. which
is seriously gripping its usefulness. IN
which the public are so much inter.
ested, the era OF loot appears 10 have
become epidemic and has spread 70
our new possessions.
In Manila. smuggling by the quarter
masters. who are in command OF the
transports. has been discovered. and in
Porto Rico a number OF officers OF the
army and navy and some OF the high
est civil employees have been convicted
of the same offense. In the latter eases
serious scandal has been developed
which involves the administration. Tor
under the instructions of two members
Of the cabinet the convicted officers
have been allowed to compromise the
cases against them by paving fines.
This extraordinary favoritism would
probably have never come 10 public
knowledge If some native Porto Ricans
had not been convicted OF similar
crimes. and are now serving long SEN
fences in the penitentiary. The inJus-
tce of placing one set Of cnlprits be-
hind the bars and allowing the Others
10 go free because they have official
influence and were officers of the
United States. created a great sensa-
ton amongst the Porto Ricans. They
had fondly imagined that the laws OF
the United States would be strictly en-
forced against all alike. and that the
era of compromising felonies had
passed away with the retirement OF
the Spaniards. The friends of the
Porto Rcans who are undergoing con-
finement in the penitentiary for SNUG
Cling are now demanding that they
be pardoned.
A statement issued by the treasury
department says: II was directed by
the president that Secretary Moody
and Postmaster General Payne should
investigate the entire subject upon
their arrival al Porto Rico. and that
the cases should be dealt with in ac-
cordance with their recommendation.
"The recommendation was that all
criminal proceedings should be die
missed and discontinued upon the pay
ment of the civil obligation. rs above
|
mendation, the attorney general d.
rccted the United States attorney for
Porto Rico TO dismiss the pending
cases and to present no more cases
TO the grand Jury until he was other
wise instructed The cases involve GER
tain officers of the army and navy. and
certain civilian employees OF the gov
eminent of Porto Rico"
This attempt Of the administration
to squelch the scandal did not have
the looked-for effect. for n dispatch
. from Porto Rico says:
"The grand jury to-day called many
: witnesses in the smuggling cases In
| which officers of the United States
. navy and other prominent men are in
/ volved. and secured from the court
: commissioner who presided at the for
mer hearings. copy of the testimon,
taken.
4 THE prisoners who are confined II
! the penitentiary for smuggling hav'
:, presented a petition requesting tina
!, they be pardoned and released unles
!, others guilty of the same offense ar
!. punished"
!, The Porto Ricans evidently believ
!. that what is sauce for the native COOS
. should be sauce for the United State
!. rander. but they will find that ofiicia
!. influence is a powerful lever 10 protec
the influential criminal. and that fhos
!, without such friends must bear the fn
brunt of the law.
!, That four influential members 81 IN
). cabinet. at the instance of the pres
dent. should recommend such a pei
{, version of the law Is beyond comprs
hension. except that believing. as tn
imperialists seem 10 do. that the GOV
/" erning class have superior rights I
those OF the governed. The least I'll
attorney general can do now. 10 sho'
= that favoritism is not the rule. il /
order the release of the natives an
!, that future cases shall be dealt wit
= according TO the strict letter OF III
law.
. This republican favorifism 10 bree'
* er of anarchy and unless at ono
r stamped out will lead 10 a deplorab
: diminution of respect for law and goo
government.