The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-05-07
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, May 4, 1903.

washington, May q, 1909
Your correspondent yesterday inter
viewed gentleman who happened to
be in Washington at this time, asking
him his opinion in regard to the crop
of scandals in public services which
have lately sprung to light in Official
circles. This man, at one time pro.
mnently connected with one of the
departments, and in a position TO
know whereof he speaks, does not
take the reported Investigations too
seriously. For reasons that will be
readily realized he does not desire to
be directly quoted, but since he is out
OF public life for good, he can hold an
unbiased opinion Of affairs and need
have no fear to speak his mind. He
characterizes the hue and cry over the
scandals as Republican honse-clean-
ing in order that the party may pre-
sent a clean sheet to the people.
That grave disorders do exist he does
not doubt, but that drastic reform
measures will follow he does not be-
leve. 1t was impossible to keep the
state of affairs from being known, and
some dismissals from the Postoffice
will follow, but these only in the most
heinous cases, the axe falling, for the
most part nthe heads of superannuat-
ed officers, and inoffensive women who
are not workers for the party.
XXX
The navy is still having its troubles
and the establishment of a general
| staff to look into the defects which
are every day more apparent in the
conduct of the affairs of the Navy
Department is being urged as a cloak
like Charity, to cover the multitude
of sins under the incompetent reign
of Secretary Moody. Foreign naval
officers are calling attention to the
great proposition of accidents which
the American vessels, and almost all
resulting from ignorance either of e.
quipment or fundamental principle
of navigation. Not long ago, there
was an epidemic, it seemed, of running
our best vessels on the rocks. and at
present there is plethora of accidents
through detective ordinance or careless
handling of the same. The cliques
of the Department, and particularly
that which is absolutely controlled by
the determination that no enlisted
man shall be able to work up to an
officership, as can be done in the
army, are being openly accused of the
responsibility of much of the rotten
ness that exists.
| XXX
The administration is making futile
endeavors to keep down the PortoRico
and Alaskan scandals, and to some
extent they will be able to gloss things
over, but with an answering sense OF
| Justice the local authorities of Porto
Rico announce that the course of JUS
tice cannot be lnterfered with by de-
partmental orders from Washington,
and announce unhestatlngly that the
judicial branch ofthe government can
| not fulfill its mission and be subser.
Went to requests from the executive
branch.
XXX
On top of all this trouble from
forces which the administration ha:
nurtured, there comes additional evi
dence against Republican manage
ment in the report of General Miles
on the abuses which he found to exis
in the Philippines. He made tour o
personal inspection and has his evi
dence at first hand, and not from lonl
range testimony manipulated through
Congressional investigation. 1t i
significant that the War Department
has kept this report from the public
for so long time, and it may neve
have seen the light of publicity if i
hal not been repeatedly requested b.
those who knew that such a repor
had been made, and VINO wanted wha
further light on the question of th'
managem ent of the Philippines a
such an important document woul'