The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-11-04
WASHINGTON POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Roosevelt WithhoIds Postal Frauds
Report---japan Anxious to Re-
tain the Friendship America
---Whitewashing Littauer.

---Whitewashing Littauer.
Washington, Nov. 3.-President
Roosevelt has had the report Of Mr..
Bristow on the postal frauds for nearly
a week, yet shows no inclination to
give it to the public until after the
election. However he can't postpone
it's publication until after the elections
next fall and at chat time the voters
will have an excellent opportunity OF
showing their disapproyal of an ad-
ministration under which such frauds
are possible. The Bristow report is
very long document, making 1900
printed pages Of an ordinary govern
ment report, and the President will
add to it's length by supplementing it
with comments of his own. The most
important part Of the document is said
to be the accusations made against
former First Assistant Postmaster
General Perry S. Heath, who is at
present secretary of the republican
national campaign committee, OF which
Senator Hanna is the chairman. The
Tulloch charges made serious accusa-
tions against Heath, but they were not
thought suHicinet to procure an indict-
ment against him. The Bristow re-
port is said to charge him with Off
cial corruption such. that his only pro-
lection against criminal prosecution
will be the statute of limitations,
which has just saved republican Con-
gressman Littauer from being called
to account for his glove contract with
the government. Heath has now is
sued statement through one of. his
friends, that he will not be candi-
date for reelection to the secretary
ship of the republican committee
lowing to business interests. On
account of the abuses discovered in
the New York POST Office the Presi-
dent has ordered Mr. Bristow's inspec-
tors to proceed to that city to subject
the Office to close Investigation. The
head of the Office is ostmaster Van
Cott, who is power among New York
republicans and a personal friend of
Senator Platt, who has always defend
Led him and will doubtless oppose any
effort to have him removed. No direct
charges have been made as yet against
Van Cott, but his removal is being
discussed to such an extent as to alarm
his political friends. It will take about
month to complete the Investigation
of the New York Office.
The japanese Legation here is much
annoyed at the publication in the
newspapers of a telegram sent to the
war Department in December 1900, by
General Mac Arthur, then commander
of the military forces in the Philip
pines, in which he said that correspon-
dence captured fro1a the Filipinos had
proved, to his satisfaction, that the
japanese consulate in Manila had ad-
vised the insurgent leader Trias to
visit Japan to Negotiate for voluntary
contributions of arms and concerning
the future of the archipelago. The
officials of the legation believe that
the publication of the telegram at this
time is part of a plan to show the
American public that, in her troRble
with Russia, Japan Goes not deserve
either the sympathy or assistance of
this country. Minister Takahira has
given ont lengthy statement denying
that Japan ever treated with the in-
srrgents. He says in part, Zone cause
for doubling the reliability Of General
Mac Arthur's sources of Information
in this case is the nature of the con-
cessions alleged to have been sought
from the isurgents on behalf of Japan.
Even 8. superficial knowledge of our
situation should have been sufficient
to show that they were useless to rs,
for We have all the coaling stations
that we need and the railway enter
prises on foot in our country, includ-
ing Formosa, give full occupation for
all the energy and capital We have to
expend in that direction. - It is rather
an unusual thing for minister to
accuse general, of the country to
which he is accredited, of lack of
"even superficial knowledge of condi-
tions in a country, but the japanese
representative is naturally very anxious
that we should not place confidence in
the report. More will probably be
heard of the incident, and it shows
that japan, like most of the other