The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-04-15
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Special Correspondence Of In te~lligencer

Washington, d. c., April 10, 1903.
The scandal in the Post Office De-
partment is one of the most fragrant
examples Of Republican administra.
ton furnished since the O The
eharges-and they, are well fortified
d1sciose q colossal scheme of jObbery
and robbery. Several officials have re.
signed: Others don't care. Several
OF the high officers of the 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 ''rakeoff1
enormous sums yearly.
The jobbery apparently grew up
who as First Assistant Postmaster
General was O politician if nothing
worse. The department was admins
tered like a Chinese province and
whether or not Heath was O direct
beneficiary his methods bred up the
rotten system o being pitch-forked
to the sunlight.
And this sort of thing has been going
on while letter carriers, post-Ofiice
underpaid and OverwOrked.
Ii the contracts for carry ing the mails
over the railroads were as economical
~ let as they should be and could be,
and the purloioned millions were saved
to the government, the postal employees
could be paid decent salaries and there
would be money left over besides.
Exposure in this cas- came az q re-
cult OF q row among officials. Robert
authority respected, got had at some
OF the well-intrenched officials who
were amused at Wynne's efforts to
direct. Wynne was recently appointed
First Assistant Postmaster General.
The other fellows had been in their
JOBS for years and were rated az ex-
perts.
So Wynne resorted to the familiar
enemies and the disclosures Resulted
+ Belliara, the swindler and cnny:nt
who as an Associated Press represent
tatlve, sent the news of General Leon
ard woods marvellous SUGGEST az an
administrator in Santiago first, and
subsequently, in Havana as. Governor
General. has been exposed. He is now
known as Q man named Ballentine,
'from N0rfolk County, England. He is
is described by Byrnes as the most
successful confidence man Of the wor!d.
He was convicted Of forgery in Flor
ida, and three years after tho expira-
ton of his term he was, under the
name Of Bellairs, informing the AmLri-
car public of Cuban affairs. He was
WOods guide, counsellor and friend.
he was on, It is seriously asserted, three
Instinct Cuban payrolls. He then after
making, Wood" was sent to the Philip
news came to this country filtered
through this moral sewer.
Inc speecheE of the President on his
tr'p ana those Of some of his cabinet
members are attracting some attention
here in political circles. They are dis
tinctly anti tariff revision. They tell
ns that nothing can be expected Of the
Republican party in the way Of tariff
revision Liquidation In the next Con-
gress, and it is notice to the people Of
me country that it they want any such
thing or any relief from the burdens Of
trust rapacity, they will have to elect
cratic administration. The kind Of
talk indulged in by the President and
his cabinet ministers is q distinct VIC
lation Of all tho pledges made to the
people by the Republican party. IL
LhhL party can an0rd to stand pat on
its violated pledges then 1t is up to the
people. The Preaident not only tells
us that his party is not going to do
anything 1t promised but one can drive
an Of team through his logic and his
Milwaukee,, the President said: "Not
only ia the legislation recently enacted
effective, but in my Judgment it
was inpracticable to attempt more"
How does he know it lie effective until
it has been tried9 Again, we all re-
member that he was demanding much
more on his stamping last Fall, and
when his Attorney General was eug-
costing. to Representative Littlefield
what the President wanted done.
Littlefield prepared the antitrust bill
and got it through the House, but it
was pigeOn-h0led in the Senate BY
order of the trusts and with the consent
Of the President.
There 10 considerable comment here
over. the special train in which the
President and his companions are max.
Ing their flying trip over tho country.
making his bid For the Republican
nomination. That train is q marvel of
magnifcence. Nothing like it ever was
seen before. Compared to tho Presi,
dent's train those Of King Edward and
kaieer William look like an American
train Of immigrant cara. The fact that
this train is o "deadheadn train, ia
MnnG 40 CtAueauk .tuo comment mere.
The President and his of clerks,
stenographers, newspaper men, tele-
graphere, etc., are guests Of the rail
road companies over whose various
lines they are carried in this :superla-
lively luxurious style. They enjoy the
inequalities" Of the railroads, for If
there Eere any arrangement for re-
duced faresitwOuld be fragrant viola
ton OF the interstate commerce. act and
the recently enacted Elkins law. What
do the people of the country think Of the
propriety of the President Of the United
States accepting this ''deadhead" favor
at the ands OF the railroads when they
are Ding. to the Congress and to the adj
min!stration almost every day and ask
ing favorsf That is o question for the
people. to answer This "deadheadT
trip is in striking contrast to anothe,
special train trip that will leave the
city of Chicago next fall. That special
train will carry a delegation Of con.
gressmen and their wives for a trir
through the territories of Oklahoma,
New Mexico, Indian Territory, and
| Arizona, in order that the memhars