The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-04-14
Administration Scandals.

Ine present administration has been
very unfortunate with the large num-
Der of scandals that have been eX-
| posed in the executive departments and
| the extent TO which the grafters had
succeeded in looting the government
| Golfers before any effort was made to
stop. o: punish them. The attempt
made by the administration to prevent
the exposure of these scandals. fear
ing that Il thorough investigation
would iniure the Republican party
and throw IL cloud over the political
fortunes of President Roosevelt was
Il failure. Scandals. like murder, will
out. Postmaster General Payne de-
clared there was nothing wrong in the
POstotfice Department and designated
the Tulloch charges as hot air." but
the evidence of the extent of the :Oot-
ing became so apparent that Il partial
investigation followed The number of
officials involved has not vet been
given to the public and the Bristow
report on the charges against Con-
gfeSSmen." has been used 10 minimize
the Department wrongdoings.
In addition TO the postofiice scan
dals there are others in other depart
ments that involve even Il much great
er amount of looting. The Interior
Department is honeycombed with land
frauds. The Indian Bureau and the
Dawes Commission are both under
SuSniciAn of r,iS1ntnn, fh,f
attempted TO be hushed up and only
an impartial investigation will dis
cover how great the grafting has been.
The officials appointed by President
Roosevelt for Indian Territory appear
to have been the worst political graft
ers he could have discovered to adj
vance the civilization of the wards Of
the Nation. What the exact situation
in the Interior Department is. it IS diff
ficult to say. for there is an evident
the operations of the land ring in the
Indian Territory and the names of
those implicated, or who have been
asked to resign. or have been dismiss
ed are unObtainable. Mum is the word
at the Interior Department
The Western land frauds have been
of enormous extent, yet but four per-
sons have been indicted. There is.
however, evidence that numerous 9th
ers. including Republican members of
Congress. are being shielded for politi-
cal purposes.
Those charges which involve Con-
gressmen and others have not been in
vestigated, or if they have Secretary
Hitchcock has maintained consOr-
ship that the newspapers have been
unable to overcome.
The fencing of the public domain in
Nebraska and other States by the
great cattle barons, which Colonel
Mosby was sent to investigate. has
been dropped at the urgent request. it
is stated, of the Republican delegation
in Congress from that State, who fear
its effect on the coming elections.
Many settlers are anxious to go on
these public lands and acquire home
steads, but are unable to do so from
fear of the armed partisans of the cat
tie barons.
Then there is the ''seed scandal' in
the Agricultural Department and The
charge that the statistics of crop re-
ports have been used for the benefit
of spectators at the expense of the
farmers.
The army glove scandal. which in
wolves Congressman Littauer, 1.-The
close friend and political advisor of
President Roosevelt, has been con-
veniently hushed up by the War De-
partment. A late number of the Civil
Engineers Journal charges a gigantic
maXimite powder fraud i'm the same
The lOoting and grating
in the Philippines has never been in
veStigated.
The smuggling scandals in Porto
Rico, which involved officers of the
army, navy and civil service, in which
were found. were ordered
by Attorney General
Knox under orders from the Presi-
dent
The Navy Department scandals,
brought out in the evidence connect |
ing Rear Admiral Bowles with the |
Shipyard Trust, which compelled him
tc resign. The evidence that the de- |
fective guns of the Iowa were forged |
from steel which had been rejected by |
the inspectors. all require an impair |
tal investigation.
The Treasury Department, if in |
would unearth many scan
dals besides the silk frauds, which are |
being prosecuted in New York. includ- |
ing the Ellis Island scandal. the con-
test between Judge SOmerville and |
Shaw over the appraising
would air several peculiar
conditions that would reflect on Secre-
tary Shaw if the matters were aired.
That the Secretary has favored the
Wall street bankers in his dealings
with the banks is notorious, and in ac-
cepting security for government de-
posits other than government bonds,
he exceeded the authority given him
by the law.
Many other scandals with which this
might be cited, but enough has been
mentioned to substantiate the Demo-
cratic demand that it is time to Turn
the rascals OUT
Why This Peevish Haste?
|