The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-02

)
vice rules in letter aud In spirit, and
the records are all at Mr.. Taft's dispos-
al If he wishes to dispute this.
"Cpon the general question a g to
whether competence has been clint
mated. the records show that the pres
ent heads of all of the responsible btu
reaus and departments have averaged
as long. or longer, periods of service
In the Philippines than under anys pre-
vious administration (See hearings
Senate Committee on Philippines on
II. Il. 1s459. Sixty-thlrd Congress, third
session. 191i-t9l5. uaEes ell ct. sea}
AS to partisanship being injected
J do mot know of any Americans taken
from the United States to the islands
for any responsible position by Gov
General Harrison. except the
following;
stephen Bonsa1, newspaper man
and Il personal friend OF the governor.
whose politics are unknown to me. and
whom the governor intended to make
hts private secretary,
Mr. T. Bernstein. who was under
the last Republican administration In
the customs service, located, think.
~ New York city. Goveruor-Cienerat
Harrison scut for him to come out and
hecome head of the Bureau Of Gus
toms in the Philippine Islands. His
politics. ITC uHfTo--TT 70 ffie-
-Lr- Albert = tttzsifnntons, APP
appointed from Nebraska as a member
of municipal board Of the city ~ Ha-
wanna. He is q man who had formerly
served as an army surgeon In the
Philippines Although ] have no pos
tive knowledge. ] presume DR.. FItz-
simmons was Democrat
nder no administration were so
fen persons taken from the United
States and placed in responsible posi-
tons IN the Philippines. and in no ad-
nainistration was less partnership in
7 jected. so much for the generaliza-
/ tions INDUCED In by Mr. Taft.
/ Specific Allegation.
Fortunately. Mr.. Taft al last be-
/ comes specific and sets forth the
charges upon which his indictment is
/ founded ! shall briefly take up the
allegations of this description and
! briefly indicate from the records the
/ truth. To answer them in full and
demonstrate. as such full answer
/ would the unfair implications sought
4 70 be conveyed would expand this
1 statement far beyond permissible
limits.
Mr. Taft's first specific complaint
is with respect TO what he terms the
new policy Introduced in October,
1918. He saws. 1T involves the re-
nloval of Governor-Generai Forbes
aud ali the commissioners and the
substitution of men with no expert
ence whatever.
The governor general of the
Philippine Islands holds a position
in that government similar to that of
| PRESIDENT in our government. and the
various commissioners are similar to
the cabinet in this country. This ad =
ministration, upon sending governor
! geeral of its own selection. surrounded
him with cabinet of its own selec-
ton. exactly in the same manner as
Presidents of this country surround
themselves with cabinets selected by
tho legislature, Furthermore il is
the fact that prior to tn nomination
of Governor General Harrison, Mr.
Worcester. one OF the commissioners,
HAD resigned and was pressing for
The acceptance of his resignation:
Vice Governor~C'e General Gilbert had
done likewise; SO that two OF the four
American commissioners had resigned
previous TO the appointment of d gov
ernor general by the administration.
Mr.. Tafts next charge is that he
Governor General Harrison) dis
charged at once upon his arrival Nc
Coy. collector OF customs; Sleeper,
director of public lands:- Leech, direc-
tor of printing, Parsons. consulting
secretary; IloEsette, assistant director
of printing; Helm, director of the
bnreau Of navtgation. Harding chief
OF Manila police Scott fof police)
Wilson, assistant director cf public
lands
Three Have Never Been Dismissed
So far from this being a correct
statement. the fact is that Governor
General Harrison neither at once, nor
al at her
Parsons or Helm. He did discharge
within fire days after his arrival
MCCOY. because he was acting while
the mead OF the customs service, as
the national Republican committee
man from the Philippine Islands. lie
similarly discharged Sleeper, whose
I conduct OF the bureau of public lands
had been the subject of investiga
tion by a committee of the House at
Representatives. while Mr.. Harrison
was member of that body and
whose administration OF that bureau
aS ttryfs disclosed did not meet with
MIR. Harrison approval. He did SIM
ilarly scharge Welch. assistant exec
utive secretary who was involved il,
an investigation initiated and com
tplcted under Governor Genera
Forbes, of the Manila Police Depart
ment and whose conduct az thus dis.
CLOSED warranted, in Governor General
Harrison : opinion his dismissal
After the discharge of the TIVE
bureau chiefs, Mccoy and Sleeper
GovernoC-G General Harrison caused to
be circulated an executive notice in
the following language;
There will be no more resigna
tons required of bureau chiefs, or as
sistants, or suhordnates, so far as
he can foresee at the present time,
and until due investigation has been
made Of the various bureaus and Of
fcers
Taking up the above list
Wilson. assistant director of public
lands, resigned of his own volition on
October n, 1914
l.e"ch, director of printing. resign
ed by request on October 20. 1913. be-
,eause without bringing the matter tn
his official superiors7 he assumed that
certain action detrimental to his
bureau and its employees was to be
IfakGn ttrf =