OAIHSON PRESS-JOURNAL
OCO. D. CANON. Kdltor.
MAIIIIISON. - - NEBRASKA
KEBBASKA NEWS NOTES.
Grafton is threatened with a liquor
drouth.
Broken Bow will celebrate July 4
with bis doings.
Robert Guatin of Benkleman has been
arrested for stealing; cattle.
Grasshoppers are having "one old
in the neighborhood of Cozad.
John Dlnsmore, a prominent citizen
Of West Point, died of blood poisoning.
William Kerr, a banker of Hastings,
was lost $13,000 via the gold brick route.
Jaases Rider of Dakota City has been
Treated for selling liquor without a
The Saunders County Teachers' in
stitute was in session all last week
at Wahoo.
in re at Lincoln destroyed two build
ings belonging to Frank Rawlings.
$3,000.
The Toung People's Society of Chris
tian Endeavor held its annual session
at Nelson.
The Webster County Teachers insti
tute Is holding a two weeks' session
at Red Cloud.
Sunday, June 10, was celebrated as
children's day by the churches through,
out the state. ,
The North Nebraska college at Mad
ison was struck by lightning and burn
ed to the ground. Loss, $i,000.
Fremont Is to have a new morning
daily. N. W. Srnails will be the editor,
and the paper will be democratic.
Fred Springer dug up an old cannon
ball weighing fifty pounds on his prem
ises In the eastern part of Fremont.
Fanners of Papiilion tracked horse
Uue.es to Omaha with bloodhounds and
lost the scent at Thirteenth and Vinton
streets.
The total value of real estate and per
sonal property in Cans county, as re
turned by the assessors, foots up to
13,525.596.
Beatrice was visited by a tornade
which, although small, did considerable
damage in the western and northern
parts of the city.
The Nebraska Funeral Directors' as
sociation held its fifteenth annual con- J
mention at Lincoln, with an attendance J
f nearly 200 members.
John Poyer of Cow Its shot Deputy
Bberiff Burdick at Red Cloud while
the latter was serving papers on him.
The wound is not serious.
Chris Sasse of Fremont was struck
fcy lightning and his body was so ter
ribly burned that it lost all resem
blance to a human form.
What Is supposed to be the body of
Floyd Meredith, who was drowned near
Nebraska City, has been found live
Biles below Auburn.
The Jury In the case of Collins vs.
Cmith, which was an action for slan
der, at Fremont, brought in a verdict
lor the defendant.
The Superior hotel, at Superior, has
changed hands, George Woolsey retiring-
and George H. Wilkes, Jr., of
Clyde, Kan.,, taking possession.
Census Enumerator Moon of Taylor
found a pair of twins two and a half
years old who have no given names.
He says he christened them himself.
The Table Rock Driving Park asso
ciation has arranged for a series ol
races to be held at the Table Rock
track on the Fourth of July. A num
ber of premiums have been offered.
Special Agent Llewellyn of the rural
free delivery service was at Aurora
last week for the purpose of inspecting
a rural free delivery route in Ham
ilton county with starting point at
Aurora.
The celebrated case of the State of
Nebraska against P. 8. George of Lin
eotn, for practicing medicine without
complying' with the law, was tried last
week at Table Rock. The doctor man
aged his own case.
The reports of the city assessor
Show that W. J. Bryan pays more taxs
on personal property than any other
man in Lincoln or Lancaster county
In im his property was assessed at
St,M. and this year at H.5S9.
Whiter wheat around Table" Rock
never looked liner than now. Many
fields stand waist high and the berry
Is filled out plump and full. Some
fields will be ready for harvest by next
week and It Is believed that th ylefd
win be much more than an ordinary
Senator John M. Thurston has wired
Now. John 8. Dew of Tecumseh thai
fM has appointed the latter son, Rod-
Dew, to a cadetshlp at West
The message came from Wash
, Dew, la a young man of good
and physical makeup and win
the best of his opportunity.
tJSmAng ( the amount of- mm-t.
jrp Bad a d w leased in Gage conn-
t? ts tbt nowth of May; Farm
f J ft. amounting to $..,
1 1jfn lass igaMa released, M.amount
Jf "'Jj dQST 4 twn nortfa file
. -----3 to fJLaJS; city and town
MtW-MaV ti, amettaUtt. U
FOUR YEARS
rHE ADMINISTRATION IS BADLY
SMIRCHED BY MANY
SCANDALS.
CAMPAIGN IS OPENED.
Desperate Efforts Are Being Made
To Suppress the Truth, But the
Record Cannot Be Brushed Aside
Republican Congress Just Ad
journed Will Be Remembered for
Its Waste of Public Funds.
Washington, D. C (Special.) With
appropriations by the late congress ag
gregating $708,729,476 ready for distri
bution and with anti-trust legislation
in such shape that it can be used as a
;lub to force money out of corporations,
Jie campaign to re-elect President Mc
Kinley may be said to be open.
Mr. McKinley goes before the people
vitb an administration whose record is
imirched by many scandais. Begin
ning with the war with Spain and its
inormous, useless expenditures for nui
diary boats for the nevy, there have
been the embalmed beef scandal, the
Egan and Alger scandals, the Abner
McKinley clothing contract scandal, the
City National bank and the cutsora
house scandals, the fraud and embtz
tlement in Cuba, the armor plate scan
ial and many more, in fact one for
every month since SIcKinley took his
oath.
The congress that has Just adjourn
ed, republican in both branches, wll
be known what it did not do. After
the president had announced In his an
nual message that it wan the "plain
iuty" of congress to provide for free
trade with Porto Rico, a part fo the
United Statns, the sugar trust inftu
snces were great enough to cause him
to face about and to demand a tariff,
which congress meekly granted.
Congress refused to reduce the oner
ous war taxes which the late tison a.
Dingley, then the leader of the house,
pledged himself to have stricken off
the statute books immediately after a
treaty of peace was signed with Spain,
Congress was deluged with petitions
from commercial bodies, asking that
these taxes either be wiped out entirely
or materially reduced, but it turned a
deaf ear to ail appeals.
For political and campaign fund rea
sons no anti-trust legislation was en
acted. An anti-trust bill was pawed by
the house and was in good time to have
been acted upon by the senate. The
Semocrats made several Ineffectual at
tempts to have it taken up, but-objections
were always made by republican
lea3ers. . ,
Through the obstinacy of the admin
istration in endeavoring to force a rat
ification of the Hay-Pauncefole treaty
the Nicaragua canal bill failed of pas
sage In the senate.
The army reorganization bill did not
become a law. It was passed by the
house and amended in the senate, but
the house did not accept the senate
amendments.
Every Pacific cable bill was defeated
or remained unacted upon through the
efforts of rival concerns to secure the
concession.
The shipping subsidy bill failed, thro'
the efforts of the democrats. Senator
Hanna was personally Interested in this
bill, but even his great influence could
not secure its passage. This bill prat -ttcailv
provides for a gift of a greater
part of 19,000,000.000 to the Standard O.l
trust, through its corelative company,
the International Navigation company
Army Transporta
That Were Unsafe.
The army transport service has cosi
the government millions of dollars, and
will continue to be a heavy drain So
long as an army is maintained across1
the seas. Hundreds of thousands oi
Jollars have been thrown away in at
tempting to make serviceable old hulks
which promoters ana politicians have
worked off on the government. Hol
iiers have suffered the most terrible
wardships in crossing the seas on these
transports.
The hospital ships, fitted up at great
txpense by the war department, have
furnished another scandal. Vessels
quipped for this service proved to be
unseaworthy and unfit for the welt to
ay nothing of the sick.
At the beginning of the Spaniih war
the navy department wanted to take
charge of the transport service for the
army, but the department would not
listen to the proposition.
There were no seamen In the war de.
partment, and even now there are no
officers of that department in charge
of the transport service who have any
practical knowledge of ships.
Transports have been started across
the Pacific without inspection, with the
result that piovifions have run out
and machinery haa been broken down.
Only by rarest good fortune. have sev
eral of the vessels been saved from
foundering. The Manueunse was sent
from San Francisco to Manila without
Inspection.
At the first storm encountered the
machinery gave way, and, but for th
fact that another transport was near
to give aid, the il anueui.se would have
gone to the bottom.
The hospital ship Missouri wai bought
for UOO.OoO. Twice as much was spent
In fitting her up. She made a trip to
Honolulu, and was ordered from there
to Manila. Her captain protested that
he was unseaworthy, but waa forced
to make the trip. The ship was not
nly unseaworthy, but unsanitary.
A large number of Invalid soldier
aboard died on the way home, A board
has since condemned the vessel, and
she Is now practically worthless.
Auxiliary Warships
That Wara Worthlaea.
One of the hi- scandals of the war
with Spain came about through the
twpendllur of $29.73.274 by the navy
department for vessels to be utilised
a auxiliary warships. Ships ranging
from Indifferent to ute'ess were pur
chased at enoianous prices. Since the
OF CTIfflLEY
termination of the war they are being
sold at a small percentage of their cost.
Owners, agents, attorneys and all sorts
of middlemen realized vest profits from
the sale of the vessels to the navy de
partment. Prominent politicians lob
bied to ell old ships fur many times
their value, reaping small fortunes in
the way of commissions. The excuse
given for these expenditures was the
necessity of forming a "mosquito fleet"
to perform patrol duty. As an example
of the recklessness which obtained the
old and practically worthless Mt-rrimae
was bought for $343.0u0. She was found
to be of no utility In the service, and
was sun in a vain attempt to prevent
the egress of the Spanish fleet. The
yacht Comanche, the property of Sen
ator Hanna's brother, was sold to the
government at a high figure.
While the purchase of these vessels
was made public, the sums obtained in
disposing of them have In only a few
Instances come to the surface.
An instance of extravagance in the
purchase of the auxiliary fleet has re
cently come to light in the case of
the yacht Enquirer. This yacht was
owned by W. J. Connors of Buffalo and
cost him about 131.000.
Through the efforts of John R. Hazel
of Buffalo, the Piatt leader in western,
New York, who has Just been made a
federal Judge, the government bourtht
this yacht for $SO,000 during the last
days- of June, 1XS. when the war was
practically over. Of this money 15.000
went to Hazel for what he calls a
"fee." The yacht was refitted at an
expense of several thousand dollars and
was not in service more than three
weeks. Last fall it was sold by the
war department for $20,000. ,
The Standard Oil Bank
Favored Through Its Pull.
Amongst the most unsavory of the
scandais of the McKinley administra-
tlon Is that of the National City bank
of New York City. This bank, domi
nated by the Standard Oil trust, was
enabled, through Secretary Gage and
a potent political puli, to invade the
United Slates treasury. This scandal
furnished the democratic party with,
much campaign material and threaten
ed for a lime to disrupt the republican
party.
The National City bank was selected
by Secretary Gage, with the full ap
proval of President McKinley, as the
distributing agent for all the internal
revenue funds of the government dar
ing the financial crisis of last Decem
ber. By this favoritism It is estimated
that In a few months the bank cleared
about $2,500,000.
The cause of the favoritism shown
the National Clly bank jy the admin
istration was shown In a letter from
the bank's vice president, A. P. Hep
burn, to Secretary Gage, that closed
thus:
'Of course the bank Is very strong,
and if you will take the pains to look
it our list of directors you will see
that we also have very great political
claims, in view of what was done dur
ing the canvass last year."
In one year the government deposits
In this bank Jumped from $200,000 to
419.685,421.
The business of the bank has con
stantly grown since the "list of dlrec
tors was looked over" by Secretary
r.age. Mr. Gage was the persons'
friend of President Stlllman of the
bank.
Secretary P.oot cottld not roslH the
pull of the National City bank and he
transferred to It the handling of about
f3,P,W a month In Philippine busl-
The disclosure frightened the repub
licans, and they d'dln?d to grant a full
'investigation of Secretary Gage's con
nectiln with the National City Stand
ard Oil bank.
Hfrator Allen. Vest and others mar
chars; repeatedly in he senstr"
sgalnst Secreturv Gas which the n1
minls'ratlon did not deny, pursuing
the policy of silence In order that the
scandal might be hushed if possible
Custom House Fund Clven
By Gage To Favored Banke.
Administration leaders were dumb
founded when it was revealed ihat Sec
retary Gage had permitted the Na
tional City bank of New Tork. which
purchased the oid custom house site in
that city, to retain control of the money
thus acquired as a deposit. According
to law it should have been converted
Into the United States treasury also.
In addition to drawing Interest on
the I3.26i.000, which it was proposed
to pay for the old custom house, the
ban kreceived an annual rental from
the government of about $130,000. The
deeds of t property were never form
ally delivered by the treasury depart
ment to the National City bank. The
titte remained with the government at
the direct request of President Still
man of the bank. In that way the
administration officials conspired with
the National City bank to mulct the
city of New York out of $72,000 a year
taxes on the property.
Through the manipulation of the pur
chase price and the saving in taxes
the National City bank was the gainer
of about $201,000 a year.
The custom house matter was never
fully Inquired into because of the fear
of the republicans that the disclosures
would have a disastrous result on the
campaign for the re-election of Mc
Kinley. "Brother Abner" and the
War Contract Scandals.
Abner McKinley, brother of the pres
ident, has been responsible for much
of the scandal which is attached to
the administration.
During the Spanish-American war he
was said to have been retained by a
large number of firms and corporations
that desired to prolit by the lavish ex
penditure of government funds. The
precise weight of his influence was
ALL ABOARD FOR PHILADELPHIA.
never known, but he was popularly
credited with "pulling off" all the big
events In which he was entered.
During the entire period that his
name was mentioned In connection with
the letting of these contracts he was a
frequent visitor at the executive man
sion. Trie scandal caused by the activity of
Abner McKinley finally became
great that Senator Hanna tailed the
attention of both brothers to the In
Jury being done to the republican par
ty. Indeed, certain members of the
republican national committee spent
much time and money In gatheilng ev
idence regarding the operations of Ab
nur, with the view of having It given to
a newspaper, the intention being to
open the president's eyes to the dam
age being wrought by his brother. Hut
when the work of collecting this data
was about completed the war ended
and Abner ceased to be the important
im iur he was during the contrac t let
ting days. The necessity for publica
tion thus being obviated, the facts were
suppressed.
one of the earliest scandals of this
administration was the appointment cf
certain notorious men to public offices
In New Orleans to pay the ante-convention
obligators of Ht-nator Hanna.
Louisiana was favorable to the candi
dacy of Speaker Iteed for president.
WimberUy, Dernas and their associ
ates came to Washington and demand
ed their pay. Great prersure was
brought to bear upon the president to
Iivnt their 'ectlon. Petitions were
presented by the women of New Ur-U-rtris
to Mrs. Gage urtclng her to have
the secretary assist In defeating the
VVImbcrley gang.
Mr. Gage openly declared that the
aprolntmentu should rot be mad
Delegations of prominent men trovn
ill sections of LouMtna m to pro
test against the appointment. The n -torious
rcm ds of the aspirants mere
presented to the public throughout th
vorld but S'-nttor Fnnna commandd
ind Mr. McKI'ilev obeyed.
Th nominations were ttent to the
aerate.
T.en a hitter fight begun erntn fh
.onf.riiiHiiou. Mr. Hanna was faithful
to his ante-convention compact. He
went before the committee on com
merce and assisted Wlmberley and Oe
mas In every possible way. Through
his influence and that of the president,
the appointments were confirmed.
How tha Administration
Aided tha Armor Trust.
President McKinley, through his po
litical manager, Senator Hanna, In
dorsed the grab of the armor plate
trust, which was agreed to by congress
just before adjournment. All during
the session the strongest lobby Wash
ington has seen for years has been
maintained by the armor plate Inter
ests. The shipbuilding lobby and the
lobby working for the shipping subsidy
bill were also Instructed to work for
armor plate. The democrats attempted
to lower the rate by a threat to ounu
a government armor plate factory. The
house refused to consider such a propo
sition and It was introduced in the
senate. Here It was fought by the
administration men. When the bill
went Into conference there were days
of wrangling with the senate steadfast
for cheaper armor or the building of a
government factory. As adjournment
approached the lobby became more in
sistent. After missionary work done by Sen
ator Hanna and republican leaders It
was finally decided to leave to the dis
cretion of the secretary of the navy
the price to be paid for armor. Under
the new law he is authorized to pur
chase armor at a "Just and reasonable
price." and to contract for as many
thousand tons as he desires.
No limit Is fixed. If the secretary
does not blieve the price asked by the
trust Is reasonable, he can use $4,000,000
which has been placed at his disposal
to build a government factory.
On the night the armor plate section
was adopted the lobby held a celebra
tion at Chamberlain's that Is still the
talk of wine-drinking Washington.
Algerism, Eganlsm anu
the Beef Trust Scandal.
"Embalmed beef," "Algerlsm." and
"Eganism," and the favors shown by
the administration to the beef trust will
not soon be forgotten. Nothing which
occurred during the war with ."pain
aroused the public to a higher pitch of
Indignation than the feeding of rotten
beef to the arrny in Cuba.
Beef contractors reaped rich harvests,
while soldiers by the hundreds were
going Into hospitals from eating this
meat upon which they were obliged to
subsist.
Desperate efforts have been made by
the administration to suppress the en
tire truthfi but they have only served
In emphasize the rottenness of the ys.
tern as It was conducted during the
war.
One hundred thousand dollars were
spent by the administration on a com
mission created to whitewash Algur,
Kgan and the embalmed beef. Thf
committor) was partisan and rpportod
In accordance with Instructions, but
that did not modify public sentiment.
The commanding general of the army
and hundreds of army officers, to rsy
nothing of a thousand soldiers, declar
ed that the beef was putrid. Kgan giild
It was sweet and wholesome, and In.l.ls
rage abused General Miles and was
count-marUaled. But having been c
faithful servant of the administration
and a friend of the beef trust, he was
restored to rank.
Then military court of inquiry was
ordered by the president. Despite th
efforts of this court to make a favor
able showing for the beef, the evtdenc
was so overwhelming against It that
the Investigation resulted disastrously
to the adn.lnistra.tlon.
As a final move the president and
his cabinet deckled that Algr must be
made a scapegoat. He whs forced out
if 'he cabinet but the scandals still
live
It was developed during the Investi
gation lhat beefthat had been canrtnd
and shipped to Europe several years
before the "punish wsr began was
shipped back to ihH runtry, relabeled
and sold to the war department f'r
lh army. Chemically prepared beef I
jnJ meats from which the suustMneo
had been rxtrarled were dished up ta
the soldiess In Cuba and Porta Itico.
Thousands of pounds of rotten beet
were thrown overboard by officers In
command of transports, but the trust
lost nothing. The officers were repri
manded and the beef concerns wert
paid for the meat.
Peck's Vast Outlay
Yet To Ba Explained,
The scandal in connection with the
American exhibits at the Paris exposi
tion Is the result of recent disclosures.
For the use of Ferdinand W, Peck, the
commissioner general, $1,44S.7S6 was ap
propriated. The law creating the com
mission required that a detailed report
be made of all expenditures. The re
port when submitted gave details of
about $400,000 disbursements. The re
mainder, nearly $&00,000, is yet to be
specifically accounted for.
Government funds have been scat
tered for excessive salaries and heavy
traveling expenses. The charge has
been made that employes have sold
space privileges and retained the mon
ey. The French government allotted
space free of charge. The sums ex
tracted from exhibitors ate said to have
ranged from $150 each upward. The
number of exhibitors exceeds 7,000.
Some of them have forwarded com
plaints to this city. .
The senate by resolution and the
state department by cablegrams have
sought to ascertain in detail what Com
missioner General Peck did with tha
government money. In his first detail
ed report he lumped the salaries of ex
perts at $72,045, and put his traveling
expenses at $3,724. The assistant com
missioner general received $4,073 for
traveling expenses, more than his sal
ary. The director of machinery and
electricity drew a salary of $3,600 a
yeur and traveling expenses of $3,547.
The salaries of clerks and other em
ployes are fixed by Commissioner Cen
tra I Peck.
Of the $200,000 appropriated for gov
ernment buildings but half was ex
pended, according to the reports filed,
and nothing is given to indicate where
the remainder was used.
What Has McKinley
Done With $50,000,000?
The conservative public has bwn as
tounded by the way In which the $i0,
000,000 emergency fund placed by con
gress in the hands of the president has
disappeared without an accounting.
The president gave a solemn pledge
that he would account for every dollar
of this fund. He has done so In the
lump, but with a remarkabla evasion
of detail.
Kach of the Interested departmit!
presented a makeshift report indicat
ing In bulk what general disposition
was made of Its share, but ttwre ha
never been the detailed statement that
was expected.
Senator Jones of Arkansas, chairman
of the democratic national committee,
recently culled attention to this scan
dal. He said that for two years he
had been waiting to see a satisfactory
report. Indicating how the $,"i0,ttK.
fund was ep.-nl, and as yet none lias
bi'fn made
The favoritism shown the sons of
distinguish"! public men In army ap
pointments has cauned a scandal of no
on an pretensions. The selection of offi
ct r for the Volunteer army during the
Spanish-American war was bas-d very
largely on parentage, and not on merit.
The son of a prominent statesman or
public official could obtain a commis
sion without regard to cxpertetite or
qualifications. In this way the troops
were In tunny instances placed umir
the leadership of rnotft Incompetent of
ficers. It finally became practically impos
sible for a commission to be secured
unless the applicant's father, grand
father or some other near relative was
of national reputation and commanding
Influence.
"Song of Somebodies' became th of.
fleers, while men of practical experi
ence and military training were com
pelled to forego service or enlist as
privates.
Cuban Postal Scandal
Comes To Cap the Climax.
The latest scandal of the McKinley
administration is that connected with
the Cuban postal service. Iefaulter
Nwly and his accomplices stand today
charged with stealing $100,000. Inves
tigation has shown that the Cuban
postal system for more than a year
has been a prolific source of fraud aw!
embezzlement.
Charles F. W. Neely was the choice
of Perry S. Heath, first assistant post.
master general, for the treasurership
of the postal service in Cuba. He wan
fencing with creditors in Muncle, lnd
when he left for Cuba. When he was
arrested for defrauding the government
he was able to deposit two $10,000 bills
as cash ball.
Neely had a printing office In Mun-
rle. After he arrived In Cuba this
office was swamped with orders for
government postal business from
Neely.
In December, lf98, Neely assume! his
office in Cuba. At that time there
were claims and Judgments against him
big and little. He welcomed the sal
ary of $1,$00 and In a few months sent
a package containing $15,000 to a fe
deiolt concern in M uncle.
A month ago the truth came out.
Neely was arrested, charged with ap
propriating government funds. He was
caught In llochestcr and arralgnei In
New York before Commissioner Shields
and his extradition applied for. The
formal accusation was tnat Instead f
destroying condemned stamps he boM
them In the Havana postofnee and ap
propriated the money.
postmaster Thompson of Havana
corfi'Siied and Ksten C. Hathbone's
name was dragged In. He wrs dir"-
tor-general of the posts In Cuba, arl
Is now under suspension and prevented!
by the authorities from leaving tne ial-
an'l.
Alt the men Implicated In th Culinn
postal scandal were appointed hy th
Influence of Senator Italhbonc or his
friends.
Chicago Tribune: "Twenty-five dol
lars for lhat hal, Maria?. Thai's a
frightful price for such a little thlnn,
It's nearly all profit." "The milliner I
bought it of may have madu a IHt'e
something, but I took up th firm of
three other milliners for half a day
while I was looking around town for it
There's some satisfaction In that."
The electric lamp was born In 102,
when Sir Humphrey Davy produM
electric light by passing a current of
electricity from a buttery of Z.b'M ccll
owr charcoal points.