OCR Text |
Show AS TO CARPET-BAGGING. The nation that depends for the administration ad-ministration of its dependencies on men sent from home to distant parts, is at a great disadvantage. Two facts appear to follow from the selection of men to administer the affairs of colonies, colo-nies, nor is it in civil affairs alone that the observation holds good. The first is a feeling of importance in the chosen Individual quite out of proportion to his worth; the second is a sense of irresponsibility ir-responsibility to higher power, which naturally results in deeds of an arbi-tray arbi-tray nature and too often of a vernal nature. Spain experienced this condition of things for years, while theunthinking In the United States rashly assumed that the Madrid government was alone responsible for the maladministration in Cuba and other Spanish possessions. Fair minded and observant people everywhere realized that the government govern-ment at Madrid was as honest as governments gov-ernments generally . are, and that it neither condoned or connived at he peculations or short-comings of its servants abroad. It faced a condition that seemed to be without remedy. One dishonest official was succeeded by another an-other with a reputation for integrity and honesty at home, but who, when without check or hindrance at a distance, dis-tance, carried away by his own importance, im-portance, and lack of supervision, soon became of a like character with his predecessor. For centuries endured this sort of thing, and in the history of those ages the Spanish character developed de-veloped no more of the carpet bag spiritand spir-itand we use the term in its most approbious sense than the American carpet bagger displayed in the days of the reconstruction period. And what shall we say of the instinct of the average American for plunder now that he has had an opportunity in our so-called new possessions. Take Cuba for instance. There the directors of posts against whom we believe there is no charge of direct stealing-had stealing-had no sooner arrived in Havana than he set up a regal establishment, it Is said at government expense. In any ! case the whole thing was out of keeping keep-ing with truly Democratic simplicity. It is no wonder, therefore that, seeing the splendor in which their chief was living, the petty officers commenced an era of plunder that is a scandal and a disgrace. But the worst of it is the obVious attempt to hush it up in some quarters lest perchance it work to the detriment of the party in power. Of course a big show has been made to bring to. book the guilty, but at the same time there has been all along an evident attempt to belittle the previous crimes against the people of Cuba, whose affairs we hold but in trust. In theory at least we are but Cuba's guardian, but unless all signs are misleading, mis-leading, it is the intention of some men in authority to repudiate our solemn pledges and annex Cuba as a colony to be exploited for the benefit of the party carpet bagger. In either case none of "our recently obtained possessions posses-sions should be considered legitimate prey for plunder. What are Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines to gain if after all an American robber is to be substituted for a Spaniard of the same character? The man who is free from party, bias and will look at the whole question fairly and dispassionately, dispassion-ately, can come to but one conclusion, and that is that carpet bag rule Us bad for him on whom it is practiced and worse for him who practices it. We have such confidence in the integrity in-tegrity of the common people of America Amer-ica who know what it is to earn a dolla,r that we believe they will not tolerate the system that makes possible possi-ble much less the party or men who are responsible for carpet bagging. a |