The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-07-24
" ashington Letter.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July, p, 95.'

VIC lloNhNCo 10 Oa'
those who are jumping ali over Secre-
taries Olney, Carlisle and Herbert
and Attorney General Harmon, who
attended a special cabinet meeting
last Friday afternoon, because they
declined to tell what was considered
at that meeting. Since when, pray,
has it been the custom for members
ofthe Cabinet to take newspapers into
their confidence to that extent
There are reasons-good ones-for
keeping secret for the present the
business of that meeting and abuse
will not change them.
A bit of the same sort of business
is the abuse heaped upon Comptroller
Bowler, because he has notified
beet sugar company of Nebraska that
he has doubts of the constitutionality
of the Act making an appropriation
to pay sugar bounties, and request
ing them, through their lawyers, to
present arguments on the subject
Mr. Bowler is only performing his
daty In a decision in suit brought
to compel payment Of sugar bounty
the Court of Appeals Of the District
of Columbia has declared the bounty
law to have been, in its opinion,
unconstitutional. What then is
wrong about Comptroller Bowler
demanding to have his doubts remov-
ec before approving the payment of
public money? That is exactly what
the office of Comptroller exists for.
Treasury officials are not disposed
to regard seriously the proposed boy
colt of national bank currency by the
knights of Labor They say that
even if the boycott be carried out ac-
cording to programme it would not
affect the Treasury in the slight
est manner, although it would
probably result in lessening
the amount of money in circulation,
as the National Banks would doubt
less soon withdraw greater portion
OF their notes The notes of Nation
al Banks represent less than one
fifth of the circulating money of the
United States, the total being less
then s2l2.o00,000 1t is difficult to
see what would be gained by boy
colting national bank currency.
True, the National Bank notes are
not legal tender, as between individu-
ais; neither are the gold and silver
certificates, but they can be turned
into legal tender so easily that their
refusal would amount to nothing.
Should National Bank Notes be
refused all their holders would have
to do would be to present them to
the Treasury for redemption and re.
ceive legal tenders for them. The
Knights of Labor are on the wrong
track. The National Banking Sys.
tenn, under present laws, is far from
being perfect or even half way salts
factory, but there is only one way to
fight it without fighting tie United
States Government, and that is
through repeal or amendment of the
laws by Congress. Neither the
knights of Labor nor any other or
ganization, civil, religious or military
is strong enough to successfully boy
colt the United States Government,
and that is just exactly what literal
carrying out of that order of Sover-
elgn's would mean
Ex-Speaker Crisp is in Washing
ton. but will sail this week for
Europe. where he will remain until
the fall, for the benefit of his health,
which, while much better than it was
during the last session of Congress, is
still. far from robust Judge Crisp
simply laughs at the story that he is
running away from Georgia to escape
the Silver discussion now going on
in the State He says the people Of
Georgia know better than that also,
that they know his position in favor
of silver is the same now that it has
been for years
A business man from New York
thus sizes up the political outlook:
The prospects Of the democrats are
Frightening all the time. Anybody
who doubts that statement knows but
little of what is going on. Wages
are being advanced, mills are running
night and day and American manufac
turers, thanks to free raw materials, are
beating their European competitors
in the most distant markets of the
earth This is proof positive that
with equal chances as to material the
manufacturer of the United States
could not only hold his own against
the foreigner, but could drive him off
the field Ex,Secretary Whitney is,
| think. the strongest man the demo-
Gratis could nominate for president y
Secretary Olney was asked when
he came to Washington the other
&c ~ Do,;lo 49, Ill o.;,.o,, 80,