The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-12-28
Washington Letter.

Washington, Dec. 26 The Demo-
crass in Congress may not succeed in
defeating scheme to increase the reg
ular army to 100, 900 men. but they in,
tend that the country shall be thorough.
!y acquainted With the enormous and
permanent taxation which those Who
are behind the srheme are trying to put
upon the people. The report of the
minority Of the House Committee on
Military Affairs, signed by every Dem
ocratic member Of the committee. has
been filed with the clerk Of the House
owing to the railrcadiug Of the Hall
bill shrougb the committee aud report.
ing it to the House before the holiday
recess. they had to prepare it after
Congress adjourned-aod it is 40 in
teresting document Il points ous that
while an army Of 100000 men would
be menace to our liberties i5 time Of
peace, it would be toe weak to cope
with any 6rss-clsss power in war, that
the cost Of the Hull bill would be about
$150,O00 year, which added to the
pension payments would bring our
military expenditures up to nearly
$500 200, ,000-mose than is paid by
any ore Of those .grsat, European ma
tions which keep their armies prscti-
caliy on q war footing all the time.
Here Is clause Of the report, espe
oially deserving consideration: ''Is rs
we'll understood that the great corpo-
rate interests of the country demand
this large army for obvious reasons. A
president With ,such force behind him,
ooald invade our liberties, suppress
freedom of speech, and even desecrsse
the ballot Itself" The Democrats on
the committee accompany their report
With . bill, with which they will put
the House en record. BY Offering It ss q
Substitute for the Hull bill It pro-
vides for regular army OF thirty thou.
sand men, and FOE the enlistment, for
not more than two years, of $4,000
volunteers. for service in the new pos
sessions of the United States and in
Cuba. There is:. no reason, at this
time, to believe that We will have any
actual need for an army Of more than
80, 600 men two yeare hence. as the
islands which we are now compelled 30
garrison are likely TO be either govern
ing themselves by that time, or owned
By some other government.
Professor Blair, of North Carolina,
who 10 10 Washington, said: "The
purpose of the North Carolinians to
follow .heexample of Mississippi. South
Carolina and Louisiana. and accom-
.plish the partial disfranchisemens Of
the negroes. is worthy and commend
able Of all supporters Of the institutions
iof this country Il is quite 10 line
with the most advanced idea Of the Mo
Kinley administration, represented By
Senator Cullom's Hawaiian Connie
sion, which, by the way, has modelled
q splendid plan for the disfrauchise-
mens Of the North Carolina negroes.
without Intentionally doing such .
thing The bill be has reported, dis.
frsochisiog the natives Of the Hawaiian
islands. is q very good one. in that the
natives of the islsnds are not &c to
govern 80 American territory. If this
is true in Hawaii, it is doubly true 10
North Carolina"
Gen. Miles badly frightened num-
bes of persons. and some of them hold
u. 8. Commissions, .wbeo he said that
be vas making personal investigation
into the sending of ''embalmed" beef
to our soldiers 10 Cuba and Porto Rico.
An investigation-a real investiga-
tion-is about the last, thing anybody
contested With that "embalmed" beef
wants to see, because, 10 the 6rss place,
Sit would show chat those high in
authority agreed to making an expert
msut that endangered the health and
lives Of thousands of soldiers for no
more apparsn, reason tbas that it
would be very profitable for those who
sold sbe government the ''embalmed"
beef.
Senator Gray, the oo'y democratic
member of the peace commission,
which has just returned from Paris,
bringing the official copy of the treaty
Of peace. expressed pleasure to learn
that democratic senators generally bad
accepted Col. Bryan's IDEA, that the
question of expansion was not 10 any
way involved in the treaty, aud that
consequently there would be DO party
opposition to the ratification Of the
treaty. Failure to ratify the treaty
might cause international complications.
while its ratification will clear the deck
for dom essic contest, as to whether we
shall keep the Philippines, give them
their independence or dispose Of them
to some other country. Senator Gray