The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-10-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, Oct 10 Lawyers
for the defense seldom bring out any
testimony against The accused. The
members of the Mckinley war in-
vestigation commission-.The Al
GER relief commission" is what a
local paper calls it-who have put
:he questions to the witnesses who
have SO far testified may not consider
themselves Secretary Alger's law.
yers, but, if they were, their cues.
tions could not in the opinion Of
many unprejudiced persons, have
been more carefully prepared to pre-
vent the giving of undeslred EVIL
dence. 0ae witness, Col. Lee, who
started to tell about some OF she war
departments mismauagemens, IN the
matter of transportation. without
being questioned upon the subject,
was at once called down and inform
ed that the commission was not
ready to enter that branch Of the in-
vestigation He took the hint and
thereafter only answered such cues
sions as were asked Gen. d, V.
Boynton reiterated his theory that
flies were responsible for so much
sickness al Camp Thomas, and an
other Witness brigade surgeon
indorsed it. Instead of trying to
find out, the commission appears to
be trying not to find ont anything
derogatory to Secretary Alger's man
agement of the war department. 1t
appears to desire only evidence that
viii be complimentary to the depart
ment
There is much sympathy expressed
for Mrs. Mckinley, who left Wasa-
ington for Canton. Ohio, Saturday
night, to attend the funeral Of her
brother, who was killed, supposedly
by Jealous woman, Friday evening.
She was to have started to the Omaha
Exposition today, with Mr.. McKin-
ley and party of officials and thelr
wives. The party went and will be
Joined at Canton by Mr.. Mckinley.
bat Mrs Mckinley will probably
not 60.
The arrest of Senator Quay. for
conspiracy in connection with the
failure of Philadelphia bank, has
been much talked about in Washing.
ton Opinion is not unanimous as TO
whether Senator Quay is innocent or
guilty of this particular charge, but.
aside from few men who are under
personal obligations to him, the let
ters from Quay to the cashier of the
bank, who committed suicide after
the bank closed it's doors, have add.
ed to the opinion long held by most
persons who known his business
habits that Quay is utterly unified
10 hold seat in the United States
Senate Quay is, and has been for
years. a regular gambler. aud has
never hesitated to make use OF
knowledge obtained in his official ca.
pacity to gamble 10 stocks for his
own profit. He was one OF the most
prominent of the senatorial sugar
spectators, whose operations shock
ed country, and brought about an n
alleged investigation, while the tariff
was under consideration by the sen
ate finance committee. At the in.
vestigasion. Quay adopted b!ufhng
methods /; told the committee that he
speculated in sugar or anything else.
whenever he wished to, and in effect
asked what the committee was going
to do about it No real patriot will
deny that the country would be bet
ter off if all such men as Quay were
driven out of the Senate and kept
out
Nothing could show more en-.
cou:agement for Democrats in the
campaign than the fact
that Republicans acknowledge their
fear of losing four out Of the eleven
Iowa districts, now all represented
by Republicans A gain of thirty
seats is all that is needed by the
Democrats to put .ae Republicans in
q minority in the next House, and
the prospects of getting them and
many more, are very bright at this
time
Ex Senator Blackburn, of Ken
tucky, now in Washington said :
ssThe political outlook 10 Kentucky
is as satifactory as Democrats could
wish. Of the eleven congressional
districts they will carry nine certain.
ly, and of the remaining two there is
more than an even chance of carry
ing one-the Louisville district. 1t
seems to me that there is every rea
son to regard the condition of the
democracy throughout the Nation.
with complacency. and believe that
the gains made by the party in No
vewber, will be large in majority
nf the states ~