The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-11-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.

filing of the peace commissioners
and the weekly crisis, on paper,
always accompanied by an alleged
ultimatum sent by this government.
There has been but one question to
be settled since this government de-
manded the Philippines. The price
we are to pay for them. That ques.
tion is still unsettled Why, some
of the Spanish bondholders could
doubtless tell When it is settled
we will have the treaty of peace and
not before. That Mr.. Mckinley
could quickly settle this business by
sending an ultimatum is unquestion.
ed !; also that he ought to do it. but
it is bupiliating, in the extreme, to
have men close to the ADMINISTRATION
announcing every week that one has
been sent, when day or two after
wards it becomes apparent to all the
world that it has not
1t is the easiest thing in the world
to get people accustomed to and
Indifferent to large public expendi
lures Only a few years ago the
appropriation of a billion dollars by
a republican congress aroused the
public opinion of the country, and
elected democratic president and
congress. Since then, about every
congress has been billion dollar
congress; and the present congress,
which has already appropriated
almost billion dollars, will, by tie
end of the coming short session, have
reached the billion mark. 1t is true
that considerable portion of this
money is chargeable to the war, but
outside of the war, the public expen.
ditures are entirely too extravagant,
and might be largely curtailed with
out lesseDing the efficiency of the
government.
Mr.. Mckinley has shown his
adroitness as politician by deciding
not to recommend any Legislation at
the coming session of congress for
Porto Rico or the Philippines, and to
keep the islands under military rule
for awhile BE knows that the ques.
tion of Legislation for the islands will
be troublesome one and prefers that
it shall not be taken up untll his
party has majority in both branches
of congress.
Assistant Secretary Of War Mike.
john wishes to be the Hanna McKin.
ley candidate for the senate, from
Nebraska, and his friends say that
be thinks he will be, the conditions
being that be shall promise TO sup
port the administration in all things
in the senate, and that he shall secure
solid Mckinley delegation from
Nebraska to the republican conven-
ton in 1900. The same sort Of
pledge is being exscted as the price
of administration support of all the
other candidates for the senate, in
states where the legislatures to elect
senators are controlled by the repub-
licans. Mr.. Mckinley seems reason
ably certain of denomination, but
Boss Hanna will take no chances and
will, if in his power, clinch the thing
long before the convention IS held.
1t is to carry out this clinching
programme that the republican ma
tional Committee is to open head
quarters in Washington. at once, and
keep them open antil after the presi-
Dental election 1t is also part of
this scheme to exhibit the strength of
the administration machine to Gear
Reed, as warning.
1t is announced that the Canadian
American commission, now sitting
in Washington, has made great
progress, but the announcers take
good care to accompany the an
nouncement with the statement that
the agreements reached by the com
mission have been only upon minor
matters, and that the important ques-
tons are still up in the air 1t is
further stated that none of the agree.
ments reached are to be binding
unless agreements are reached upon
everything, which Indicates that the
"great progress is largely imagi-
nary.
The republican Z. S. district at
torney, for South Carolina, spent two
entire days consulting with the
administration, upon what should be
done by the attorney general. if
anything, about the race troubles in
that state The district attorney was
not enthusiastic over the probable
success of the plan of trying to get
indictments against white men for
participating in riots, from a federal
grand jury, which has been adopted
by the administration, but be will have
to try it on, if the administration
insists he wishes to continue draw