The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-08-24
Washington Letter.

is the sum and substance OF tue au
vice that some of the most level-head.
ed friends, who have observed the
fact that Dewey mas not made a sim
gle mistake from the day he destroy
ed the Spanish feet to the day he
forced the surrender of Manila, have
been giving Mr.. Mckinley, who ap
parently is still without a policy OF
bis own. 1t has been urged upon
him that Dewey during the nearly
four months he has been in Manila
bay, has thoroughly famlliarized HIM
self with the condition of the islands,
and would be better able than any man
who is not there, to say what rela-
tons we ought to MAINTAIN towards
them 1t has also been pointed out
to him that the public confidence in
Dewey's judgment and patriotism
would cause his decision to be re.
ceived without question by the peo.
pie. All of these things Mr.. McKin.
ley has acknowledged, and he would
doubtless be glad to adopt and act
upon the advice were it not that some
of his political advisers have aroused
his jealousy of Admiral Dewey as
possible rival in 1900, and told him
that Dewey must be kept in the back
ground if he wanted to keep him out
of the White House.
Not satifed with reducing the SAL
ary of man who was at one time
considered competent to FL! the posi-
ton of chief clerk, the civil service
commission has dismissed the man for
criticism of his superiors in Office
an awful crime. in the minds OF his
superiors. The aforesaid criticism
consisted of an answer made by the
clerk-E. D. Bailey-to public de-
famation of himself by the commits
sion. The commission has never for
given Bailey for having exposed
some of its humbuggery when wit
ness before Senate committee, and
has probably wasted much tiae,
highly paid for by the peoples mon
ey, in schemipg how to humble him.
or push him out of Office, without
seeming to be actuated by any other
desire than the good of the service,
only to make a fzzle of it at last
Bailey may have deserved dismissal
many think the whole civil service
outfit does-but he should have been
given proper cause for his discharge
and it should have been 80 entered
on the record.
Gen. Blapco is showing dieposi-
ton to take advantage of the pub
lished disinclinatiou of the admins.
tra;ion to send an army of occupa
tion to Cuba before cool weather, to
carry things with high hand at
Havana, and to prejudice the rabble
against the U. S. Blanco's intention
to make further trouble for us is go
plain that it is worrying the admins.
tration no little, and demands that
BIanco be peremptorily called down
are reaching Mr.. Mckinley from all
sections of the country
That there is NO limit to Spaoish
gall was shown by .he unofficial OBJ
lection made by the government of
Spain to the selection of Senator
Davis, of Mimi Chairman of the
Senate Committee on foreign rela-
tioDs, to be one of the American
Peace Commissioners, because his
anti-Spanish views were too strong
and too we'll known Were such an
objection held to be valid, Mr. Nc
kinney would have to choose for
Peace Commissioners such men as
Senator Wellington. of Maryland.
and Senator Aale. of Maine. about
the only two Senators who made
their friendliness towards Spain coD-
spicuous during the debate which
preceded the war 1t will be all up
with Mr. Mckinley if every one of
the five Peace Commissioners chosen
bv him. are not known to be strongly
anti Spanish in their views. Al.
ready there has been some criticism
of the selection of Secretary Day,
for that very reason, but it has re-
NAMED within bounds for it is known
that Mr. Day will advance the opin-
ions Of Mr. Mckinley, and not his
own, when the Peace Commission
meets
Another exhibition of Spanish gall,
which was probably put out for
feeier, was the attempt Of Sagasta to
appear to take it for granted that the
Spanish Ambassador at Paris would
be the presiding officer at the delib-
erations OF the Peace Commission.
His talk merely caused a smile in
Washington As the victorious pow,
er, the y s. has the right, not only
to name the presiding officer. if such
be needed, but to insist that it's Com.
n,;.s;onors tata nrece6ence in everv