The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-01-11
Washington Letter.

Washington, Jan 9.-Senator Mason
fred an unexpected bombshell into the
ranks of the Philippine annexatioolsss
when he offered his resolution, starting
With quotation from the Declaration of
IndepeD eDdepce- -"Whereas. all just
powers of government are derived from
the consent of the goverued"-aDd de-
claring that the q. S. will not attempt
to govern the people Of any other coun.
try without tie consent of the people
themselves or subject them by force to
our dominion against their will Un-
less she attitude of Aguiualdo sad bis
followers changes widely from what the
latest official advices state it to be. We
have got to govern them by force or
not all.
Representative Bailey Won his constitu.
tional 6gbt without report from the
house Judiciary committee, although
the members Of the com mittee are un-
derstood to be unanimous iu the belief
that the acceptance of a commission 10
the volunteer army, by representative,
vacates bis seat in the house. Gear Reed
won Mr.. Bailey's Eight for him, by re-
fusing to certify the vouchers for the
pay of the three members of the house
who hold commissions
The mail of southern senators and
representatives is foil Of protests from
ex. Confederate soldiers against the
proposal Of senator Butler, of N. O..
to give them u: 8. pensions. Senator
Pascal presented formal memorial to
the senate against the Butler idea, from
the Confederate veterans OF Ocala. Fla.
The. house has administered its au-
nnal scare to ,the civil service eommis-
sion, and it was more real than usual.
This time, the house, sitting as CON-
rnittee Of the whole actually voted to
strike out the appropriation for the
civil service commission, 10 the ez-
eoutive, legislative and judicial bill
When the yea snd nay vote was taken.
however, the appropriation got small
majority. and this years. scare was
ever.
Senator CaErey. Of Louisiana, aud
Representative Swanson, of Virginia.
made speeches in support of Senator
Vests resolution. declaring colonial
system to be prohibited by the U. s
Constitution. Mr.. Swanson. after
pointing ous that. 10 his opinion. the
trade advantages we would secure by
the annexation of the Philippines,
would not begin to balance the expenses
Of keeping them, stated bis belief that
the main support of che imperialis.io
policy came from those who are work
ing to bring about an offensive and
defensive alliance between the o.. 8.
and Great Britain. Senator Cadrey's
speech was reply to that made before
the holiday recess by Senator Plat. OF
Conneeticus. He said Here the
bold proposition is advanced that the
right 20 govern is broad and imperial
and without Limitation by our Conssitu-
ton. If the argument advanced by
the senator from Connecticut be true
and sound. then the individual rights
Of man are to be held by the q s.
under Congressional despctism. Our
Constitution knows 10 despo,ism !; it
sedulously provides againss despossm
but right here is despotism of the
most fagrans character possible .
No one doubts that the tresty of
peace, which vent to the seoate last
week, will in due time receive the
necessary number Of votes to ratify 1t.
;; With number to spare, but it does not
necessarily follow that the Senate will.
in The meantime, consent to be muz
zled This was fully demonstrated
when the senate adopted. over the
vigorous protest of Senator Davis.
Chairman of the Committee Cd ForeigD
Relations, and late a peace commission
er, Senator Hoar's resolution calling
upon the President, if DOT incompatible
4 Will pUUbC V5kO6SoS w CSoN W 'A@S
senate copies Of all instructions given
to the peace commissioners, and of all
correspondence with the commissioners
during their stay in Paris. The senate
| took the ground tha: it ought TO have
this information before voting on the
treaty.
The boys who tried to eat the
"embalmed" beef issued 20 them in
Caba aud Porto Rico will have 10 read
the testimony of Alger.con'roled army
officers 10 order to ind out what elegant
beef that was, aud how mistaken they
were in finding fault With it. A nan
who was 10 both places and who knew
What he was talking about remarked :
''The testimony Of sone of these
officers is quite as nausesting to me as
that embamed beef was"
There are reasons for the belief that
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