The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-06
CONGRESS CONVENES.
Republicans Elect Speaker.
Political Gossip of Interest
to Politicians.

osuouses ever held. got the vote of
every democratic member Of the
House today He was not, of
course. elected /; the republicans
having the moot votes. elected
Representative Henderson Speaker,
and adopted the old Reed rules. but M
Richardson will be the democratic
foor. leader of the house during Ihe
life Of the Fifty sixsh congress
There may be moro snowy and
brilliant meo on the democratic eide
o( she House. bot that be will make
shsewd end safs leader 10 conceded
By ell. HE shrewdness would have
been shown BY the manner 10 which
10 conducted hls campaign for the
nomination Of Speaker. had IL not
oeen we'll established long ego He
received no warmer congratulations
on HE success than those extended
By bic three rivals for the hooos
Leaving Roberts and bis poiygamy
entirsly out of the question, the
position taken by the democrats in
shs 6rst scrap Of the session. which
occurred when objection wss raised
to the swearing in of Roberto. that
ths house had no right 20 20 behind
The ofdcisl returns and deny . man .
eest, when he presents proper Gre.
densisls. wss right. but right oan't
win when majority 10 determined 70
do the other thing. II Roberts can.
not clear bimself of the charge of
having vioIssed the law. there will
b few, 10 any. objections on the
de0ocrstic side to bic being denied
. seas, but Il 10 wrong to declare him
guilty before bis case is fairly invest
igsted.
Mr. MoKinIsy's long message
one of the longest ever sent to CON.
gress--wss not sent in today, owing
to the early adjournment of both
seoste and house M q mark of
respecs to the late Vice President
Hobart. II will 60 10 tomorrow, and
then the real business of the session
OF congress will begin The demo
crate were never 10 Q more sxgsess
i've mood. and "hot times" are ahead
foe the republican majority in both
ssoste and house.
Tbs attention Of eenators 10 being
called 10 the fact that Gov Stone bad
no constitutional right TO appoint Mr.
Quay TO the senate. after the legisls.
sure sdjourued. without electioQ bic
successos The State constitution of
Psnnsylvsnis expressly provides that
vacancies in the United States sen
sse sbsl only be filed by the legisla
ture. A number of influential Penn
sylvsniaos ere in Washington work.
ing against the seating Of Quay on
personal grounds, against both
precedent and law One Of these ia
ex.Represensstive Sowdep, who said
ON the subject: "The question
should not b made . partisan one,
bot each senator. regardless of his
poIitics, or bis personal friendship for
mr Qoay, should vote as q conscien
sious. impartial and upright Judge,
Ind decide 'it sccording to its merits
and the dictates Of his own con
ecisnce. under his official oath. II
THE 10 done, there oan be no ouar
tios OF the resuls Gov Stope's
oelswful appointment has not
dsg's merit 70 support it"
:. Thss our peosios laws ere In need
Of ssvisioo. everybody knows. bu,
) vhen they will get n. or whether the
ssvisios viii mske them better or
worss. iss . horse Ici another color
The secretary end .ssistsnt secretsry
OF tho interior, and the commissioner
and sssistsnt comm issioner OF pep
sious, have testifed before q cub
committee. OF the senate committee
On pensions. that Q revision of the
laws should DO made. and recon.
mended that Il be done by q non
partisan commission A .nstional
commission that is really non partisan
would be . rarity. indeed. although
there are msoy 30 called
Representative Smith Of Kentucky.
who ives recently acting chairman of
the Kentucky democratic State com
m',,ee. thinks the legal con,es, in
that State, depends upon the view
the court of sppesls takes of tissue
ballots He thinks those ballots
vsre illegal. snd knows that they
we're used extensively in the repub
iican border counties. to make sure
chat the foaters" voted a. they
yere paid 10 vote He says if the
tissue ballots are thrown out "a
Illegal. Goebel will have Q plurality
OF from 1000 to 10000. Mr. Smith
Gays he doesn't believe there will be
sny trouble in the State. no matter
what the fnsl decls,,n may be.
AZ "a lv., =.