The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-27
SQuandering Public Money.

Washington. Dec 25 The most
notable thing about the present
attitude of the Hanna Mckinley
machine is its apparent recklessness
in arranging for legisIatioa that will
result in the extravagaut expendi
ture of public money They seem
to take it for granted that the people
are too dazed to see through their
schemes, one of the most costly of
which is the ship subsidy job which
is to be started with an appropriation
of 500 900. 900, to be disbursed in
ten years. This job was endorsed
by Mr. Mckinley in his message, and
by the republican National Committee
at it's recent meetings, and it is to
push it along that Assistant Post
master General Perry. and Com
troller of Currancy Dawes have
been selected 80 long in advance of
the campaign. and in absolute
defiance of the Civil Service law to
prepare literature to be distributed
by the national committee The
principal duty of this republican
literary bureau for several months
will be to try to I'll republican papers
With demands for the passage of the
ship subsidy bill by Congress, in
order that the weak kneed republi
cans in Congress, who are disposed
to balk on this sub sidy business,
may be made to believe that the press
of their party is demanding the legis
lation Iftbis job goes through
Congress, and is signed by Mr.
Mckinley. it ought to and probably
will, make thousands of democratic
votes in the Presidential campaign.
and that isn't the only contemplated
JOB In fact, it looks as though the
Hanna Mckinley machine. in its
recklessness to spend public money
in the interest of it's favored
supporters, would furnish first class
lot of vote making democratic cam
paign material
Boss Platt has already half won
bis fight against Secretary Root as
the nominee for vice president on the
Mckinley ticket, as Boss Hanna has
publicly said that there was no dis
position to force Mr.. Root on the
ticket if he was not acceptable to the
New York delegation But Platt is
not to have everything his own way,
and it is practically certain that he
will not be able to get his man. Tim
otby Woodruff, on the ticket Hanna
played strong anti Platt card when
be got boom started for Cornelius
Bliss, who was Mr. McKinley's first
secretary of the interior, and who is
every bit as Objectionable to Plat as
Root And he dropped hint for
Patt when be said that if New York
wanted second place on the ticket,
it would have to present united
delegation at .he convention, other
wise the domination would go to
some other state Already Attorney
General Griggs has miniature boom.
That Mr., Mckinley does not re
gard his reelection as an assured
thing, may be judged from the fact
that be has already partially made ar
rangements for an across the CONT
nent stumping tour. similar to the
one he made last fail The excuse is
to be the launching of the battle ship
Ohio, at San Francisco, which is to
take place sometime in September or
October Mr. Mckinley will attend
the launching on special train,
going by one route and returning by
another, and will make rear platform
speeches wherever the party maua
gers may consider them necessary
Similar trips are to be made to the
New England states. all of which
shows that Mr.. Mckinley isn't ex
pectiog the walk over that less
shrewd members of his party are pre-
dieting.
Subscriptions to the fund that is
being raised for the widow and chill.
dren of Gen LawtoD, who vas killed
in the PHILIPPINES, are coming in quite
rapidlv The total now exceeds
$1,000
The administration has refused to
order Gen Wheeler to either re
main in the PHILIPPINES, where be is
said to be much dissatisfied with the
command given him by Otis, or to
return to Washington He got a
friend to endeavor to get Mr. Nc
Kinley to drop hint on the subject.
and that is the sort Of hint be got.
IfGen Wheeler returns, he will have
to resign his commission as brigadier
general of volunteers
Senator Marioo Butler, chairman Of
the national peoples party commit
tee, has sent letter to. each mem
her of that committee asking for their