The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-06-14
OUR RULERS IN
WASHINGTON.

Suppress News and Keep
the County in the
Dark.
Washington. June IL Everybody
is asking everybody else why the
administration is trying so hard to
keep the people in the dark about
what is going on in the Philippines,
when only short time ago it was it's
boast that i! published all the official
dispatches received 1t is known
from the press reports that have
been SLOWED to pass the military
censor at Manila, that hard fighting
has been going on, and the suspicion
is growing that Gen. Otis is making
some use of the volunteers who
should be on their way home, if any
of the numerous promises made had
been kept, that the administration
doesn't wish their friends at home to
know urtil whatever is being at
tempted is all over. And it is ad
mitted by officials that there are
differences between Gen Otis and
Mr.. Schurman, president of the Phil
ippine commission, but claimed that
the differences are unimportant The
public doesn't care a continental
about the claims made by officials,
but it wishes to know and feels that
it has right to know what is being
done with our volunteers hence
there is general feeling of resent
ment against the suppression of
official dispatches.
One of the principal reasons why
Secretary Alger desires to retain the
war portfolio, even when be knows
that Mr.. Mckinley would like to get
rid of him, will soon become appa-
rent to close observers, as it has
been announced that a number of
franchises for various more or less
valuable concessions in Porto Rico
are shortly to be granted 1t might
naturally be supposed that such
franchises, if granted at all before
the establishment of the civil govern
ment for the island, would be granted
by the military governor, but no
chances are TO he taken bY the men
who are after those franchises they
are to be granted by Secretary Alger,
and it is dollars to ginger cakes that
every one of them that is at all
desirable, will be captured by his
friends and business associates.
In issuing second elaborate de-
fense of Mr.. McKinley's civil SER
vice order, Secretary Gage rather
overdid his task, without changing
anybody's opinion. Criticisms of the
order have made Mr.. Mckinley very
sore, and he has engaged in the
explanation business himself and
even tried to get "funny" by telling
how surprised senators and repre-
sentatives have been who have come
after some of the places excepted
from the civil service rules and found
that they were all filed, and that no
removals were contemplated. He
also gave out for publication letter
from the board of the Smithsonian
Institution, asking that all the heads
of all the bureaus Of that establish
ment be exempted from the civil
service rules SO much explanation
is calculated to Increase rather than
diminish suspicion of that order
The full significance of the clause
which permits the reinstatement of
any government employe, regardless
of how long they have been out of
the government service, is just be
ginning to be seen Under it every
employe who was dismissed during
the two Cleveland administrations
can be reinssated, if they have pull
enough.
Southerners were pleased by the
selection of ex Senator Pasco, of
Florida, as one of the nine commits
sioners named by Mr. Mckinley to
make an investigation of the canal
route across the isthmus Represent
ative Underwood, of Alabama, de
clares that the people of his section
regard provision for the building of
a canal one Of the most important
matters to come before the next
congress The last congress appro-
priated 81, 100000 for this commits.
eion. 1t was understood at the time
that this provision was the work Of
the lobbyists employed by the
Panama Canal company. Unless
those who think they know are
badly mistaken, the Panama company
is not likely to profit by the COM
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