The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-09-13
Washington Political Gossip
McKinley's Trucking to Pub
lie Sentiment
MILES MAY BE SENT TO THE
PHILIPPINES.

Washington. Sept 11.-"End the
war in the Philippines speedily, or
the result will be disastrc US to you
and to the republican party :" That
is the sum and substance OF what is
being daily dinned into the ears Of
Mr. Mckinley, not by his opponents,
but by leading republican,, who
know how unpopular that war is
becoming all over the country Mr.
Mckinley is gradually becoming con
vinced that the reaction in public
sentiment concerning his Philippine
policy, predicted more than year
ago by Col. Bryan, is at hand, and
once fully convinced, there is no tell
ing what he may do, for this country
has never had a president who feared
the public sentiment o: the country
as much as Mr.. Mckinley does. or
who tried so hard to make his official
acts meet it's approval, regardless Of
his own opinion
The most striking thing connected
with the hearing on trusts. by the
industrial commission, was a daring
and somewhat scandalous attack upon
Vice Chairman Philips of the CON-
mission, who is connected with an
independent oil company in Pennsyl,
vania, by officials of the Standard
Oil trust. Mr. Philips denied the
charge that be had been mixed up
in an offer to dicker with the Stand
ard Oil trust, but the charge left a
bad taste in everybody's mouth, and
is not calculated to add anything to
the prestige of the commission,
which isn't any too great at best
Senator Stewart is ine specimen
of stalwart radicalisn in all his
views He never trims on any ques.
ton, conservatism is unknown to mis-
mind. He has got it in for France
for several reasons, the latest of
which is the second conviction of
Dreyfus, and says that country really
has no government at all, and that
we. should break off diplomatic rela
tions until France gets government.
The senator threatens to offer joint
resolution to that effect when con-
gress meets /; also bill repeating ali
official recognition of the exposition
at Paris next year
The administration appears to be
still detetermined to leave Gen. Otis
in supreme command in the Philip
pines, although Secretary Root is
understood to have recommended a
change, and to favor sending Gen
Miles over there. There is politics
in this determination, and it lent the
sort .cf politics that reflects any
credit upon Mr. Mckinley. The
Hanna crowd are afraid of Miles
now, and if he should go to the
Philippines aud do what Otis has
eigually failed to do, they would fear
him still more They krow that Otis
is not likely, under any circum
stances, to develop popularity enough
to make him political rival of Mr..
Mckinley. That is why they wish
to keep Otis in command, notwith-
standing the overwhelming evidences
from all sources, of his unitness, not
to call it by a harsher term. The
agent of the non partisan Associated
Press. in long letter from Manila,
just published, after going into de-
tails, showing the failure of Otis,
sums up by saying +: "The secret oI
the whole trouble here is that the
government has left small man to
deal with a most delicate problem,
requiring broad statesm anship Ev-
eryone agrees that Otis is honest,
and that counts for much in a posi-
tion afording such chances for dis
honesty, but everyone agrees also
with the most remarkable unanimity
that he has bungled affairs from the
beginning
1t is evident to even the most
casual observer of those political
currents which are to be foand by
those who koow how, just below the
surface of the party waters, that the
republican leaders are carefully paw
ing the way to drop Mr. Hobart il
they shall consider it expedient to do
80 The state OF Mr.. Hobar.'s
health is made the basis of all these
preparatory stories. If it doesn't
improve, "his family will have to
veto the idea of his remaining in
politics." etc. This is all tommyrot.
Mr. Hobart hes shown upon several
occasions, during the last three
months, notably by his getting Alger
to resign, that his health is good
enough to do what other men, not
on the sick list, failed to do His