The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-23

1ucm ArrAtoOAe-OannOn anu hep.
burn Quarrel-BilIingsgat In the
House-Protest Of the SOldicrs-In
the Grip Of Buccaneers-Senato
Hoar ON True Statesmanshi
ana Elections.
Especial Washington Letter.l
An unnecessary tax is an unjust tax.
The federal treasury contains a vast
surplus which Is increasing every day
and which is produced by the continue.
ton Of the Spanish war taxes.
Therefore these taxes, being unnec.
essary, are unjust and should be
abolished.
But the signs indicate that the Re.
publican leaders will not permit any
change at this session Of congress of
any feature of the Spanish war reve.
nue. bill, not even Of those features
which are the most irritating to the
people and the least productive Of reve.
nue..
Everybody knows that the bill w..s
hastily prepared, passed under whip
and spur as q temporary measure and
abounds In crudities and inequalities. {.
Still we are not to be permitted to
change 1t, even In the estimation of
hair, because the Republican bosses
have so willed 1t.
The stamp taxes on medicines are 20
times what the rates are on John d.
Rockefellers products. but no change
must be made, because the bosses don't
want 1t, don't you know.
Stamp taxes ON small notes. con.
tracts. mortgages, etc., are more pro-
ductive Of profanity than revenue, but
they must stand, because the bosses
have so willed 1t.
BY the end Of the year the surplus, mt
the present rate. will be betwixt $50.
100000 and $4,000, COO, but the bosses
appear to deem that an evidence of
craftsmanship, hugging to their breasts
the delusion that people don't know
that every dollar Of that surplus is un.
Justly wrung from the overburdened
taxpayers Of the land.
A surplus In the treasury is a stand.
ing invitation to every rascal in the
land to move on Washington with some
scheme to deplete Uncle Samuels pleth.
oric pocketbOOk, but the bosses de.
cree that matters shall remain In statu
quo.
Thomas Jefferson's declaration is as
good and wise today as when first
made-"Economy in the public expense
that labor may be lightly burdened"-
but the bosses care nothing about Ia
Dor or its burdens so long as they can
point with pride to a huge surplus, the
result of unnecessary taxation. They
could easily double the surplus by the
simple process Of doubling the taxes.
There Is no end to such n plan. except
the exhaustion Of the peoples patience.
Republicans Irritable.
What seems to be the certainty of
impending defeat renders the Repub-
lican leaders irritable, querulous and
Kilkenny catfish. They yowl and
howl and claw and otherwise disport
themselves to the infraction Of the pub
lie decorum. They use loud. violent,
abusive and tumultuous language to-
ward each other in such a reckless
manner as to disturb the peace Of their
Democratic neighbors, who are in a
peculiarly happy frame Of mind con-
templating what reforms they will
work when they come into possession
Of the government ut high noon March
4, A. D. 1901.
During the debate on the Nicaragua
lNf11 TIno1n AP ;,o III
chairman Of the great committee on
appropriations. and Colonel William
Peters Hepburn Of Iowa. popularity de-
nominated Colonel Pete, chairman Of
the committee on interstate and for
eign commerce, committed mouth as
saults upon each other with intent to
kill and murder-at least to do great
bodily harm.
On the 7th day Of this month Uncle
Joe was ca years old. has been In the
house quarter Of century and
should know better than to quarrel
like fishwife.
Colonel Hepburn is past &C, though
ne does not look 1t. He has been in
congress many years. was once solic-
itor Of the treasury. and 1t would ap-
pear that he has seen enough years to
''cool his heart Of fire."
Not so, however These two veteran
statesmen fell a-foul Of each other, like
two Greco-ROman wrestlers, and tug
ged, strained. tore up the ground in such
disgraceful manner that Charlie
Wheeler of Kentucky demanded that
they be called to order, but nobody
paid any attention TO his call, rs every
body wanted to see the two illustrous
Republicans wool each other to their
hearts content. but 1t must be confess.
ed that when n row gets too hot to
please n Kentuckian things are liable
TO melt Perhaps Wheeler was dis.
Gustcd because they were confninS
themselves to shaking fists and hurlng
epithets instead Of adopting the Ken
tucky plan Of settling difficulties, whicl.