The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-02
Russia Said Hands Off.
Mckinley and Hay Backed
Down From Demand on
Turkey.

Washington, April 3J-Ine BROAD
streak of yellow down the backbone
Of the Mckinley administration, the
exhibition of which disgusted so
many Americans during the weeks
which Immediately preceded the war
with Spain, is again in full view of
the world. The present exhibition is
connected with our relations With
Turkey Only few days ago, all Of
the we'll known dissemlnators of
semi official news. 10 Washington,
were singing song of jingoism and
filing the newspaper men with
thrilling stories Of the red hot demand
the administration had made upon
the Sultan of Turkey, to settle those
long standing missionary claims at
once, and intimating that if the epon
dulix was not at once forthcoming,
an American feet would be sent into
Turkish waters to forcibly collect it.
These stories were duly sent out, but
they didn't fire the country even a
little tiny bit, the people not being
in a jingo humor But they did
something else They brought an
int5mation from Russia, in the politest
diplomatic language that there were
reasons which made it incumbent
upon Russia to object to any forcible
collection of claims from the sultan
That threw Secretary Hay into blue
funk, almost as bad as would have
followed a snubbipg by an English
lord, and straightway the yellow
streak in the administration backbone
was uncovered, to add to the gaety
of nations and to the humiliation Of
Americans and the official announce
men; made that this government had
| at no time intended to go beyond
diplomatic ins;s.ance in trying to
make the sultan pay the claim A
famous American Wit once comment
ed upon an exhibition OF yellow
streak By public man, by saying
.Goa Almighty hates gutter and
it is well known 10 every observing
man that the American people also
hate aquitter
The senate seems to be pretty
nearly unanimous in one thing at
east-thas the United States senate
has 70 authority 10 Investigate q
state legislatures qualification to
elect United States senator Al
though the temptation to go behind
the action of the West Virginia legis.
iature which elected Nathan B Scott,
to the senate was great, there being
plenty of evidence of crookedness,
only three senators-Pettus and Nor.
gan, of Alabama, aud Turner, Of
Washington, voted for the motion of
Senator Pettus to send the resolution
declaring Scott entitled to his seat
back to committee with instructions
to further Investigate his election
Senator Alien rebuked Senator
Chandler for his apparent anxiety to
roailroad the resolution reported from
the elections committee, declaring
Senator Clark, CT Montana. no. en-
titled TO his seat through the Senate
when be said: every man must
realize that it is asking good deal of
anyone who occupies place in this
chamber to take the mere conclusions
of committee, without az oppor
.uuity of reading the evidence
upon which those conclusions
are based. | am not interested in
this case one way or the other, but
the Senate cannot expect to dispose
of it in two or three days when it has
taken the committee three months to
hear witnesses and reach judgment
That would be ridiculous in any
trbuual -
1t is strongly believed that the re.
signstion OF Senator Clark will make
vote necessary on this resolution,
although he still declines to talk for
| puO.'Cotiob
Democratic Senators nave decided
that the army reorganization bill con,
tains 80 many objectional features
that they viii not allow it to go
through the senate, and notice to that
effec. has been served on the republl
cans. Among the striking features
Of the army bill are provision for
meking Gen Miles lieutenant general
(put in to catch democratic votes
aud Gen Corbin major general; for the
increase of the regular army and for
doubling the number of cadets to
West Point. Senator Jones, of Ark.
the democratic leader. who never
minces words when be has anything
TO say, declared the Army bill to be
full of rascality
The republican leaders will allow
the Nicaragua Canal bill to pass the
House this week, simply because
they saw that they could cot prevent