The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-06-13

IL G!l, perhaps more. nave pcc!l mace !appE Gy
these easy So.s methods. Good fellows from In
diana. from Ohio. from New York city. political
henchmen in various quarters. not few so called
Journalists bave tattened of the money that resi-
dent people paid for postal materials and tha:
congress appropriated for military postal service.
An editor OF an Italian journal in Chicago lived
in high feather for several weeks in the West In
dies and through an Official order, his expenses,
amounting TO between 5000 and IS, 600. were paid
over the coanter OF the Washington city postof-
fec. After he returned from his trip his salary
was continued for several months.
SO it appears. after all, that this
great civil service reform administra-
ton loads up the Washington city post
| Office with q job lot OF Republican
henchmen and female cleaners from
the states. Yet, when William MclNin-
lev. placid and serene. took the oatn OF
office March 4. 1897. he solemnly as
severated that no backward step must
be taken in the cause Of civil service
reform. Did he mean that no Repub-
lican freebooter and treasury looter
should not draw more than three sal
aries at once? Was that the limit?
Or have those drawing triple pay not
yet reached the limit?
Investigation Needed.
# the following is true. some rather
tall heads could be brought to the dust
| by a proper and vigorous investigation
and certain illustrious officials be clap
ped into the penitentiary. The Post
says (and The Post is responsible fnan-
ciallv and otherwise):
Some months ago the condition of things came
near being aired in the local courts and was only
! narrowly avoided. This was occasioned primarily
bv the appointment Of two expert accountants
! from the treasury department. They were au-
! thorized By congress on one OF the appropriation
bills passed two years ago They were designated
to serve in connection with the conptroller's Of
/ fee and had authority to examine into the ac-
counts OF any Of the acGitors. One OF these ex-
pcrts. whose rare is known, called up the ac-
( counts of the Washington city postofice for the
quarter that ended Sept 80, 1898 The two pre-
viors quarters, which are said to have been stll!
worse, were, as far as known, never inspected.
/ He went over the papers IN the custody OF the
postmaster and his subordinates and discovered
items amounting to $4,000 to $4,000 which were
/, irregular and which he DID not tnlnk should nave
! been allowed.
In due season a lengthy letter came from the
comptroller Of the treasury stating the result OF
the investigation and propoundinS long list OF
Questions TO be answered. The comptroller, under
the law, is supreme in such matters anc IS en-
! powered virtually to assume charge OF all the
financial matters relating to any postohce Mean
while however, word had reached one OF the hlSh
officials of the department, who thereupon issued
directions that not 2 scrap OF paper or any mat
o1o4;D 70 hot
be retained by the local posto1dce officials. 1t
must be forwarded at once to his office. He pre-
pared reply tc the comptroiler's letter, which
was presented to Postmaster Willctt for sigma
ture. That gentleman was forced into signing the
reply, after long parley, by certain OF his ST.
perio-s, whose acts had been the cause OF the
controllers investigation. The letter was not
satisfactory its to the various questions
propounded, and the comptroller SO stated In
subsequent communication
In the meantime an adjustment was under way,
which resulted in the entire matter being dropped
and an understanding reached that the Washing
ton postofice vas to be 'lev alone" to regulate
| the expense account as other men wished.
make no apology for quoting SO
much Of The Post article. The facts
therein stated ought to wake the Amer
lean people UP and cause them to IN
alterably resolve to thoroughly cleanse
the Augean stables.
The Texan Delegation.
Texas has a wondrousiy strong dele
CATION in the house-nost all OF them
Young men Members Of congress and
all others who know hiia are glad that
Hon. Thomas II. Bah Of the First dis
trict will be one Of the Texas Big
Four at the Kansas City convention.
1t is high honor worlhiiy bestowed.
In that great cenc!ave Of the faithful
there Will be no better Democrat than
this stalwart young Texan. There is
10 more magnificent OR courageous
Democrat in the house than Tom Ball,
IS he is universally called by his init
mates. lie is Il splendid specimen Of
Intellectual and physical manhood.
with handsome presence, q bushel Of
brains and heart true TO duty rs the
needle to the pole. Industrious, capa-
BE, painstaking and affable. he is fast
rising among his fellow members, who
watch his ascent Of the ladder of fame
With delight.
Some New History.
l most respectfully dof my SOM
brero to that prince among statesmen,
the Hon. Amos J. Cummings Of New
York, dean Of the delegation. He has
dug UP brand new historical fact-a
biographical curio-and that is that
Hon. Matthias Lyon was elected to con-
sress from three different states-Fer-
mont. Kentucky and Arkansas-though
he died before taking the seat voted
him by the last named state.
General James Shields enjoys in his
tory the peculiar distinction Of having
been a United States senator from
three states-Iliinois, Minnesota and
Missouri-a feat never equaled and
most probably never to be duplicated
by any other Of the sons OF Adam.
Matthias Lyon is also distinguished
as being the first man imprisoned un-
| der the alien and sedition laws, which
were hatched in the administration Of