The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-06-06
st:.aI;.t CLAsAS LETTER
Suggests Republican Ma
tionai Ticket.
1T Is RAThBONE AND NEELY
"Old Flag and Cuban Swag,"
Might Be the Battlecry.
FIRST FEUITS OF IMPERlALIsN.

~-o4
@. o. Il. Worried Over Thicvcry In
Cuba and Fears Worse Larccnies
IA the Philippines-yvar Taxes Not
To De Cut Down-Pneumatic Tube
Steal Beaten - Reception OF Boer
y Deicsntes-Decent Republicans Dis
Gusted With the Administrations.
copyright. 1900. by Champ Clark.l
Messrs. Rathbone and Neely of the
United States and of Cuba are the two
Republicans now most thoroughly in
the public eye. I suggest them as the
Republican presidential candidates with
the battlecry ''The old flag and Cuban
swag." The beauty OF such a ticket
would be that 1t would make no sort
or difference which stood for first place
and which for sacond; 1t would be
very much Of a whatness.
The G. o. p. Is clearly In a bad way
when a Republican congress is COM
PEELED to pass brand new law in Or
der 20 punish Republican thieves who
have been plying their nefarious voca-
ton In 'The Queen of the Antilles"
This Is one Of the first fruits of i'm
perialism. What hoarse hoot Gen.
eral Weyler must emit when he reads
OF the colossal sums stolen by the pets
or this administration, which has been
supposed to stand especially for sweet
ness. purity, goodness. patriotism and
philanthropy!
Republican statesmen are not much
given to thinking religiously, but to
aSesr minds In the present exigency of
their affairs must frequently occur the
question. "If this Is done In the green
tree, what will De done in the dryY'
The Republicans are worried about the
exposures Of thievery In Cuba and are
FEARFUL lest worse news Of greater lar
cenies come from the faraway Philip
pines.
1t Is not only the Democrats who are
hopping on to them. but honest Repub-
1acans are taking up the cudgels against
them. General John Il. Henderson, ex-
United States senator from Missouri,
Sx-chairman Of q national Republican
convention, ex-president Of the Pan
American congress, ex-brigadier In the
Union army. has been and Is one Of
the most ardent opponents of the i'm
perial policy. 1t Is very doubtful II
there is q profounder lawyer In tho
United States than General Henderson.
I'm n long and carefully considered ar.
ticle on the huge thefts of Messrs.
Rathbone and Neely he says inter ALA:
With all these guarantees Of honesty In the
esndling OF public funds. REINFORCED by the safe.
guards OF checks and balances suggested by re.
qponsible accounting officers in an experience Of
hundred years. 1t has been difcult to secure that
adelity and integrity sought and hoped for BY the
souneen OF our institutions.
Constitution Ignored.
Why should we be surprised. then. at the re.
cent defalcations and entertainments in Cuba?
Are they not the legitimate consequences Of
gross and radical departure from the constitution.
on which cur institutions and our hopes OF fidelity
and purity OF administration are bascdG Look at
the orcer OF the president. made through the
postmaster general In July. 1890. under which
NJ. Rathbone's administration as director gen.
sral Of posts In Cuba has been conducted. Upon
him alone Il conferred unlimited authority to es.
tablish postofices and to appoint postmasters and
IN their compensation.
He has unrestrained authority to establish post
soutes and hx the compensation OF ell persons and
companies carrying the mail, III, is to maze all
contracts touching the questions of transportation
and distribution. Of the mail. And his pe wer is
equally unlimited to collect and tisburse all mon.
eys arising from that service In Cuba. Under this
ssder he combines In himself. as regards this SUBJ
)ecf, all the functions OF the legislative and ex.
sxcutive departments OF our government on an Ia.
land containing 100000 people. His sole will is
the law, lie is made an absolute monarch No such
sutocracy exists on earth. lie Is to collect mil
Hons OF collars and expend them a, his own sweet
VIII may dictate. There Is no ont to inspect his
accounts lie Is authorized to collect and to hold
snd disburse as his own treasurer lie can dis
burse without an -. Of appropriation. He can
pay out without ,-,rrant. The lamentable part
OF this whole matter Is that he who invokes con.
sfitutional limitations to restrain this wild de-
hrium is no better than traitor against his GOV.
eminent. After awhile the traitors will probably
be In the majority. and then as heretofore in this
uncertain world OF ours. treason will again become
respectable.
Now, please bear In mind whose
words those are: not those Of q ram.
pant and ardent Democrat, seeking
some temporary political advantage,
not those Of wild eyed Populst who
wants the government to take charge
OF all public utilities. not those of an
anarchist. shaking his blood red flag
In the face OF organized society, but
the sober words Of IN eminent Repub-
Dcan statesman. n great lawyer and a
man OF Affairs.
Spanish War Taxes.
People need not expect that this Re-
publican congress will cut down the
Spanish war taxes. which were estab-
4lished for temporary purposes. The
way things are running In Cuba the
Republicans need oil the surplus on
! hand and to be on hand or their off,
cial thieves will produce an enormous
deficiency In the treasury. What Re
publicans want to do. and what they
probably will do. Is to give the COM
mittee on ways and means leave to sit
during vacation under the pretense Of
ronsidorino roflucfinna nf tho Sno iok