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

view OF this question like to tell us OF the mis-,
takes OF great men of other days, who have vain.
iy protested against acquisition OF territory One
worthy ana most exuberant gentleman in another
place points out to his hearers the folly OF Web.
ster and Clay, the deusions Of Charles Sumner
and contrasts them with the wisdom of jefferson
ana Tyler and Polk. Mr.. jefferson declared that
the acquisition OF Louisiana was unconstitutional
and wanted constitutional amendment to Justify
1t. j think the general sense Of the American
people Is that in that particular Mr. Jefferson was
IN error and that our power to admit new states
clearly involves the power to acquire territory
| from which new states are to be made. wonder
however, II there be any man now alive who now
holds or who ever did or ever will hold seat in
either house OF congress willing to say that hav.
ing taken an oath to support the constitution he
would, for any purpose OF public advantage, for
swear himself for the sake OF q real or fancied
good to his country. hope and believe that the
spirit OF Fletcher of Saltoun, who said he would
die to serve Scotland, but he would not do base
thing to save her, is still the spirit of American
craftsmanship. That exv5erant gentleman con-
trasts the craftsmanship OF Polk and Tyler with
| that Of Daniel Webster and Henry Clay and
Charles Sumner. Somehow or other the names Of
Webster and Clay and Sumner live in the hearts
| and on the lips OF their countrymcn, while the
| men who brought on the Mexican in the in
terest OF slavery are forgotten. I do not think
| we hear OF men building statues to those coun-
selors or celebrating their birthdays or writing
| their lives. In all generations the statesmen who
have appealed to righteousness and justice and
freedom have left an enduring place in the loving
memory OF their countrymen, while the WHO
have counseled them to walk in the path OF in
justice and wrong, even il it led to empire and
| even ii they were in the majority in their
| day, are forgotten and despised. All. Mr.. Prcsi-
dent, that gentleman says we are the anointed OF
| the Lord, as the Jews were the anointed OF the
Lord. But the Jewish empire is forgotten The
| sands OF the desert cover the foundations Of her
| cities. The spider spins its thread; the owl
| makes its midnight perch in their palaces But
still those little words: Thou shalt not steal:
thou shalt not covet that that is thy neighbors;
| whatever We would that men shall do to you. do
| ye even 30 again unto them." shine through the
| ages. blazing and undin Mr.. President. you
| may speculate. you may refine. you may doubt,
| you may deny, but the one foremost action
| In our history. the foremost action in all his.
| tory. is the writing upon its pages those simple
and sublime opening sentences OF the Declaration
| Of Independence. And the men who stand by it
shall live in the eternal memory Of manknd and
| the men who depart from 1t, however triumphant
and successful in their little policies shall perish
and be forgotten or shall be remembered only to
| be dcspised.
Coming Statesmen.
One purpose of these letters is to in
| troduce to the notice Of my readers the
rising members Of the house. especially
new and young Democratic representa-
tives who give unusual promise Of fu-
ture eminence. In the great debate on
the armOr plate feature Of the naval
appropriation bill trio Of young Dem
ocrats showed forth resplendent-Wil-
liam Walton Kitchin Of North Carroll
na. Charles Kennedy Wheeler Of Ken
lucky and Willard Duncan vandiver
Of Missouri. They put UP magnif-
cent fight for the people and led the
Democrats to notable vict v.
The Hoosier Republicans had hardly
adjourned their more or less perfume
tory state convention before the spring
municipal elections were held. in which
the grand old party was the recipient
Of n most righteous but most astound-
ing wallOping. The Porto Rican bill
did 1t: the Philippine imperial prOpa-
ganda did it.; the Cuban scandals did
it; the 'Macrum exposures did it; the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty did it; the Gage
Hepburn dark and damnable perform.
ance did 1t; the administrations pro-
English tendencies did it; it's evident
lack of sympathy with the heroic Beers
did it; the pro-English gold standard
bill did it; Mark Hanna's ship subsidy
bill did it; Colonel John w. Gates bold
and brazen trust caper did it; Bever-
idge's speeches did it; Fairbanks pres
idential aspirations did it: Governor
Steele's thrilling grafton on shirtless
Caribbeans did it; but, whatever did
it, the Democrats of Indiana didn't do
a thing to the Republicans! Oh, no!
They trampled them in the mud; that's
ALL
Quay and Hannd.
In some respects General Charles
Henry Grosvenor Of Ohio is the un-
luckiest of mortals. The newspapers
are always pestering him. They rep
resented him as publicly congratulate
ing Senator Mark Hanna ON the un-
doing Of Matthew Stanley Quay, where
upon the general publishes a card
avOwing that when he fell, figurative-
ly at least, on Marks neck in a public
place it was to thank chat great and
good man for some kind and compli-
mentary remarks personal to himself.
Whether Quay will believe the expla-
nation am not authorized to say. as ]
am not in the confidence Of the ex-
Keystone boss. Lord Byron says,
Sweet is revenge" and far stranger
things have happened in this world
than that ex-senator and eX-Chairman
Of the National Committee Quay should
find some way Of evening up the score
with Senator and Chairman Of the Ma
tiOnal Committee Hanna. 1t may be
that he will avenge himself on Marks
protege. William Mckinley, or he may
| be satisfied with defeating Marks ship
| subsidy bill. If the newspapers are
to be believed, that palpitating patriot,
| Senator Tom Carter Of Montana, med
itates the latter method of revenge
for Marks part in taking off his friend
the late senator from Quaysylvania.
j l. 4