The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-07-04
Democrats Are Working
In Harmony.
PREPARING FOR THE FRAY.
Contest to Determine if the Re-
public Shall Live.
REPUBLICAN PARTY IN A BAD WAY

Confusion Reigns Within It's Ranks,
and Disasters and Scandals Crowd
Upon It Hanna Working Like
Demon to Stem the Adverse Tide.
A Hard Knock For Joe Cannon-Mr.
Bryan's Running Mate-Bynum Gets
Another Job Governor Mount
Shields Taylor.
rSoecial Washington Letter.l
Democrats are getting together ev-
erywhere. have positive and peculiar
evidence Of that in the circulation OF
these letters. When began them two
wears and half ago. discovered that
a plain. unfrilled Democrat such as L
am could not express a blunt, unequlv-
ocal opinion upon any phase OF current
politics without offending some Demo
cratic tenderfoot somewhere. but L
kept on expressing Democratic opln-
ions without hedging or double dealing
or mental reservation until the present
writing and shall continue to do so as
long as write or speak at all. For the
last year the letters have been growing
in circulation until now they are read
by more people than read any metro
politan daily in the land, which goes TO
show that Democrats are getting to-
gether and girding up their loins for
contest the most important IN the his
tory of the American republic. for it is
3 contest to determine whether the re-
public shall live.
Democratic Prospects bright.
But while Democratic prospects are
improving daily Republican affairs are
daily getting into 4 worse condition
At present the situation III which they
find themselves may be aptly described
as confusion worse confounded. Dis
asters and scandals are crowdinS uron
the G. O. P. so rapidly that it requires
a lightning calculator to keep tab on
the changes which it finds itself COM
PEELED to make For instance. only
few moons ago my brilliant and anna
Bile friend Postmaster General Smith
OF Philadelphia was a prime favorlte
for the vice presidential nomination.
Now. presto change, he is in TX TO
exclaim with the poet:
If SO soon Tn done for.
What the deuce was begun FOR?
because the Philadelphia Republicans
are passing resolutions asking him 10
resign his cabinet portfolio b. reason
of the Cuban scandals. When any
thing gets too bad for the Republican
ballot Dox. suffers. repeaters ard heel
ers. It must be awful-aNiful-awfUl-
arfuIly awful. VIII General Smith
resign: Not much. No Republican
was ever known TO let loose CT the pub
lie teat eycep, under pressure and pres
sure CT t:.e hardest and most irfesisti-
Bile sort at that. Take General Russell
4. .Alger OF ,Iich;saG. late secretary of
war. as an example. He Was Eotofl-
ousiy unfit for the position. His army
record was q disgrace Eis appoint
ment was an insult and humiliation to
every brave Old soldier in the land. He
was generally considered incompetent
His department reeked with scandal
and was odoriferouS with rottenness.
During the Spanish war his worthless
favorites We're showed to the front and
officers with splendid records and OF
approved capacity crowded to the rear.
Nothing but the incapacity OF the
Spaniaris saved US from, i great dlsas-
ter. Soldiers wanted Aiger TO resign.
Nine-te -tenthS OF tGe American people
wanted him to resign. nut he cared
about as much for the pe!tings OF pub
lie opinion as : ,;Jc!, would care tor q
gentle April shower falling GA his
bac.. 50 ne held CT with the tc1acitl.
of a saappi:9- t,l,t,e ulseil NcNia3ey IN
se,f defense farcc@ ll;ta oct.
Caught En G2.! Company.
i IS Tie sane w-itH al the rest. Fy-
cry loHest iaaa N t,.e land psos!d os
his count. ;:lSl .ieaic;.s ef is honor
bclieves t.ee !,.,s!a.! j. CAGE see, ~,
CT TIE treasury. ou@1t 10 b" in!.ee:sciled
By reason ef his de:lli:.gs Wiz Hep
burn and ;.S Nev- ye!.k bank. but Iy-
mar will never resign Gntil Mckinley
forces hiia - go III order to .s;lve him
self
The Philadelphia pepr5licaa.'s are
me-els sQuande,ias their ene-sies in
passing resolutions asking Pos.nlaste!
General Smith 20 resign. Ike the Bos-
ton tr&nscendentaiists they are seek
ins the uaattainable They are snug
Cling u;o 10 the Impossible
individually Go not believe that
General Sinit.i has either committed
any ct-i,.le or wiaked Z; 1t III a.hesS-
He is q most asree:}'t!s. gentleman. Z
brilliant or&te@ Ike Old Deg ii';ls1
he has been caught il had company
Any Republican c7iapany is bad from
political sta.d.o;nt. iat e;cnel,;al
Smith sot iGeo evea worse company
than tisa;l. c4.eG fer a Republican,. and
he viii haze to .rfa ara bear tie ul4-
h,.lrly-. .6.s,.fSe!tIf,.fS4.f.S.