The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-30

CHAMP aaRKIS LETTER
A Mighty Labor Con
fronts the People.
DUST REPUBLICAN, PARTY.
Totally Depravec, Il Esraces
Our Institutions.
REPUBLICAN, PARTY.
II scofrs AT PUBLIC OPINION.

eebbcry and Murder Are It's Hand-
Hsisens and Rosucry Thrives Un-
Ger Its Adninistration - Postal
Frauds In Cuba-rhe Thieves Are
: Hsssa's Minions-The wanamaker
Ezpsaures In Phiiadeiphi ia--Honcst
Senator T7h1san-necr Sympathy.
Especial Washington letter.
Tho story OF Hercules and his cleans
ing OF the Augean stables is familiar to
tho ears OF men. Though old and
shreodbare. Il still possesses strange
fascination for the human mind and
remains to this day a performance
with which to compare all things difH-
cult OF accomplishment. But a greater
task than Ill the labors. OF Hercules
confronts the American people and
that Is to rid the republic OF the Re-
publican party, which Is riding 1t as
another Old Man Of the Sea.
It seems determined by its capcrs In
this year Of grace to Illustrate all that
n forbidden In politics or vicious in
morals.
Early In the year the country Nas
startled by the fact that Kentucky Re.
publicans had added assassination to
their other methods of political war;
1Are. Whether Governor William Goc-
bel was a paragon Of virtue and
prodigy Of brains. as his eulogists as
sert, or q monster In human form, as
his enemies maintain. has nothing to
10 with the total depravlty manifested
~ Kentucky Republicans in "the deep
ANIMATION OF his taking on" They
murdered him In cold blood for the
base md sortiid motive of holding on
to few paltry Offices. The. deep and
humiliating stain upon the party which
falsely arroxates to itself all virtue, all
learning. an purity, oil patriotism is
The fact that the dc facto Governor
Taylor Is supposed to have been partl-
ceps criminls In the foul and cowardly
ass0sslnatlon Of his competitor. The
Borgias never did a more criminal and
sbhorrept thing that that. The papers
s1y that Taylor has been indicted as
IN accessory before the fact. 1t has
always appeared to me that capable
and courageous prosecuting attorney
GDuld convict him as an accessory aft
er the fact. Perhaps he was both.
For the sake OF the fair fame OF my
native state and the credit OF human
nature. hope he may bc able to dem
oustrotc his innocence clcarly--cvcn
beyond the shadow Of doubt. Not
thnt care anything for Taylor-all
his acts prove him to bc poor crca-
turc. utterly unworthy Of the high
place which he holds-but because his
, innocence would remove n foul blot
from our political system. r. guilty.
! hope he win he hanged on a gallows
20 cubIts high. ms an example and
.warnlng to other evlldoers.
!. TIE Postal Thieves.
Just cS the country was recovering
its breath after Its astonishmcnt Mt the
Introduction OF assassination as n
mcars for securing and l,oldinS oiiice
came tho disgusting and startling rev.
ciat:oas CT the thleycry Of Nicely and
his gar: In Cuba Ike clap Of thunder
OF CT clear sky. II Is extremely
questionable o. matter OF law
whether they can be convicted. Not
that The theft is I'm dou!t-thorc ap-
pears 20 be no cayil about thar. except
the nmouni. which already exceeds
$l0o.ccO Ind Ia still growing daily-thc
trouble VIII arise Ia Court on two
points 1. Whose moG:y i'l they steal?
Was II cuha's Or did |, belong to the
Cnltcll Statcat q Tho question as to
jurisdiction. What low did t.:cy vio-
>latc. Cuban or Ainaricant What court
has JGrisd!ct.oS over thc.n? The
chances are ten TO one that they had
studied all these questions thoroughly
before committing t.,clr series OF
crimes. and that t,,ry VIII through
fcch..csn:'cS 80 uaw!iippcd OF Justice
and IN soclc quiet nook viii enjoy the
fruitS CT their crimes.
In re meantime tire Washington
Post disccrus certain things which
male Il restless. II IL ennmorcd Of
Mckinley and .lcKinlcylsm. but II
warn nli concerned that h~enkers are
ahead in the following rigoroua ed
itoriGl:
~ THIS DLUNDgR PossiBIi.
>othinc THIS Gar. either hlnted expressed.
. suggested OF rroc'nimed. has caused ~ To revise
our opinion that the postotkcc scandal In Cuba
shoud b. ventilated ~iilout regard 60 any private
90 po.iIic,i interests. We stiu msiLisin that the
sdmi,istratios owes Ia TO tive cCun,ry-to the
Amsvissa people Of all classes sad party sinlis.
tsoos-tD sn this matter To tho bottom and to
csposc sal Iillory the guilt. bo matter what
nay he their connections their influence. Pot.
ting the question the lowest aod most sordid
basis. th- TACT remains that votes will bc secured
a. uub ttxt tn f.rox inn hat
party commits Itself to the ways OF decency and
the ob.rVsaccs cf public virtue.
To our great saeasIness and regret we have de-
sected What seems 10 he diapositiss on the part
os the government 10 suppress disclosures In Hs-
vsna and 10 envelop the whole incident In .
cloud OF hsGuid Investigation ssd educated non
ecumittsliso. Uader ono sosye p<etext or an.
other. by some queer stunning Of authority
usssfcr OF responsibility. the administration has
evisssd itself enthusiastically, no doabt-into On