The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-25
Where grim and shameful they ere LAID
On Transvaal battlcfelds to rot
In graves for women made.
Spanish War Taxes.

spanish War Taxes.
To Hon. James d. Richardson of
tennessee, Democratic leader of the
house minority, belongs the high honor
of having driven the Republicans into
an investigation to discover whether
the Spanish war taxes are producing
a surplus in the revenue. The truth is
that since the wrangle over the Porto
Rican tariff bill demoralized them so
the Republicans have been in a nerv-
Gus. timOrOus and irritable frame Of
mind. Most Of them are fussy as an
old sitting hen. They found out that
Richardson was preparing resolution
to investigate the revenues, and Hon.
Serene +. Payne. chairman of the COM
| mittee on ways and means, whose
| present frame OF mind, nOtwithstand-
Ing his Christian name, is by no means
serene, straightway introduces a reso-
luton Of that sort himself, hoping
thereby to fOrestall the tactful Tennes-
seean and reap little glory himself;
but the people are not all natural born
durn FOOLS" as was Sut Lovingood's
daddy, and they will not be deceived
by Mr.. Payne's transparent trick. They
will give credit where credit is due, to
Mr.. Richardson, for he forced Mr..
Payne TO take the initiative. The
probabilities are that the New Yorker
would not have moved in the matter
this side the resurrection had Richard
son not prodded him up. So, what
ever comes Of it, the honor belongs
clearly and of right to the gracious,
graceful, skillful, capable leader of the
house Democrats, Hon. James d. Rich
ardsOn Of Tennessee.
Later on Richardson, to borrow the
felicitous language of DR.. William
Everett Of Massachusetts, deposited
the Republicans in a cavity" by intro
ducing the following resolution:
Resolved. That this house views with deep in.
terest the heroic struggle of the republics Of
| South Africa to maintain their independence and
hereby tenders them most profound sympathy
in their unequal but gallant struggle.
That resolution went to the commit
tee on foreign affairs, where it may or
may not sleep. If it sleeps Richard
son and his friends will want to know.
don't you know. who administers mor-
phinc to it. If it does not sleep, Rich
ardson reaps the glory.
Porto Rico ThrottIed.
The deed is done. For better or for
worse the Porto Rican tariff bill, with
the senate amendments, is now a law.
Republican leaders are in doubt as to
whether they have achieved 4 great
party victory. or digged the party's
grave. 1t passed the house by eight
majority. and we may now be said to
have become part republic and part
empire. 1t would appear that President
Mckinley, who, in his December mes
sage to congress, said it was our plain
duty to establish free trade with Porto
Rico. owes it to long suffering ard
expectant world to explain, in a signed
statement. just why he Topped. Flop
may not be classical word to apply
to n presidential caper. but it is good,
old forcible monosyllable. which the
great body Of the people can compre-
hend without rummaging through an
unabridged dictionary. Yes, flop is
the word. Hon. Serene Z. Payne made
a poor fist Of showing why he Topped.
Perhaps Brother Mckinley could eluci-
date the subject more successfully and
more skillful!y.
The thing which appears to be desir.
able to vast number Of people Is that
the Democratic ticket shall be Bryan
and Dewey. 1t i, generally thought
that they would win hands down. Ask
ed If Dewey woulI accept second place,
q prominent gent eman Of large expert
ence said: "Dewty's hatred Cf McKin-
ley Is SO intense that he would do any.
thing to defeat him for a second term"
He also volunteered the information
that General Nelson A. Miles and Ad-
miral Winfield Scott Schley are eX-
ceedingly anxious to encompass the un-
doing and downfall Of Mark Hanna's
prOtege. That Is certainly a distin.
guished trio to contend with-Dewey,
Schley and Miles. Perhaps Mr.. Nc.
Kinley will conclude that 1t would
have been just as we'll to have treated
those great Americans with generosity
and kindness.
Ianna Frying Fat.
Mark Hanna is beginning in dead
earnest to fry the fat out Of the trusts
that is. il the ST. Louis Republic can
be believed. The Republic makes the
startling charge that Marks prelim.
mary assessment on the trusts is &c.
100000: Only think Of that, my coun-
trymen? Six and One-half millions for
a starter! II this is done i'm the green
tree. what will be done in the dry?
Mark has only one idea in politics, and
that is to Doodle somebody, and he is
evidently fixing now to eclipse his
great Doodle campaign OF 1896, when
people stood aghast ut the vast sums
expended.
So Il virtuOuS senate committee re-
ports unanimously that Senator Will