The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-07-11

and Who are batting, men. women ana
children. for all the human heart holds
dear with courage. fortitudc and sell
abnecation rarely eQualed and never
surpassed. but above all injustice, rank
injustice. to the American people. who
in moment of temporary mental aDer-
ration gave into their unflithful hands
and itching palms the mighty and null
tifariouS powers Of the most puissant
government the sun has looked down
upon since the world began
MckinIey's Dual Role.
AS far as in him lies William Mckin-
ley has brought representative govern
ment into disrepute by endeavoring to
play the dual role Of president of the
United States and emperor Of the Phil
ippine Islands But his days in the
White House are numbered. He sees
the handwriting on the wall. With
foresight which is commendable he is
remodeling. retitting and enlarging his
Canton cottage. That is perhaps the
wisest act of his life, as he will have
pressing need for it after high noon,
March 4. 1901, when Bryan will be in
augurated ushering in the twentieth
century, as the nineteenth was ushered
in. with q Democratic administration.
Civil Service Pensions.
Even such valiant thick and thin
organ grinder as the New York Trib-
une has found something IN Republic
an doings which causes its gorge to
rise. which is most remarkable, unless
Mr. Whitelaw Reid is raising a gentle
rumpus for the purpose of reminding
Brother Mckinley that it is about time
to pass the pie toward The Tribune Of
fee once more However that may be,
The Tribune is kicking vigorously
about the project to pension those hold
ing places under the New York civil
service law after 25 years service. The
Tribune SAYS that these would be pen
sioners have formed 4 society or close
corporation and purpose to enter poll
tics as flying squadron of pie hunters,
voting for those who will agree to raise
their wages and grant them pensions
and against those who refuse so to do.
The paper founded by Horace Greeley
denounces them as public enemies, de-
clares that there are cow $500 Of them,
soon to be increased to 10000, and pro-
nounces their movements to be alto
gether reprehensible.
Now, there never was a man with
two ideas above mud turtle who did
not know that the civil service system
inevitably leads to q pension list from
the civil walks of life, and yet The
Tribune. which now denounces these
people for doing what everybody knew
they would do. is thick and thin sup
porter of the system and loud shouter
for Colonel Teddy Roosevelt, who is
facile princeps of civil service reform
ers. provided ne can reform his polltl-
cal friends into good fat Offices. The
Tribune may howl as much as it
pleases now. 1t is too late.
Mr.. Hemingway Of Indiana declar-
ed boldly and unequivocally On the
floor Of the house that 10 per cent OF ali
the clerical force in Washington is in
capacitated by reason of the infirmltles
of old ~ge from doing any work what
soever. and yet they draw their salaries
regularly. and nobody has choked off
one Of them. though Hemingway said
that months ago. So The Tribune in
stead of bowling about one feature-an
inevitable feature-of Il bad system
which it helped to iIaugurate had bet
ter study up the whole question anew.
60 back to original principles and fight
the whole system.
Platt the Easy Boss.
The one Republican in the United
States who really deserves TO be con
graduated on the outcome Of the phila-
delphia convention is Hon. Thomas c.
Platt. senior senator and easy boss Of
New York. He had i broken rib, but
nevertheless his headpiece appears to
have been all right. He fought Mark
Hanna and routed him. unloading Colo
mel Theodore Roosevelt on to the ma
tional ticket. He did not make sure of
electing the Republican state ticket by
eliminating Teddy as gubernatorial
possibility. but he did undoubtedly i'm
prove the chances Of doing that trick
very much indeed With Roosevelt as
candidate for governor the Democrats
would probably have elected their state
ticket by $4,000 majority. With some
other candidate the Democratic major
itv will probably be cut to $4,000. In
less all signs Of rain fail in dry wealth
er the Democrats will elect their state
ticket.
And what of Colonel Roosevelt?
There is no question but what he will
make an aggressive. whoop 'e1l up,
picturesque campaign. If he wins. he
will be shelved. the thing which would
please Platt. If he loses. he is politi-
cal has BEEN to borrow term ex-
pressive if not elegant from the prize
ring, which would please Platt still
more. So Plat stands to get rid Of his
young old man of the sea. SO repeat
that Senator Thomas G.. Platt Is to be