The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-12-09

a. aAAA-H~A~-A-A-. -
Senators during an executive session.
This does not portend harmony in the
republican party.
The Panama canal treaty will be
| sent to the Senate for ratification in
about ten days. 1t will no doubt
be approved, as the democrats will not
! take advantage of their power to
prevent it. There will no doubt be
much debate on the subject and it will
begin Immediately after the passage
of the Cuban bill. The methods of
the Administration in bringing about
the treaty will be more discussed than
the actual treaty, which gives this
country all the concessions desired.
The promptness with which the
treaty wasl ratified on the Isthmus,
shows that the people of Panama
realize that without the help of the
United States they would be absolutely
at the mercy of Colombia, and also
that the present American government
is not giving them this protection for
nothing. The Panamese minister of
foreign affairs met the boat which
brought the treaty, at Colon, carried
it Immediately to Panama, and drove
from the railway station to the govern
ment palae, where the document was
presented to the members of the Junta
and the ministry. The next morning
the treaty was adopted unanimously
and without amendment. The gold
pen with which it was signed was pre-
sented to Consul General Gudger. An
American warship will bring the
treaty to Ghis country.
Secretary Hay has had an interview
with the Colombian emissary, General
Reyes. who accompanied by the
Colombian charge de affairs, DR..
Herran, took luncheon with the Secre-
| tary. The General gave an outline of
the representations which he is to
make to the State Department, but as
he is still waiting for explicit instruc-
tionms from Bogota, he could not
submit definite proposition. Unless
he agrees to accept the present state
| of affairs on the Isthmus it is generally
| believed that his mission here will be
fruitless.
General Leonard Woods confrma-
tion as Major General is regarded as
assured, by trustworthy authorities in
the senate, in spite of the numerous
sensational but erroneous stories to the
contrary, which have been given to the
press by interested persons, enemies
of Gen. Wood and the administration.
Prominent members of the Senate,
both republican and democratic, have
decided that the time for the Senate
to have objected to Woods promotion
over senior officers was when that pro-
motion was given-that is, when Presi
| dent Mckinley made Wood Brigadier-
| General. In the present case, President
Roosevelt found Wood at the head of
the list of Brigadier- Generals and
merely gave him the promtion to which
his position entitled him, making
him Major General, when vacancy
in that rank occurred. An important
| fact which has come out in the investi-
cation is that Wood asked the War
| Department to appoint Court Of In
quiry to examine into his conduct
and that Secretary Root, after con-
sidering all the circumstances decided
that the charges were not Of sufficient
weight or sufficiently sustained to
justify such inquiry. According to
careful canvas Of the Committee Of
/ Military Affairs there are not likely to
be more than two votes against a
favorable report or Woods promotion.
One will come from Senator Scott
of West Virginia whose objection To
Wood has long antedated the present
hearing and the other from Senator
Blackburn of Kentucky, who will vote
against him for party reasons. AS the
Committee on Military Affairs is COM
posed of the most trusted members of
! the Senate, that body is sure to accept
its report.
A union Of women's clubs has estab-
lished headquarters here to work
directly for the expulsion from the
Senate of Senator Reed Smoot. The
president of the National Congress of
Mothers is the leader Of the movement
and many other national organizations
are represented. The first question
considered was the raising Of funds
and it has been decided to issue call
| to the country to raise $1,000 for the
purposes of the union. A pamphlet
setting forth the evil results to the
country which would foRow if Senator
Smoot retained his seat, will be issued
and it is hoped, secure money to ad-
vance the cause. After the plans had
been we'll discussed, couple arose
and left the hall. There was a good
deal of astonishment when they we're
recognized as the private secretary Of
Senator Smoot and the secretary's
wife.
4 o.
ROOSEVELT AND HANNA.