The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-07-15
What THE RAsGALs ARE DOING.
Political News and Gossip From
Our Washinton Correspondent

Uur TdSNiUIUN correspondents
Washington, July S.-Strained rela-
tions with Russia now threaten as a
result of President Roosevelt's desire
to cultivate favor with the Jewish
voters. AS has already been told in
these letters, the President yielded to
the opportunities Of the executive
committee of the B'nai Birth and
agreed to forward to Russia petition
for consideration of the Jews in Bes-
safabia. As soon as the Presidents S
intention became. known in Saint
Petersburg, an intimation was impart-
ed to the Associated Press to the effect
that under no circumstances could
Russia consent to receive any repres-
entation or petition regarding its
internal affairs. But the President
was not daunJed by this intimatlon:
He has declared that the United
Staes will accept no semi-ofdcial in
timation and that the petition will be
forwarded to the Gear as soon as it
is received in Washington. Russia g
next move in the situation is awaited
with keenest interest.
Republicans in Washington claim to
be >iubilant over the result of the Iowa
convention. Under the shrewd guild
ance of Senator Allison, the obnoxi-
Gus assertion that the tariff sheltered
monopolies, which has been eliminat-
ed or rather replaced with a monde
script plank which is one Of Mr.. ALI
sons masterpieces in the good Lord.
good Devil'' line. To the " stand-pat-
ters'' there may be some satisfaction
in his elimination but the greatest
satisfaction falls to the democrats who
can now point to the fact that even
Iowa has been swung into line, afraid
to stand by its convictions, that the
tariff is the mother of trusts" and
that every republican who favors re-
vision of the existing tariff rates must
! vote the democratic ticket or stultify
| himself. After the adoption of the
| platform Governor Cummins made a
speech in which he reasserted his old
time position but in as much as he
had yielded his position and waived
his conviction that prompt lowering
of the Oates on trust made goods was
! imperative, his subsequent statements
will be received for what they are
worth.
President Roosevelt and Postmaster
General Payne have between them
] managed to close most of the avenues
by which news has previously been
obtained regarding the Postofice in
vestigation and comparatively little
Rews of 1mportanoe is now getting into
4 Print. The most important subjects
under investigation at present are the
4 purchase of sheet iron mail boxes, the
painting of the same with a certain
patent paint, and the General Mani
folding Company which sells to the
4 government S400, 0oe worth of mani
folding paper year, one half of which
is bought by the posto6fce. Almost nc
inform mation can be obtained regarding
the first Investigations aside from the
fact that they are presenting some in
teresting and probably important
Developments. With regard to the
latter it has been found that the clerk
who buys the manifolding paper has
SON who is receiving $1,000 a year
from the General Maaifolding Com
pany, that Representative Joseph
Sibley is largely interested in the con-
Germ and it is suspected that Speaker
to-be Cannon IS also, although that
has not been verified as the inspectors
have not yet gained access to the stock
books
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral Bristow has announced policy
| which is likely to make for improve
ment of the postal service if he is sus-
tanned in it by the Postmaster General,
unfortunately a very doubtful condi-
tion. Mr.. Bristow declares that the
rural free delivery service has been
seriously hampered by the establish
ment of routes as favors to Congress
man, regardless of whether the condi-
tion attending such routes warrants
their esta ablishment. Hereafter he is
determined that members OF Congress
shall have no voice in this matter,
apart from the presentation of the
positions Of their constituents. He
says the inspectors will be used to as
certain if the circumstances surround
ing a proposed route are such as to give
some ground for believing that it will
eventually bring an adequate return to
the government and that unless such
is found to be the case the route will
be denied.
The most serious commentary yet
found on the administration of Post
master General Payne IS contained in
the statement for the fiscal year just
ended by which is shown a deficit for
the year of s4,617, ,203, nearly double