The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-12-21
NEWS For THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Politicians OF Both Parties Get
Back TO OLD Routine and
Everything is Lively for
Four Years More.

the election, is not dlSmayed. D1Xae
and Tammauy will have very frn
hold upon the next Congress and will
be capable of making great deal Of
trouble for the champions of extrava-
gance and imperialism. If they can
mot pass resolutions Of Investigation
and appoint committees, they can at
least indulge. in great variety Of
Irritating and embarrassing remarks.
Meantime Cochran and Dalzell have
peacefully fallen upon each others
necks, and the status quo ante beilum
reigns once more.
Democratic members of both houses
will fraternally participate in the
inauguration exercises, and both the
President and his Democratic escort
will forget what they said about him
in October. It will be interesting
TO see Mr. Carmack aud Representative
Kitchin have place ON the Inaugu-
ration COMMITTEES. It is understood
that these twain are expected from the
Presidents general amnesty. They
enjoy only Che privileges OF ticket-of-
leave men.
It looks today as if the Inauguration
ball would take place where the in
auguration itself fwilltake place-at. the
Capitol building. The Hopse objects
to tearing up the Pension Office and
interrupting business there, and the
Senators object TO granting the use of
the Congressional Librasy-by far the
most appropriate place for it
The Inauguration Committee an
nounces that no refreshments will be
provided for the publie-a quite su-
perduous announcement, as no Presi-
dent since Jackson has trisd to feed
the OF polloi. He tried, Receiving a
vast cheese weighing several tons
from a New York farmer, be placed it
in the center Of the East Room of the
White House, then called "The
Palace. - The populace made a rush
for it. They clawed it. They scooped
it out. They flung it at the chande-
Iiers and carried itfrom room to room,
trampled it under foot on the carpet,
and the odor thereof ascended to
Heaven. But there were other things.
A letter writer of that time wrote:
ga profusion of refreshments had
been provided. Orange puch by bar
relsful was made, but, as walters
opened the door to bring it out, a
rush followed the glasses were
broken, the pals of liquor upset, and
the most painful confusion prevailed.
go sHch 8 degree was this carried that
wine and ice cream could not be
brought TO the ladies, and tubs Of
punch were taken into the garden to
entice the crowd :fsom tie Palace. It
was notifying to see men, with boots
heavy with mud standing on the DAM
ask satin-covered chairs, from their
eagerness to get a sight of the Pres;-
dent Nc; there will be no attempt
to feed :1e :.ae American people on
March 4th, howevermuch His Strenu-
osity might enjoy the sight.
Secretary Taft, just back from PAN
anna, has spent some time this week
helping to rescue the Philippine bill
from defeat. The dsbate on the bill
touched mainly on the right OF Con-
gress to delegate to the Philippine
Commission power to revise the in
sular tariff. Several Republican Sen
ators as veil as Democratic, denied
that right. Senator Newlands urged
a reduction cf the interests on the
railroad bonds which the Philippine
government mus guarantee, from FIVE
per cent. to two and a half per cent.
Insisting that the United States
would bemorally bound to redeem the
bonds and by assuming the legal re-
sponsibility for them they could easily
be sold for a higher price. Senator
Carmack got the floor yesterday with
his usual effectiveness. Re said that
after the late election he might not
hars ia33 oonrage to take any further
cart in debates had not the President
in his message distinctly aligned him
self with tie Democrats and Anti-lm-
perialists. The President expressed
the hope that the time would come
when the Philippines would hold
such relation to the United States as
Cuba now hplds-the very thing ad-
vocated in the Democratic platform.
Would not the Presidents message
anticipating self-government for those
people tend to excite insurrection
there? The President further said that
our presence in the Philippines was
justified only by an effort to aid and
assist them. 'Tbese two utterances
qualify the President for membership
in the Washington Anti-Imperialist
League, said the Sentor, amid laugh
ter. The bill passed last evening by
a party vote.
The confirmation of tne sentences of
Machen, Lorenz, and the Grofs is
greeted With & told you 500 on the
part of Republicans who promised
that official delipquencies should be
punished. In this connection it is au-
nounced in the Postmasteer- Generals
report that 1883 post Offices were rob-
he'd during the last fiscal year. And
this recalls inevitably the optimistic
prediction of Senator Beveridge, who,
in Que of his oratorical rainbows as
severated that our goveruenlnt of the
Philippines would be so just, so hon
est and so exemplary that iS'would be
reflected back upon the United States
and immensely raise the moral stand
ard OF our own people; this is good
time to invite his attention to the
prophecy.
For instance, our laws against
smrpplinc seem to be violated with